Exactly, Muddy! 
nailed it! The oven did not get that dirty just from one guest. That is nastiness that has built up over time and no attempt made to clean. They didn’t even wipe the crumbs out.
Guess that was a bit too subtle! 
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Did you happen to be the first guest in the listing for a long time? That could explain the musty smell and the water (but not why the host wouldn’t prep the listing properly), but otherwise, the listing has maintenance issues.
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Seriously, why?
I can’t see any dilemma here, give an honest review and the job is done. No potable water is sufficient to have a listing booted from any OTA.
You’re not doing your fellow guests any favours here.
JF
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Newish host (6-9 months), trying hard, very responsive, hosting remotely, has a unique listing that many people will enjoy. I didn’t want to ruin things for him by giving him a rating that would knock his stars down overall so much.
I felt privately corresponding with him about where he needs to improve would be better in his case. I think he will step up his game and do better. Besides, I might want to go back there and I didn’t want to risk rejection if I requested to book again! 
Give an Honest Review! ** Their Response Will Not Be On Your Profile**. It can only be seen when a guest looks at their reviews - not yours! There is no downside.
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If you do not get a message that he gave you a review, then post yours a few min before the 14 day deadline. Then they get a review and you do not. It is irrelevant if they respond to yours. No one will see it when you are looking to book as a guest.
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DRAFT REVIEW for you
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Would Never Stay Here Again. Can not recommend for any Guest. Strong musty smell throughout. Filthy kitchen. The tap water is cloudy and undrinkable. NO WIfI for over 6 days of our 7 day trip! The only upside is our dog enjoyed running through the tall unmown lawn (easily a foot high).
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@Keugenia you have been a host for a long time. If you are not honest, this host will never consider improving. We “get it” - you are a very nice person. This is not about being mean or nice. It is about being honest.
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There is nothing about a high iron content in the water that makes it non- potable.
But certainly guests should be made aware that’s why it’s cloudy, and even better, that the host install an undersink filter or at least a Brita- type filter jug.
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What I’d like to say, is go back to the very day you walked into that moldy cabin. You said you would have immediately left if you could have found a place.
This place is not remotely right by a long shot and you really need to call out all of the issues to make up for former guests that were too chickens__t to tell the truth.
If you were my friend and recommended this hovel to me, we might not be friends any more.
Just goes to show, anyone can list anything on Air and get away with it.
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If I turned up as a guest, and the water was like that with no alternatives provided, I’d bail. Seriously.
My potability tolerance is pretty relaxed, it has to be with the water we have here! But no to that as its obvious their filtration system is fucked.
JF
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Why do you think they have a filtration system at all? I would assume they don’t rather than it being fucked.
I wouldn’t have any issue myself drinking that water as long as I knew it was only cloudy because of iron content.
Jeez @muddy, and we go on about how guests don’t read 
JF
I did read that. But I assumed that “whole house water filtration system sitting next to the stove” meant that it was something that had been purchased but not yet installed.
In my experience, water filtration systems for the whole house are located outside the house, in the basement, i.e. wherever the water line enters the house. Not sitting out in the kitchen.
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When I had well water, after heavy rains it looked like that for a couple days then cleared up. Could that be it?
Yes filter water pitcher solves it
On behalf of all the guests who do not know the honest situation thanks to you, and on behalf of all the hosts who will wind up with dishonest guests who cover up problems, we do NOT thank you.
You came here to vent and complain about a bad location, and hosts here are trying to guide you in the right direction. First rule of reviews - HONESTY. If you immediately told the host - who is right next door - that the oven was not right, and he did not (according to airbnb rules - you DO know this one, right?) fix it within 24 hours, then the host is not doing their job and needs to be called out. And future guests need to know that.
No, being a beginner does not give people a free pass to provide bad accommodations.
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So many people work & travel, it may be of value to the next person to say.
Wi-fi is a limited data hotspot. Streaming will deplete the data quickly. I wish I had confirmed wi-fi and how much data was available before booking.
Yes, Annet, I think that may be what it was. It had been raining a lot prior to our stay there. I grew up on a farm on the other side of the mountains from this place. We had a well and a cistern. So, when the water cleared after two days I figured the heavy rain might have caused the problem.
However, I’m sure she has to know this happens and she should have a water filter pitcher or bottled water available for her guests.
What I really was unhappy about was the lack of warning about the high iron content. High iron content can discolor hair. I have very white, thick hair that most people think is attractive and it is my one vanity. If I had shampooed my hair while there I could have ended up with a noticeable orange or rust tint to my hair. Honestly, I really feel something like that should be disclosed. I was dismayed to find no mention of it until after I arrived at the cabin.
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Curious how you knew it was high iron? I ask because we live in the country and had a house where we put in a whole house filtration system and did mitigation (a water softener) after we did water testing. It was a large tank like you described. Originally we had very “hard” water but totally potable and safe to drink. If it was high iron, you’d see rust like spots in white sinks and tubs from the water. The filter does need to switched-out regularly- which could have been the fix a previous reviewer referred to.
(Edit: I mention this because I think it’s important if you include “high iron” as one of the major issues with the housing that it’s correct.)
Not just to vent Rolf. I’m looking for some guidance on this. It’s always helpful to me to gather other opinions so I can feel more comfortable with making a decision. I was really torn between not leaving a review at all, and leaving a review that is factual about my experience. I was truly unhappy about so many things with this listing that I was having difficulty figuring out, if I did review, what I should focus on. Some things that really bothered me would not concern other guests, and vice versa.
If I were going to leave a really honest review that expressed how I really felt, I think it would come off as mean and nit-picking and many people would disregard it.
For example, this is how I really feel and the review I might write if I weren’t concerned with anything other than total honesty.
“On the plus side, the bed was comfortable and it was quiet. On the other hand….
I walked in the door of the cabin and immediately wanted to walk out and leave. I would have if I had been able to find other accommodations. The smell of must and/or mold was overpowering. I’m not sure how long the cabin had been shut up but it took days to air it out.
The first two days of my stay the water was cloudy/turbid. In addition, the host did not disclose in the listing that their well water has a very high iron content. For anyone not familiar with that issue, high iron content water can discolor your hair and clothing. The host also did not provide a filter water pitcher or bottled drinking water in spite of the turbidity issue.
The photographs in the listing show the grass surrounding the cabin has been mowed and the shrubbery neatly trimmed. When we arrived the grass was knee-high and the shrubs were overgrown and being choked out by trumpet vine. Trumpet vines are toxic and in some people can cause a poison ivy like rash if they touch the plant or brush up against it. It was almost impossible to avoid touching the plant because it is right next to the front steps where you park your car and enter the house. The area was so overgrown I worried about my dog getting ticks.
The oven is one of the dirtiest I have ever seen. It was obviously not cleaned before my stay and had not been cleaned in months (or possibly even longer).
According to the listing there is Wi-Fi available. The host warns that it can’t be used to stream content because it is slow and limited. I had Wi-Fi about 12 hours out of the seven days I was there. The first two days of my stay I had no connectivity whatsoever because the host didn’t tell me I would have to turn on the hotspot (I’ve never used a hotspot before). Turning on the hotspot however, made no difference—I still had no connectivity to speak of. On the fifth or sixth day of my stay the host bought one gig of data so I would have Wi-Fi. The one gig of data lasted about 12 hours and then I had no Wi-Fi again.
There are some maintenance issues which need to be taken care of before a guest is injured. The back porch has some rotting boards. Some boards are warped and the edges sticking up enough to present a real tripping hazard.
Perhaps these issues would not be a concern to everyone but they were a concern to me. A lack of alternatives is the only thing that kept me from canceling the booking. My dog is afraid of fireworks and we were there to get him away from the noise. My dog enjoyed the stay. Me, not so much.“
Now, I’m not leaving a review like that. It’s too long, and probably too nitpicking, and a lot of people wouldn’t be bothered by everything that annoyed/concerned me. So it’s useful to me to get input from others to help me sort out what I want to do.
I understand as someone whose not natural blonde hair has turned green from chemicals in water.
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I got a chuckle out of that.
I know you’re a long time member here and know what to expect. Still, the way you’ve handled all these comments, with grace and aplomb is admirable. You and your dog are welcome at my place anytime.
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