Madrid SmartRentals Chueca

As a recent reviewer on TripAdvisor experienced, I was told when I arrived at SmartRentals that there were water problems in my apartment and I would be moved to a different location. I paid for a duplex in Chueca, which was not cheap, and received a smallish flat on the first floor of a busy “party” street in a different neighborhood. And told that the price would be the same and non-refundable! There was noise all night and the windows not soundproofed — I felt like I was sleeping right on Calle Santa Barbara. When I complained about the huge disparity between the apartment I paid to rent and the apartment I received, María Zamora told me she would deduct 30 euros “(final price)” from a 344 euro bill. The inadequacy and arrogance of this offer was appalling. I'm not sure if SmartRentals typically overbooks and lies about the water problems (see recent TripAdvisor review with the same story) just to get you into a cheaper room for a more expensive price, or if SmartRentals really does have recurring and frequent water problems, but you may not get the apartment you paid to rent -- and apparently you have no recourse. If we were in the United States, I'd have SmartRentals and María Zamora investigated for fraud, but I don't have the time or knowledge of Spanish law to proceed. This is exactly the situation that SmartRentals and María Zamora count upon when they force a last minute location change upon you. Do yourself a favor and stay away from SmartRentals and María Zamora: they are preying on the fact that finding a last minute apartment is a lot of work. And there are plenty of legitimate rental agencies in Madrid. SmartRentals should be ashamed for the shell game they are running.