I was catfished by my Melbourne holiday rental - it looked nothing like the pictures

'A big, fat catfish': Keeley Pejovic blasted a rental website after her holiday failed to live up to the promise. Photo / TikTok; keeley.pejovic

Have you ever turned up to a holiday rental only to think, ‘Is this the right place?’

One woman visiting Victoria turned up to an apartment booked via a slick vacation rentals website only to find it looked nothing like the listing.

Keeley Pejovic blasted a popular online rental platform after her Melbourne holiday apartment turned out to be nothing like the pictures.

“Cannot believe how badly we got catfished!”

The apartment in the Arrow on Swanston complex was listed as a modern open-plan plot, with big window views of the city.

The reality did not live up to expectations.

Pejovic said the listing on booking.com made it seem like it would be “nice and clean” with a “big living space” for her city break.

Photos shared via her TikTok showed a tiny one-room bedsit with a tiny in-facing balcony, looking at the courtyard. A rather pathetic square of astroturf on the balcony and no-smoking sign only added to the indignity.

@keeley.pejovic

I genuinely cannot believe how badly we got catfished #melbourne #foryou

♬ original sound - Keeley Pejovic

The “second bed” Pejovic claimed was just a mattress on the floor, which she ended up sleeping on.

The bathroom also left much to be desired. With no separation between toilet and wall mounted shower, the wetroom was not generous with space.

“It looks like a Hospital bathroom, babe!”

“I wanted to complain so bad but there was nowhere else to stay,” she said.

“That is a big fat catfish and I almost cried.”

She was not the first to be disappointed by the property. Pejovic did not heed the warnings left in reviews from the Booking.com listing.

“This property is certainly not as nice and comfortable as appears in the photos,” read one from January.

“It’s not the room in the image,” was a concise warning from June 15.

“Stayed here with family of five and never again, the photos on website very misleading.”

The rental's promised 'city views' of Melbourne were not those advertised. Photo / TikTok, keeley.pejovic

What can you do if you get catfished by your holiday rental?

If you discover your holiday plans are a “big fat catfish”, what can you do?

If your rental property or hotel room doesn’t match the description or photos that you booked it under, it is a breach of your consumer rights. You could be entitled to compensation.

Consumer rights watchdog Consumer NZ says that in the first instance you should contact the owner with your complaint, failing that most websites will have a disputes resolution process.

“The Fair Trading Act also prohibits traders from making misleading claims so they can’t misrepresent the condition of the property.”

If this does not help, and the rental is in New Zealand you can seek compensation via a Disputes Tribunal.

Australia has a similar rights system with complaints being handled by a State consumer affairs body or the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.

A spokesperson for booking.com said they had a team dedicated to investigating complaints.

The website defended the review system, saying it was a source of pride that it helped travellers find appropriate accommodation, in a statement for news.com.au.

“In the very rare instance that a property does not meet expectations, our customer service team are available to assist with relocations, as well as picking-up complaints with properties directly to ensure any action required on their part is taken.”