Q If my Airbnb rental isn’t safe, can I get a refund?

Switzerland, which led me to more gigs, and I ended up performing in Switzerland about seven different times. My favorite little place to play was a cellar in Bern called Ono. You walk down from the cobblestone street into a wine bar, then head through a stone arch into a carved out stone room with the best sounding upright piano in Europe. It was darling.

Q: What’s the most important thing you’ve learned from your travels?

A: That music can take me anywhere. And that transitions are important. The faster I can transition into my new place, even if that is a car on an overnight train, the faster I can be present with the experience. I experience so much less anxiety than I used to because I’ve been very intentional about speedy transitions. That includes packing, unpacking, setting up, learning the area and finding the right spot for my toothbrush.

Q: Street cart or fine dining at a nice restaurant?

A: Ew to street carts. Never trusted them. That may just be the New Yorker in me. So sorry, not sorry. Fine dining always and forever.

Q: Where would you like to go that you have never been to before?

A: I have a thing with stars, so anywhere I could see the Northern Lights.

Q: When you go away, what are some of your must-have items?

A: I have a travel MIDI keyboard that allows me to capture any musical ideas on the go. I also have a black jumper that I can easily layer, but also is cool for warmer destinations. And my daily Luminary journal. I don’t journal very much, but for over two years, I’ve been writing a few short things I’m grateful for in the morning and I swear I haven’t had anxiety since I started.

Q: What is your guilty pleasure when you’re on the road?

A: Coke. It settles my stomach and gives me that little sugar boost when my body doesn’t know what time it is. I don’t normally drink or buy soda in the States, so it’s always a treat that reminds me I’m traveling and I got this!

For more from the reporter, visit www.jaehakim.com.

A: You should feel safe when you check into a vacation rental — that goes without saying. But do you deserve a full refund? That’s an excellent question that many other guests have asked me recently.

The answer: It depends. The definition of a “dangerous” neighborhood can vary. For you, it was people loitering outside and smoking weed. I agree with that definition. I wouldn’t have felt safe checking into a place like that. However, other guests might feel right at home.

Airbnb says it runs a risk assessment before confirming a property. It uses predictive analytics and machine learning to in

We booked an Airbnb for three weeks in Orlando. When we arrived at the property, my wife and I feared for our safety. While the apartment was nice and clean, the area around the apartment smelled of marijuana. Even with it being a gated community, there were cars sneaking around the gates and getting in and a lot of groups of people hanging around cars.

After looking further into some of the reviews at the apartment complex, we decided not to stay. At the end of the day, you don’t want to stay somewhere you do not feel safe. We left within 30 minutes of checking in.

We contacted both the host and Airbnb, and both are refusing to refund the $2,436 we spent or compensate us appropriately. Can you help?

— Adam Gonia, Lake Mary, Fla. stantly evaluate “hundreds of signals” that help it flag and investigate suspicious activity. It also runs host and guest names against regulatory, terrorist and sanctions watchlists.

The company says no screening system is perfect, and that presumably includes its own. But it seems unlikely that a dangerous vacation rental would last on the site. Guests would complain about it and Airbnb would eventually de-list it.

You also have to do your due diligence on a property. You say you read the reviews of the property, which is great. But it looks as if you started the research after you checked in and found the place less than desirable. You need to do that before you click the “buy” button.

Airbnb initially offered to refund its booking fee. I suggested that you contact someone higher up at Airbnb. I list the names, numbers and email addresses of the Airbnb executive contacts on my consumer advocacy site, Elliott.org. In response, the company offered you a $950 refund, more or less splitting the difference with you. I think that may be Airbnb’s best offer.

Christopher Elliott is the chief advocacy officer of Elliott Advocacy, a nonprofit organization that helps consumers resolve their problems. Contact him at elliott.org/help or chris@elliott.org.

PETER BERUBE PHOTO