Travel Troubleshooter: Trashy rental is for the birds

Q: I recently rented a home from VRBO in Pinetop, Ariz., with a group of friends. The owner gave us permission to check in an hour early because he said the cleaners should be done.

When we arrived at the property, it was not cleaned. Bed linens were still on beds from the previous guests, used towels were on the floor, old food was in the fridge, food debris was strewn throughout the kitchen, and the stove top and oven were caked with food. The trash can was brimming with garbage, and we found a neglected chicken coop with eight live chickens and the carcasses of three that had been cannibalized by the survivors.