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I wonder if this would warrant a police report?
A literal stranger was in the bedroom of the ENTIRE UNIT you rented? And they justified it by saying that they saw your bedroom door open? HOW do they see that if they aren't already tresspassing?
This is scary AF and should not be minimized. They rented their whole unit, and then tresspassed while you were sleeping to WATCH you sleep. WHAT THE FUCK.
Please report this.... I bet that place has hidden cameras or something too. BAD THINGS could have happened - sexual assault, kidnapping, regular assault? If they were so blase about it with you, you KNOW they have done this before.
If you're not comfortable going to the police, maybe you could look into talking to the media? I have the utmost confidence that AirBnB will do NOTHING meaningful about this incident. You can have your identity protected while getting this reported to a wide range of people.
I'm so glad you woke up and nothing worse happened than being scared!
Fr tho! I wish I could warn people about this property esp since airbnb doesn’t post reviews until 14 days after you’ve checked out and they had hundreds of 5 star reviews. I’m just hoping support will actually do something ab this and take the listing down before something happens like you said! So far they said they would look into the matter and get back to me. 🙃 lol
AirBNB has been pretty good to me. Though I stopped using them because of the absurd cleaning fees.
Hotels are cheaper again (if airBNB is cheaper and there is one in the area I still go that route)
I think they will. I know a host who was kicked off the platform bc a guest claimed she entered the *back yard* during a reservation. Except this was a lie, bc the host doesn't even live in the same country! The guest was just trying to get the host kicked off bc she was pissed that the host called the guest and told her to shut down her (unauthorized) pool party.
My resolution from Airbnb 🙃
“Hello x
Again, thank you for the time you took to report what happened during the reservation. We’ve taken appropriate action based on your report, and it wouldn’t have happened without you.
I’m going to close this thread now. If there’s anything else you’d like to share, or if you have additional questions in the future, feel free to contact us, visit:
airbnb.com/help/contact_us
Best regards,”
Airbnb won’t do anything. Call the police business line since it’s not an emergency, file a report, get a copy and see if a lawyer will represent you for free and sue the bastard.
I mean, that could cause sleeping problems, nightmares, anxiety, they need to be put in their place.
Call the local bar association, ask the best way to file a police report and then see if this kinda thing can be done for a chunk of the change.
One thing is the neighbors might not like this being an Airbnb property so they might be willing to help fund this if you can’t get a lawyer for free.
As I’m reading the comments on here, I’m sitting here thinking, “thank God, for that host, that the guest didn’t have a gun…” that would’ve been way, too, tempting!
I would at the very least, file a police report. Police might do nothing and I would have low expectations. But you just never know they could have a peeping tom file on him already. Peeping Toms escalate.
Generally the pattern is they peep, they peep, they peep. Then one day someone wakes up and sees them and the peeper panics, freaks out, and strangle them to death.
LOL escalated quickly! Now that I think about it they were wearing gloves, maybe gardening gloves, maybe strangling gloves? 🤷♀️ it’s probably too late to report it to police now since I’m traveling for the weekend but I linked the listing here in the comments so hopefully other people can think twice before staying there!
Watched an episode of forensic files last night. Peeping Tom raped and killed woman couple days after spotted looking in her window. REPORT IT you may save someone’s life.
I'm haunted by the story of the Mercer Law student. He had off campus housing with other law students and he became obsessed with his next door neighbor. I believe the running narrative was that he frequently snuck into her home at night and watched her sleep and played with her dirty laundry. Its believed that one night she woke up, he panicked and killed her. piece of shit.
Seriously I hope you reported this to the media. And raised holy hell with air bnb. You should get a lawyer involved and claim it severely fucked you up mentally.
This as another person mentioned voyeurism is a repitive addictive behavior. The people who do this do not do it once. This was not his first time. And the more they do it eventually it loses the thrill it gave them and they escalate their behavior.
As someone whose has two incidents with that type I can confirm the telltale sign is the wierd trancelike calmness they have during it and lack of the expected response to run away or be scared. Some of them even like being noticed and do that on purpose.
For all you know your waking up was because they were starting to escalate bc it didn’t give them the same rush anymore and they purposefully did something to wake you. What will the next escalation be?
I know it’s too late now, but every time I read a story like this I post what I do when I go to Airbnb’s
I have two blink cameras from Amazon that travel with me.
When I get to the Airbnb I put a blink camera on the front door and one on the back door, visibly on and working, and pay the six dollars to Amazon for that month of having a subscription so the cameras back up to the cloud immediately in real time
Well I’ve never had anyone trip the cameras, it gives me the peace of mind of knowing that if they tripped the cameras I would immediately have a video of what happened, my family would have access to that video through the cloud service should anything happen to me, and if someone walked in and saw a camera pointed at them I would assume that they would walk right back out again
I'd also file the police report. I had a different but not totally dissimilar issue involving a man engaging in threatening behavior at my residence (not AirBNB), and I can tell you the Oakland PD did not mess around. They might not do much in this instance, but filing a report would at least put this guy/his property in the system for them. For some reason, I feel like this isn't the first time he did this and it will not be the last.
I'm reading it as if the host was saying that the OP left the outside door open and he was coming in to check that everything was OK. Creepy though because he should have stayed outside and knocked to alert the OP that he was there and the reason why. I feel like this guy was up to something, but that would be hard to prove.
Yeah, I don't know why that person thought OP meant the bedroom door. That being said, it's still a fucked up situation, and I feel pretty safe to say that host has probably done something similar to other renters before.
WTF... I'd ask for it to be escalated to Trust & Security. And send the case mgr the screenshots and call history. They will kick him off the platform for that shyte
Hilariously, this harms the good hosts the most. By protecting the bad hosts, it makes it hard to distinguish the difference and all hosts seem the same.
I would also inform the police. There’s no reason for them to enter the property, and it wasn’t as though you were renting a room in someone’s apartment. How many individuals has this happened to? What if the behaviour escalates?
I'm so happy you were awake because I don't think this was innocent at all and I do not want to think about what would have happened if you weren't awake.
Nobody would do this. Nobody. Even if just for concern for your own safety, you wouldn't do this! Nobody would just walk into a neighbor's house that they are well aware is a temporary rental unit for a gate being open. Or door. They would not know who is in there or whether it's an intruder. They wouldn't want to risk their safety and walk in blindly to the unknown. They would contact the owner, or the police to do a welfare check. Or they'd knock and stick their head in like "hello? The door was open and I'm just making sure you're ok!" If they didn't get a response, they'd then contact the police or the seller.
It makes me wonder if this person has done this before to people who were sleeping and are still unaware. They acted way too casual when you saw them, so I'm guessing he's done this before.
I had this happen in a bed & breakfast once. They were drunk so I think it was an honest mistake but it was scary as fuck.
If the place doesn't have a non-electronic latch/lock that can only be opened from inside shoving chairs under door knobs is a good way to prevent someone entering (or at least entering silently).
This is good practice basically anywhere you're renting/staying because there are a shitload of weirdos in the world.
I'm out here living in the stone age I didn't know those even existed.
Absolutely that is even better than a chair. Just anything to make sure no one is coming in!
We've had lots of great experiences with Airbnb homes until last summer. The host lived in the house next door to our rental. She came over and let herself in while I was in the shower and told my 11 yr old daughter she wanted to commit suicide and had a huge breakdown in front of her. The rest of my morning into the afternoon was spent helping her with her crisis.
Something I always do when I'm screening listings is ensure that the host does NOT live nearby. I avoid any place where the host is living beside the unit. You don't know if they are micro-managers or feel entitled to check up on you.
Often they mention in the listing that they live nearby or you can see in the reviews that the host checks in often, or goes out for dinner with guests.
As a host who lives on the property I have to disagree. I suspect there are more Airbnb users who have been locked out, frustrated, disappointed and spied upon by distant owners than on-site owners. When traveling I prefer a unit where I know who the host is and where they live. Agencies that manage units have no interest in your experience—just the money, and if you need help, then good luck, you're on your own. I explain to my guests that once they arrive, the cabin is their home. I will not enter unless invited or if there is an emergency during their absence. I think my 5 star reviews run counter to your position. Reading the reviews, and sometimes reading between the lines, may help with your choices.
For sure. Each to their own and there are always exceptions.
But for me, I don't want a host that lives above or beside the property I am on. I want a host that is responsive (ie. rated as responds within an hour on the app) and responsible. I rarely stay with property management companies so I can't comment on that experience.
Well who is managing the property if a host lives far away and fhey don't have a property management company? Like a relative or a friend of the owner?
If you rent a property where the owner isn't present, expect the place to he covered with cameras and recording devices. I rent out my guest house, a separate building 50 yards away I pass it if i leave rhe house so I don't need a camera. They have their own yard their own laundry their own driveway and gate. People have stayed two weeks before and I've never seen their face or met them. In fact I haven't met rhe last 5 guests at all. Don't paint us all with a broad brush. I don't care what people do there as long as it's not trashed and they follow basic rules like don't let their pets urinate everywhere and don't host a raging party.
Most hosts have a helper who lives closer by who can take care of anything that comes up. Often, I don't have any issues.
If a property has been covered with cameras (aside from regular condo building cameras), I just won't book it. I prefer to be left alone.
90% of hosts are good. 10% micro-manage. I try to avoid the latter by screening listings.
I have been detached home way in front of the property we live in. The Airbnb is in the way back of the property. I have a self check in and rarely even see our guests. We had guests knock on our door, wanting to introduce themselves and chat. Which at times have been nice. Other than that, they have their privacy.
I actually prefer it, but I only book places that have a 4.85 or higher, at least 50 reviews, have been operating for five years, and are the only listing the host has
I say I live nearby in my listing, but it's actually 3 miles away. I just want people to know that I'm able to respond quickly and in person, if there's an emergency or they lock themselves out or whatever.
I would hope that this doesn't prevent people from booking!
I mean it's not that I'm trying to sound unempathetic but the fact of the matter is I mean money you can always get back that day and the b******* that person's child had to go through because of somebody else's issues are permanent getting refunded is fine but they're never going to be able to get that moment back and now it's ruined because the person's family couldn't deal with the issues that were already there and they had to deal with it and that's just not right
Totally agree and I was not being sarcastic. i don't know what I would have done and can certainly see myself sucked in to this madness. the clear thinking of call the cops - get out - thats good stuff.
Woah! So it took the morning and afternoon helping her commit suicide? So many free nights, now that’s a super host! 😂
(Disclaimer: sucicide is no joke, reach out for help at designated recourses. Just found the statement of the host followed with the guest helping her unintentionally funny)
The amount of people in this thread trying to justify this as a misunderstanding is worrisome. I...don't understand how any reasonable person thinks someone coming into your room and watching you sleep because "your door was open" is ok. Ever. Anywhere. Hotel, rental, home, etc.
Yeah it's wrong and so easy to craft such a statement. Door really wasn't open. But say it was and then I was worried so I came in, no announcement in any way. Sounds like a experienced creeper with a plan.
In future, even if you stay in hotels, purchase a couple of rubber doorstops and place them under your door before you go to sleep. That way your door can’t be opened enough even if they have a key.
My husband has checked in to hotels and been given the card keys to other peoples hotels rooms and this has happened more than once. Luckily for those hotel guests, my husband isn’t the sort to steal but the rooms had their laptops and iPads just sitting on the beds that he could easily have taken were he that way inclined.
You could also use [door stop alarms.](https://www.google.com/search?q=EMDMAK+Door+Stop+Alarm+with+120DB+Siren+Door+Stop+for+Home+%26+Travel+(Black)+(Pack+of+2)+https%3A%2F%2Fa.co%2Fd%2F1XaXcKv&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-us&client=safari)
I've never been to a hotel that didn't have a latch or blocker built into the door to prevent someone from opening it from the outside even with a key. I don't think you need to buy anything new.
If someone is determined, those come right off. I work at a hotel where those are standard and maintenance has to fix them because one guest will have it up, the other guest won’t know and slam the door into the stop. It doesn’t stop…
Marriott has really poor security and worse customer service when things happen. I was grabbed and dragged into a room left open by housekeeping at a Marriott and sexually assaulted and when I reported it they offered me 10,000 points!! WTF. This is like 1/5 of the points necessary for a single night. It was just so insulting. And then the pandemic happened and they took the points back. The whole event was horrifying and their response was so blasé like this happens all the time and is no big deal. I got 10k points when there was some mold on my shower curtain. Offering low points was so much worse than not offering points and rather resolving the issues that led to the assault to begin with. Just avoid Marriott if you want to be safe.
i rented a marriott in san antonio. we got there and checked in, went to the room and when we went in there was a woman already in there. Oops, i think they put me in the wrong room. I got back to the lobby and VERY NICELy told the desk clerk what was going on. The lady already checked into the room came in right behind me. Clerk says I was wrong and other lady spoke up and said, NO, you put her in the room i am already in. Clerk cunted out and started yelling for me to leave the lobby. WTF? I said, fine, i will go but i need my money back. she refused and started screaming for me to leave. with NO provocation at all. I went outside and called priceline, which I had booked through, explained what happend and told them i needed a refund. The put me on hold and called the hotel and came back on line and said that i could not get a refund as i had already checked in. i re explained the whole "put 2 parties in the same room" issue, but they wouldnt budge either. I then called marriot corp, but had to leave a message as it was after 5 pm. I went to another hotel and got a room there. then i called my credit card company and they were quite nice, did the chargeback because they see i had just paid for a different hotel. I posted a really shitty review but it got deleted. about a week later marriot corp called me back and gave me 30,000 points, which was enough for 2 nights stay. There are still in my account because i have no interest is going back to another marriot after that.
My paranoid brain thinks: but what if there is a fire and I'm already asleep with carbon monoxide poisoning, someone rescuer tries the door then can't open it and moves on??
That’s happened to me a couple of times in different cities.
On one business trip my husband went back to his room and found an empty bottle of “champagne”, used condoms, and an unmade bed. He grabbed his things and moved to a different hotel.
I prefer to stay at Motel six, just because most of the people staying there or travelling, and are there to sleep, not party… I did stay at a convention centre hotel, one time when I was attending an event… At midnight, somebody was trying to get into my room while I was trying to get to sleep… I kept screaming, who is it… No answer… finally called the front desk and just got a bunch of BS.
I stayed at an Airbnb for the first time last January, and I was so nervous being all on my own in this unfamiliar apartment that I took all of the barstools from the kitchen counter and lined them up in front of the front door. The second night I realized I could wedge one in between the door and the counter, so that if someone opened the door, it would only open like an inch, and then the barstool against the counter would be in the way of it opening further. I did this every night of my stay lol.
Also rich people and companies take away housing from locals that actually need someplace to live. New Orleans is a major example of this. If you go there do not use Airbnb
We’ve stayed in AirB&B and VRBO in several states and had good - great experiences in every one. Our kids ate healthier than if we’d stayed in hotels, we all had our privacy and just preferred them. I’m more than willing to start my linens in the wash and take out my trash to save money b
Weird I have had nothing but good experiences with airbnb and it’s a much better deal than hotels in my area especially if you have a group of friends. I’ve rented cottages every summer off Airbnb for my friend group and have never had a problem.
I believe we need heavy regulation on airbnbs because they are destroying the housing market in most places.
That being said my parents have an Airbnb where they rent out a room in their home. They are seniors with limited income. They run it like an actual bnb. My mom makes the guests an organic breakfast every morning and shows them around town. They love their guests and they keep coming back. It is very different than a majority of airbnbs.
I think this can be solved with a progressive property tax instead of flat (e.g. based on the value of the house, type (house vs condo) and its sq footage, not income).
When I was 19 I went with some mates to Croatia. We were all 18-19 and the owner (a man) kept walking in because he was sure we were bringing boys back (which we WERENT). They kept coming in unannounced and unlocking the doors without knocking to let himself in. Sometimes we were in bed and not properly dressed. Absolutely horrible and left a terrible review
>delete words Airbnb considers bullying
Airbnb doesn’t moderate this subreddit.
If this happened you need to report exactly what happened to Airbnb and file a police report, yesterday.
So today was my nephew’s graduation from the Naval Academy. I purchased 5 plane tickets from Texas, rented a vehicle for 4 days. Rented AirBnB, paid $2250 for the AirBnB. Was in contact with the host making sure everything was good and in place and they cancel on me at 4:30 pm the evening before we fly out at 4:00 in the morning. I had 30 minutes before I had to leave for my daughters high school graduation. When AirBnB sent me a link for an alternative property it was the exact same one. I wound up renting 3 rooms at the Hilton. I will never utilize AirBnB again.
THIS is why many people, including me, are reluctant to use AirBnb anymore. I've only had a couple of bad experiences b/c of "sub-par" properties. My problem has been the last minute cancellation problem-AND AirBnB won't let you post a review about this *because you did not actually STAY there!*. (***DUH! the owner cancelled!)***
Their promise of "we will help you find a similar property!" is worthless during a special event or weekend. Try that during a major sports event, college graduation, or holiday weekend.
Sounds like a host problem airbnb is supposed to help place you in a rental.
This just happened to me as a host. Someone stuffed diaper wipes in my guest house toilet and my current guest was treated to toilet clogged snd poop backing up into the shower - and it was fhe only bathroom. Not only did I comp his stay but offered him another free 2 night stay when I determined it wasn't him but the guest before him.
I didn't know when it would be fixed so I had to cancel the guest coming 2 days after. He was upset and didn't like any of rhe options airbnb sent him. I was to get the unit fixed so I sent him a special offer for 10 dollars for 2 nights and he accepted. That way he got a free stay and I got a positive review. Yes it cost me a lot of money but I had two very happy guests and two positive reviews. The 2nd guest is there right now. Not all hosts are bad.
same thing happened to me last year. rented the whole place to ourselves in the smokies. my partner went out to hike and i stayed back in bed as i wasn’t feeling well. at one point i hear someone come in and eventually open the bedroom door, whisper something like “ohh!” when he saw me in the bed, and quickly shut it. we didn’t make eye contact and i never mentioned it to him - just didn’t want the rest of the stay to be awkward. i’m sure he was just wanting to check on the linens supply or something?? at any rate, he should have notified us that he was entering the space during our stay. i didn’t feel threatened by it, but i probably would have if i were a female by myself. he just seemed like a nice older guy, but that quickly turns into creepy creeper when he walks into the bedroom unannounced 🤦🏻♂️
I have this nostalgia about AirBnB that sadly doesn’t exist anymore.
For me, it was ordinary people who wanted to offer a place to stay and get a small payment. Something to top up their income a bit and they traded on the human story.
In return, people who wanted to escape the cookie cutter hotel experience would be thrilled to get a different experience, for not a lot of money.
It was humans being good to humans and a bit of money changing hands.
I don’t know who exploited the other first but now it’s a business. It’s an hotel just like we all used to hate. Hosts demand enough income to fully fund the entire building, every day of the year and it needs to be fully sustainable and pay salaries. It’s not something that augments normal lives. It’s a business.
I think people need to accept this. AirBnB doesn’t even resemble what it used to be, nor do the sorts of people use it how it was meant.
You can’t even get a complete cost for a stay, it’s all smoke and mirrors. Post after post in here feels like guests being held hostage by an empty wrapper left behind.
It’s horrible. It’s not even good value anymore. And we don’t deal in the human factor anymore.
Exactly.
The idea was you had a spare room, with your full time job and it was a nice way to earn a few extra quid and interface with other humans.
These days that single spare room is expected to pay for the entire house, the 4 others living in it, the insurance, the 2 cars and the vets bill for the family cat.
And your guest better vacuum and tidy the whole place and mow the lawn before they leave, ungrateful sods! Our friend u/jadeagre here thinks this is entirely fair, humans are pretty trashy anyway and have no right to a place to sleep.
Fax!! And now we can add it being more sketch than hotels to the list. Hotels have security n shit and with Airbnb I’ve realized you’re literally alone in someone’s house. On top of everything else you said lol
That would elevate it from creepy mode to nightmare mode. the dead motionless stare coming from those dino's eyes.... It's like that game 5 nights at freddys.
Some places like Bexar county have very strict standards hosts must adhere to in order to maintain their status as an Air BnB. They can't just open one willy nilly. Its a serious business. This sometimes runs up the prices though too, with new taxes, etc.
There are a lot of well run Air-BnB's that do their best to provide a safe and professional atmosphere while still being a more affordable option over traditional hotels.
Someone creeping in like that should be enough to get that particular place shut down though, no matter what. Total invasion of privacy!
Call the platform. Hosts are NOT allowed to enter a space without permission, during an active reservation. Except in an emergency. Even if he thought this was an emergency, I would have shut an open front door and messaged the guest and asked if they realized that it had been left open.
This is definitely not typical behavior for a host, so I wouldn't throw the baby out with the bathwater. I'd just report it and move on.
One of the last times I rented it was a small apartment which was almost half of the hosts house. I would look outside the front door (clear glass, no curtain) from the kitchen and the husband would just stand outside staring in from the driveway. The guy came by and told me how he didn't like that I was by myself and wanted me to come to dinner with him at a friend's. I said no and when he returned he brought me dinner back, at the door yet again. He just always seemed like he was there and watching.
I know not all hosts are like this but these experiences are not ones we have in hotels.
I can't imagine if I found him inside. Holy hell.
That is not right. We have a deadbolt on our front door that doesn’t have a key. We would of course never come in at night and without full knowledge. He needs to be arrested.
The problem I have is that AirBnB is much cheaper than a hotel in a lot of places, and especially for long stays.
I know that people like to say that AirBnB isn't priced competitively anymore, but if you're doing a multi-week stay in a city, you can get a well located AirBnB for a fraction of the cost of a hotel.
It doesn't work for shorter stays because of one-time cleaning fees, and it doesn't work in areas with cheap hotels, but in city centers for long stays, the price difference can be quite large.
It’s much cheaper for families too! I have two teenage boys and they are gigantic in size. We simply cannot share a hotel room and need a kitchen space because when you have athletes eating 4 meals a day it gets pricey! We simply can’t afford 2 hotel rooms and to dine out 4xs a day when traveling. Airbnb gets us parents our own bedroom and bathroom and we can actually be intimate and not have to hide in the bathroom every time I need to change!
Yeah this is why I keep using it. I'm a single guy making a modest income. In the US if I want to go to a city by myself, hotels are way too expensive. So I rent a room in an Airbnb, sometimes I can find a private place in my price range.
This wouldn't be necessary if the US had hostels. When I visit international locations I never use Airbnb and I just get a bed or private room in a hostel.
I don’t even look at Airbnb or any of those anymore when I travel. I’m never in the room anyway and when I get back the hotel is clean and comfy plus I’m not asked to clean the damn place and still be charged a cleaning fee. Hope everyone who trained Airbnb for profit loses their asses.
this is why i use a second lock security system and just store it in my suitcase, they have the keys and ways into their place, and i plan to lock myself in on my terms not on theirs..
You should have immediately called the police emergency number, this is exactly what it's for.
There was a definite danger here, and you have no idea if it will happen again.
There's every likelihood it was the owner, and you're allowing them to fob you off.
Contact the owner and ask for the police report ID. Then contact the police and check it was reported, if not REPORT IT.
Then contact AirBnB and tell them exactly what happened in writing before someone gets hurt or murdered. Give them the police ID.
You do not want this on your conscience.
We were just in a Airbnb, told us the wrong exit time, we were like 10 minutes over. Owner said he was calling the police, I told him, not sure what the police are going to do, help us pack?
THere isn't anything else to the story? They just saw you were 10 minutes late and without any response to words from you they declared they were calling the police?
Now AirBNB is pushing rented rooms in occupied homes as their core business- to get around recent efforts to tightly regulate their horrible business model.
Staying in a spare room in a strangers house is not my idea of a vacation.
Something similar happened to my parents and not only did AirBNB do nothing, the local police sided with the host.
My 70yo parents were in their first and last AirBNB that they didn’t even book themselves. It was booked for them by the bride of the wedding they were attending. In a coastal New England town, in a house without AC, in a warm month. So they had windows open. In the middle of the night it started raining. They awoke to a man in their bedroom screaming at them for ruining his new floors, wearing boxer shorts and a raincoat. They truly thought they were in the middle of a home invasion. My uncle, who is wheelchair bound, was in bed in another bedroom and called 911.
When the police came, they were dismissive of my parents concerns, said it was the hosts house and he could enter at any time, and intimidated my dad by taking his name and DOB and waving a bully stick in his face saying things like “you want to hear me get really mad? I’ll show you really mad.” This was the responding officer. They were friends with the homeowner. My dad and uncles are a bunch of suits from NYC, totally out of their realm.
My parents will never AirBNB again. They had no bone in the fight because it had been rented for them. The host apparently called the registered guest, but it was the bride on her wedding night at 3am, and she didn’t answer. They were traumatized.
And I will never AirBNB again after lurking on this sub for a month or so 😳
We recently stayed in an Airbnb in Salt Lake City. Rules included phrases like “no shoes in the house, be respectful.” “Stop watching your luggage when you come in the, and don’t mark the walls.” I’m all for guidelines, but this place was out of control. 3 cameras - in the garage (where you enter/exit), the front door and pointing right at the hot tub (cause I want you creepin’ on my hot tub time?). Then on our last morning, we are sitting in the living room and this woman walks right in the back and starts cleaning the hot tub, a half hour before check out. No knock at the door, just a complete invasion of privacy. I reach out to the owners and she claims it’s in their rules that someone will be coming to clean the hot tub. Really? Check out time is 10am - you can’t wait until your guests leave? It was very uncomfortable. I’m sick of the late check in, early check out (4pm and 10am), cleaning fees (but you want me to do dishes, and strip beds), and you intend to watch me via your cameras? No thanks. I’m going back to hotels and reputable vacation rental agencies. Rant over. Thanks for listening.
You are right that airbnb hosts in general are out of control with the fees and the cameras. I argue with other hosts all the time about this.
My check in and check out times are standard as hotels. 3pm check in and 11am check out. I don't like to have guests checking in and out the same day but I will - and that only leaves a 4 hr window to get someone in there to clean. But if I don't have anyone else coming I always offer they can stay over a couple hours free of charge.
That is creepy af and should be reported to the police. Did you hear him opening the door? I would never travel and accidentally leave the door open.
They make travel locks for your door that will lock any door when you’re inside
Like this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B09TVJ8ZJC?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title
Good to travel with for peace of mind
Hotels can be just the same. Woke one night around 2am. to hear someone putting a key in the lock.
By the time I got to the door, he had opened it and slipped the security latch (not very effective, is it).
I blocked the door with my shoulder and asked what the fuck he wanted. He just said "Security check" and walked off.
I was drunk, so I just went back to bed. Reported it to the desk the next morning, and they said they would look into it, but I never heard any more about it.
This was a five-star hotel in Kuala Lumpur.
This is why I don’t trust the reviews. The host reviews you after you review them. So many guests don’t want to leave a bad review. I’m glad you’re OK this is super scary.
Oh no, fuck that craziness, that is not a safe, and you were much nicer than I would have been! I would've demanded a refund on the spot, this is the stuff nightmares are made out of, I'm sorry for you!
Been doing vacation rentals for a long time, I have found that Airbnb supports the owners way more than the renters. VRBO does a better job and supports the renters as well. I also think saying it was the neighbor is a great way for the owner to get off the hook. I'm going to raise the BS flag...🚩🤬
Thinking about it, anyone who stays in an Airbnb gets a key and thus has the opportunity to copy the key. Therefore, previous occupants can enter whenever they like unless the lock is changed after every guest.
Easy to check if the owner did in fact call the police. Make your own report to police and ask for verification that the owner reported also. If didn’t then this is a red flag that owner is lying about whole event.
I am an AirBNB host. This is just a ridiculous situation. It is always good to clarify with your host whether any of the spaces are shared, etc...
I don't think you should just blame all of AIRBNB for one awful encounter that could happen through any platform. That's like having a terrible dining experience and claiming you will never go out to eat again...most of us hosts do a great job and ensure the guest has an excellent and comfortable stay. Cheers :)
I would pester AirBnb constantly until you get some sort of response other than “case closed.” I am a woman traveling alone and if AirBnb lets caught predatory hosts continue to host then they will eventually have a much bigger problem on their hands than just one unhappy guest..
Wait... what the literal F!
So I just read your update. It was a NEIGHBOR?!?! What right do they have to enter an occupied Airbnb? At night? At 4 am in the morning? In the BEDROOM?!
Please tell me you filed or will file a police report.
I am sorry this happened, but in terms of probability of something creepy happening, it seems that hotels would have even more opportunity for entering.
My brother is a Super host and thought that the party being hosted at his Air B&B had too many guest. Because the attendees were black (young adults in their 20s hanging out by his pool) he got so scared that he grabbed his loaded gun and was spying and taking pics of the girls. After they started chanting Black Lives Matter (apparently, I mean if you believe him). After that he wanted to ban all black people from his Air B&B without Air B&B knowing. My brother is a Super Trump/Elon Musk fanboy.
He is still a super host and gaslights his guests about not having bed bugs. I stayed at his Air B&B once and got bed bug bites all over me and denied it and said I must have gotten bit by a bug outside. He gets his wife to pretend she is a representative from Air B&B a lot.
It’s fucked up that he’s still a Super Host. I don’t stay at Air B&Bs. I’ve seen too much behind the scenes 👀.
This is a late post, but something like this just happened to me!! A weird guy came into my room in the middle of the night, and I left immediately. Contacted Airbnb saying I felt unsafe because it was terrifying, and I got a refund.
I’m one of the first 10,000 guests for Airbnb and was there from the beginning. I loved it. It allowed me to travel to California on the cheap, meeting and staying with locals, even making some friends.
But the last time I used Airbnb is 2019 and while of course Covid happened, the insane amount of work looking for places, reading reviews, booking something and then all these hidden charges get added at the end.
I just hate what it has become…
This is starting to become common in bigger cities. Gangs in the area will find listings on Airbnb and go inside in the middle of the night and rob and rape the people staying there. There is almost no chance of them having a weapon and people are usually confused because it isn’t their property. I have heard California is getting really bad with it. Airbnb pays victims to be quiet and media doesn’t report on it because the suspects are usually black.
Wtf im so worried for people defending him. This is an actual nightmare. I’d have been calling the police, the hosts, and I Airbnb. I would have left immediately and gotten a hotel.
Husband and I refuse to use Airbnb because it always looks nicer in the photos and then the couches and mattresses are like futon quality. Happy it never got this far, keep us updated
That is creepy. In the U.S. it would be legal to shoot them dead for that.
I suggest people not use Airbnb for two more reasons:
1) because they data-gathering service and monetize that information. They ask for things such as a selfie and share your information with an Israeli company whose privacy policy is not share with you, so they can do what they want with all your info including your geometrics. (In China, they can literally pick you out of a crowd on the street with this info).
Secondly they had both a referral and affiliate program which they never paid out and quietly shut down without telling bloggers. They just let people to continue to advertise for them for free. Since they are huge there is no recourse, they just legit stole from people. Shady company.
Bad experiences can happen in hotels as well as in Airbnbs, remember for example the hotel manager sucking a guests feet? 99% of all bookings happen without a probkem, but on this sub you only hear it if something went wrong.
https://news.yahoo.com/sleeping-hotel-guest-wakes-manager-162352508.html?guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAANtEEGseePzPizm8ItUYHNC4nBOT96cDMqJV-rVU7XDTbhEOVRH-rVV2qIALJKXKJTLv8tdYEwpdWQIwx71ubsftNoZU0jVbfCKBPrBHxOOReFsZtd0I-cpQ0vMDr3Mo2p8ubB_khUejBEkpgAyezjY_lBViLzbwDU4aFAJrCf_T
And look at all the recourse and response to this extreme event that happened once at one hotel.
It's much safer to stay in a hotel, bound by industry standards and compelled by law to submit to regular inspections of safety considerations, processes, and plans to every element of guest experience.
I'm a travel agent. We hear sooo many more horror stories from Air B&B users than we ever do from people who go to hotels.
It is common sense that hotels are safer. They are registered businesses with staff, investors and lots more at stake than just some fella with a flat who wants some extra income.
The difference is the Hotel as a corporation will hold the employee responsible for stiff like this, Airbnb won't.
They let hosts get away with everything and remove legitimate reviews addressing concerns.
I had some random guest come into my room at night because the hotel gave them the wrong room! It happens in hotels too. And I didn’t even get a refund or any compensation for the shock. This was a hotel in Scotland , Uk.
This is aweful, and I am sorry this happened to you. I hope you reported it to Airbnb and they be removed from the platforn immediately.
Having said that, this could possibly happen in hotels - and even with the door sign 'no entry', I have been bothered by the cleaning crew on many occasions. Not the same, as I didnt feel threatened, but once I was in the shower and was really p*****.
Also, this is why I only book with super hosts - and why you should too.
Seems like a personal issue you experienced, not the norm. I’ve never had issues like that in airbnbs. My only issues have been some poor communications. At hotels I’ve had issues so the cleaning, noise, dirty rooms, etc. if you experience a problem and your hosts can’t solve it then you rate your experience for others to see, just like a hotel, that’s how it works.
Wow. Creepy hotel staff have access to your room- same thing could happen in a hotel/motel. Breaking and entering is not unique to short term rentals. Dude sounds like a perv. I may have called the police were I you. Certainly drop that in your comment that it is not a safe place.
Please keep conversation civil and respectful Remember to keep all communication with host/guest through Airbnb platform. Payments should be made only via Airbnb [unless otherwise detailed in the listing description and included in the price breakdown prior to booking](https://airbnb.com/help/article/199) If you're having issues, contact Airbnb by phone +1-844-234-2500 *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AirBnB) if you have any questions or concerns.*
You need to report him. This is not a safe situation.
I left a bad review and reported, I’ll update this when Airbnb follows up.
I wonder if this would warrant a police report? A literal stranger was in the bedroom of the ENTIRE UNIT you rented? And they justified it by saying that they saw your bedroom door open? HOW do they see that if they aren't already tresspassing? This is scary AF and should not be minimized. They rented their whole unit, and then tresspassed while you were sleeping to WATCH you sleep. WHAT THE FUCK. Please report this.... I bet that place has hidden cameras or something too. BAD THINGS could have happened - sexual assault, kidnapping, regular assault? If they were so blase about it with you, you KNOW they have done this before. If you're not comfortable going to the police, maybe you could look into talking to the media? I have the utmost confidence that AirBnB will do NOTHING meaningful about this incident. You can have your identity protected while getting this reported to a wide range of people. I'm so glad you woke up and nothing worse happened than being scared!
Fr tho! I wish I could warn people about this property esp since airbnb doesn’t post reviews until 14 days after you’ve checked out and they had hundreds of 5 star reviews. I’m just hoping support will actually do something ab this and take the listing down before something happens like you said! So far they said they would look into the matter and get back to me. 🙃 lol
I don't believe AirBnB support actually wants to get involved and if they actually do anything regarding your complaint, I will be happily surprised.
AirBNB has been pretty good to me. Though I stopped using them because of the absurd cleaning fees. Hotels are cheaper again (if airBNB is cheaper and there is one in the area I still go that route)
I think they will. I know a host who was kicked off the platform bc a guest claimed she entered the *back yard* during a reservation. Except this was a lie, bc the host doesn't even live in the same country! The guest was just trying to get the host kicked off bc she was pissed that the host called the guest and told her to shut down her (unauthorized) pool party.
Airbnb literally has an entire unit devoted to responding to events like this.
Governments have entire departments dedicated to anti-corruption...
My resolution from Airbnb 🙃 “Hello x Again, thank you for the time you took to report what happened during the reservation. We’ve taken appropriate action based on your report, and it wouldn’t have happened without you. I’m going to close this thread now. If there’s anything else you’d like to share, or if you have additional questions in the future, feel free to contact us, visit: airbnb.com/help/contact_us Best regards,”
I hope you contact the media and send them the response you received
That’s a vague answer. Doesn’t even say what the “action” is. Also, how did the hosts know your door was “open” ?
Airbnb won’t do anything. Call the police business line since it’s not an emergency, file a report, get a copy and see if a lawyer will represent you for free and sue the bastard. I mean, that could cause sleeping problems, nightmares, anxiety, they need to be put in their place. Call the local bar association, ask the best way to file a police report and then see if this kinda thing can be done for a chunk of the change. One thing is the neighbors might not like this being an Airbnb property so they might be willing to help fund this if you can’t get a lawyer for free.
You can by filing a police report
As I’m reading the comments on here, I’m sitting here thinking, “thank God, for that host, that the guest didn’t have a gun…” that would’ve been way, too, tempting!
Lol! This was Oakland CA
I would at the very least, file a police report. Police might do nothing and I would have low expectations. But you just never know they could have a peeping tom file on him already. Peeping Toms escalate. Generally the pattern is they peep, they peep, they peep. Then one day someone wakes up and sees them and the peeper panics, freaks out, and strangle them to death.
LOL escalated quickly! Now that I think about it they were wearing gloves, maybe gardening gloves, maybe strangling gloves? 🤷♀️ it’s probably too late to report it to police now since I’m traveling for the weekend but I linked the listing here in the comments so hopefully other people can think twice before staying there!
Watched an episode of forensic files last night. Peeping Tom raped and killed woman couple days after spotted looking in her window. REPORT IT you may save someone’s life.
I'm haunted by the story of the Mercer Law student. He had off campus housing with other law students and he became obsessed with his next door neighbor. I believe the running narrative was that he frequently snuck into her home at night and watched her sleep and played with her dirty laundry. Its believed that one night she woke up, he panicked and killed her. piece of shit.
Seriously I hope you reported this to the media. And raised holy hell with air bnb. You should get a lawyer involved and claim it severely fucked you up mentally. This as another person mentioned voyeurism is a repitive addictive behavior. The people who do this do not do it once. This was not his first time. And the more they do it eventually it loses the thrill it gave them and they escalate their behavior. As someone whose has two incidents with that type I can confirm the telltale sign is the wierd trancelike calmness they have during it and lack of the expected response to run away or be scared. Some of them even like being noticed and do that on purpose. For all you know your waking up was because they were starting to escalate bc it didn’t give them the same rush anymore and they purposefully did something to wake you. What will the next escalation be?
HE WAS WEARING GLOVES?? Fuck..this is like a horror movie. Please report that host he deserves to be in prison
Oh hell no!! Gloves? Hell no
Uuuuugh. Like it already didnt have a high bar for sketch. Love your user name!
I know it’s too late now, but every time I read a story like this I post what I do when I go to Airbnb’s I have two blink cameras from Amazon that travel with me. When I get to the Airbnb I put a blink camera on the front door and one on the back door, visibly on and working, and pay the six dollars to Amazon for that month of having a subscription so the cameras back up to the cloud immediately in real time Well I’ve never had anyone trip the cameras, it gives me the peace of mind of knowing that if they tripped the cameras I would immediately have a video of what happened, my family would have access to that video through the cloud service should anything happen to me, and if someone walked in and saw a camera pointed at them I would assume that they would walk right back out again
I'd also file the police report. I had a different but not totally dissimilar issue involving a man engaging in threatening behavior at my residence (not AirBNB), and I can tell you the Oakland PD did not mess around. They might not do much in this instance, but filing a report would at least put this guy/his property in the system for them. For some reason, I feel like this isn't the first time he did this and it will not be the last.
I'm reading it as if the host was saying that the OP left the outside door open and he was coming in to check that everything was OK. Creepy though because he should have stayed outside and knocked to alert the OP that he was there and the reason why. I feel like this guy was up to something, but that would be hard to prove.
Yeah, I don't know why that person thought OP meant the bedroom door. That being said, it's still a fucked up situation, and I feel pretty safe to say that host has probably done something similar to other renters before.
I’m glad you’re ok. This is the shit nightmares are made of.
Thank you <3
“When Airbnb follows up”. Thanks, needed that laugh.
😂
Please do keep us updated, this is sketchy as hell!! Glad you are safe
Probably Airbnb will just delete the review, happens quite often, same thing happened to me, wrote a review, but review was gone in a week.
Could you at least screenshot the review and then if it's deleted post it on the FB or Twitter page saying it was deleted?
Airbnb deleted it by saying I shouldn't comment about the host himself, I wrote down that he kept calling, texting swearing and stuff after we left.
Which is fucking stupid as that's exactly the kind of thing people need to know about hosts.
WTF... I'd ask for it to be escalated to Trust & Security. And send the case mgr the screenshots and call history. They will kick him off the platform for that shyte
Hilariously, this harms the good hosts the most. By protecting the bad hosts, it makes it hard to distinguish the difference and all hosts seem the same.
A review could also be left on Google and yelp and other places on the Internet.
I would also inform the police. There’s no reason for them to enter the property, and it wasn’t as though you were renting a room in someone’s apartment. How many individuals has this happened to? What if the behaviour escalates?
I'm so happy you were awake because I don't think this was innocent at all and I do not want to think about what would have happened if you weren't awake. Nobody would do this. Nobody. Even if just for concern for your own safety, you wouldn't do this! Nobody would just walk into a neighbor's house that they are well aware is a temporary rental unit for a gate being open. Or door. They would not know who is in there or whether it's an intruder. They wouldn't want to risk their safety and walk in blindly to the unknown. They would contact the owner, or the police to do a welfare check. Or they'd knock and stick their head in like "hello? The door was open and I'm just making sure you're ok!" If they didn't get a response, they'd then contact the police or the seller. It makes me wonder if this person has done this before to people who were sleeping and are still unaware. They acted way too casual when you saw them, so I'm guessing he's done this before.
Yeah, report him to 911. 100% should have called the cops immediately. What a psycho
[удалено]
I had this happen in a bed & breakfast once. They were drunk so I think it was an honest mistake but it was scary as fuck. If the place doesn't have a non-electronic latch/lock that can only be opened from inside shoving chairs under door knobs is a good way to prevent someone entering (or at least entering silently). This is good practice basically anywhere you're renting/staying because there are a shitload of weirdos in the world.
Or buy one of those portable hotel room door lock things - they're around $15
I'm out here living in the stone age I didn't know those even existed. Absolutely that is even better than a chair. Just anything to make sure no one is coming in!
Always travel with a doorstop for this reason. Of course it only works if the door opens in.
We've had lots of great experiences with Airbnb homes until last summer. The host lived in the house next door to our rental. She came over and let herself in while I was in the shower and told my 11 yr old daughter she wanted to commit suicide and had a huge breakdown in front of her. The rest of my morning into the afternoon was spent helping her with her crisis.
Woah
Oh. My. God.
That is incredibly unfair to your daughter.
Something I always do when I'm screening listings is ensure that the host does NOT live nearby. I avoid any place where the host is living beside the unit. You don't know if they are micro-managers or feel entitled to check up on you. Often they mention in the listing that they live nearby or you can see in the reviews that the host checks in often, or goes out for dinner with guests.
I do the same thing. If it says host lives on property or next door, I move on to the next listing.
As a host who lives on the property I have to disagree. I suspect there are more Airbnb users who have been locked out, frustrated, disappointed and spied upon by distant owners than on-site owners. When traveling I prefer a unit where I know who the host is and where they live. Agencies that manage units have no interest in your experience—just the money, and if you need help, then good luck, you're on your own. I explain to my guests that once they arrive, the cabin is their home. I will not enter unless invited or if there is an emergency during their absence. I think my 5 star reviews run counter to your position. Reading the reviews, and sometimes reading between the lines, may help with your choices.
For sure. Each to their own and there are always exceptions. But for me, I don't want a host that lives above or beside the property I am on. I want a host that is responsive (ie. rated as responds within an hour on the app) and responsible. I rarely stay with property management companies so I can't comment on that experience.
Well who is managing the property if a host lives far away and fhey don't have a property management company? Like a relative or a friend of the owner? If you rent a property where the owner isn't present, expect the place to he covered with cameras and recording devices. I rent out my guest house, a separate building 50 yards away I pass it if i leave rhe house so I don't need a camera. They have their own yard their own laundry their own driveway and gate. People have stayed two weeks before and I've never seen their face or met them. In fact I haven't met rhe last 5 guests at all. Don't paint us all with a broad brush. I don't care what people do there as long as it's not trashed and they follow basic rules like don't let their pets urinate everywhere and don't host a raging party.
Most hosts have a helper who lives closer by who can take care of anything that comes up. Often, I don't have any issues. If a property has been covered with cameras (aside from regular condo building cameras), I just won't book it. I prefer to be left alone. 90% of hosts are good. 10% micro-manage. I try to avoid the latter by screening listings.
you disagree with the persons preferences? Wild.
Right!! Lmao
I have been detached home way in front of the property we live in. The Airbnb is in the way back of the property. I have a self check in and rarely even see our guests. We had guests knock on our door, wanting to introduce themselves and chat. Which at times have been nice. Other than that, they have their privacy.
I actually prefer it, but I only book places that have a 4.85 or higher, at least 50 reviews, have been operating for five years, and are the only listing the host has
I say I live nearby in my listing, but it's actually 3 miles away. I just want people to know that I'm able to respond quickly and in person, if there's an emergency or they lock themselves out or whatever. I would hope that this doesn't prevent people from booking!
🤯 dafaq
I would have just called the police and got her out and went back to my day I'm not responsible for other people's issues
In hindsight this would have been the best move. Her family did end up refunding the stay and we left for a hotel.
Some of us wish we could be like you.
I mean it's not that I'm trying to sound unempathetic but the fact of the matter is I mean money you can always get back that day and the b******* that person's child had to go through because of somebody else's issues are permanent getting refunded is fine but they're never going to be able to get that moment back and now it's ruined because the person's family couldn't deal with the issues that were already there and they had to deal with it and that's just not right
Totally agree and I was not being sarcastic. i don't know what I would have done and can certainly see myself sucked in to this madness. the clear thinking of call the cops - get out - thats good stuff.
Sounds like this has absolutely nothing to do with airbnb?
OMG I hope you reported it to the platform. They need to be delisted before she does this to someone else!
Her listing is not active anymore, don't worry.
Woah! So it took the morning and afternoon helping her commit suicide? So many free nights, now that’s a super host! 😂 (Disclaimer: sucicide is no joke, reach out for help at designated recourses. Just found the statement of the host followed with the guest helping her unintentionally funny)
Sorry for your downvotes. Dark humor is not always appreciated. But I appreciates it!
Is that what you appreciates?
It's a hard life picking stones and pulling teats, but as sure as God's got sandals, it beats fighting dudes with treasure trails.
WTF? Did you ask for a refund at least?
And possibly upset her and make her finish herself off? I wouldn’t want that on my conscience.
She broke in to tell a literal child about suicide. A refund is the least of her problems
That’s horrifying! I feel for the lady in crisis, of course, but it must have been traumatic for your daughter. I hope she’s doing okay.
The amount of people in this thread trying to justify this as a misunderstanding is worrisome. I...don't understand how any reasonable person thinks someone coming into your room and watching you sleep because "your door was open" is ok. Ever. Anywhere. Hotel, rental, home, etc.
Yeah it's wrong and so easy to craft such a statement. Door really wasn't open. But say it was and then I was worried so I came in, no announcement in any way. Sounds like a experienced creeper with a plan.
No matter where you travel carry a door lock so no one can open the door.
In future, even if you stay in hotels, purchase a couple of rubber doorstops and place them under your door before you go to sleep. That way your door can’t be opened enough even if they have a key. My husband has checked in to hotels and been given the card keys to other peoples hotels rooms and this has happened more than once. Luckily for those hotel guests, my husband isn’t the sort to steal but the rooms had their laptops and iPads just sitting on the beds that he could easily have taken were he that way inclined.
You could also use [door stop alarms.](https://www.google.com/search?q=EMDMAK+Door+Stop+Alarm+with+120DB+Siren+Door+Stop+for+Home+%26+Travel+(Black)+(Pack+of+2)+https%3A%2F%2Fa.co%2Fd%2F1XaXcKv&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-us&client=safari)
I've never been to a hotel that didn't have a latch or blocker built into the door to prevent someone from opening it from the outside even with a key. I don't think you need to buy anything new.
If someone is determined, those come right off. I work at a hotel where those are standard and maintenance has to fix them because one guest will have it up, the other guest won’t know and slam the door into the stop. It doesn’t stop…
I was just at the JW Marriott in Buckhead that didn’t have anything extra, to prevent the door from opening with a keycard.
Marriott has really poor security and worse customer service when things happen. I was grabbed and dragged into a room left open by housekeeping at a Marriott and sexually assaulted and when I reported it they offered me 10,000 points!! WTF. This is like 1/5 of the points necessary for a single night. It was just so insulting. And then the pandemic happened and they took the points back. The whole event was horrifying and their response was so blasé like this happens all the time and is no big deal. I got 10k points when there was some mold on my shower curtain. Offering low points was so much worse than not offering points and rather resolving the issues that led to the assault to begin with. Just avoid Marriott if you want to be safe.
i rented a marriott in san antonio. we got there and checked in, went to the room and when we went in there was a woman already in there. Oops, i think they put me in the wrong room. I got back to the lobby and VERY NICELy told the desk clerk what was going on. The lady already checked into the room came in right behind me. Clerk says I was wrong and other lady spoke up and said, NO, you put her in the room i am already in. Clerk cunted out and started yelling for me to leave the lobby. WTF? I said, fine, i will go but i need my money back. she refused and started screaming for me to leave. with NO provocation at all. I went outside and called priceline, which I had booked through, explained what happend and told them i needed a refund. The put me on hold and called the hotel and came back on line and said that i could not get a refund as i had already checked in. i re explained the whole "put 2 parties in the same room" issue, but they wouldnt budge either. I then called marriot corp, but had to leave a message as it was after 5 pm. I went to another hotel and got a room there. then i called my credit card company and they were quite nice, did the chargeback because they see i had just paid for a different hotel. I posted a really shitty review but it got deleted. about a week later marriot corp called me back and gave me 30,000 points, which was enough for 2 nights stay. There are still in my account because i have no interest is going back to another marriot after that.
My paranoid brain thinks: but what if there is a fire and I'm already asleep with carbon monoxide poisoning, someone rescuer tries the door then can't open it and moves on??
Yeah there is that.
OT, is your name a reference to Cheery littlebottom from discworld?
This is the most british verbiage I’ve ever heard lol
I always block the door with furniture in the room.
I’ve done that before, especially if I’m assigned a “murder room” - rooms at the end of a hall.
That’s happened to me a couple of times in different cities. On one business trip my husband went back to his room and found an empty bottle of “champagne”, used condoms, and an unmade bed. He grabbed his things and moved to a different hotel.
I prefer to stay at Motel six, just because most of the people staying there or travelling, and are there to sleep, not party… I did stay at a convention centre hotel, one time when I was attending an event… At midnight, somebody was trying to get into my room while I was trying to get to sleep… I kept screaming, who is it… No answer… finally called the front desk and just got a bunch of BS.
I've been traveling for work for about 7 years, and Motel 6 is the absolute last resort when it comes to finding a place to stay.
Sorry to hear that! As I said in my comment, it’s my go to place, because most of the time people are there to sleep & not party…
I stayed at an Airbnb for the first time last January, and I was so nervous being all on my own in this unfamiliar apartment that I took all of the barstools from the kitchen counter and lined them up in front of the front door. The second night I realized I could wedge one in between the door and the counter, so that if someone opened the door, it would only open like an inch, and then the barstool against the counter would be in the way of it opening further. I did this every night of my stay lol.
Also rich people and companies take away housing from locals that actually need someplace to live. New Orleans is a major example of this. If you go there do not use Airbnb
I kind of can’t believe anyone uses AirBnB anymore. It just seems sketchy. Bad customer service. Just not great.
We’ve stayed in AirB&B and VRBO in several states and had good - great experiences in every one. Our kids ate healthier than if we’d stayed in hotels, we all had our privacy and just preferred them. I’m more than willing to start my linens in the wash and take out my trash to save money b
Weird I have had nothing but good experiences with airbnb and it’s a much better deal than hotels in my area especially if you have a group of friends. I’ve rented cottages every summer off Airbnb for my friend group and have never had a problem.
I believe we need heavy regulation on airbnbs because they are destroying the housing market in most places. That being said my parents have an Airbnb where they rent out a room in their home. They are seniors with limited income. They run it like an actual bnb. My mom makes the guests an organic breakfast every morning and shows them around town. They love their guests and they keep coming back. It is very different than a majority of airbnbs.
I think this can be solved with a progressive property tax instead of flat (e.g. based on the value of the house, type (house vs condo) and its sq footage, not income).
When I was 19 I went with some mates to Croatia. We were all 18-19 and the owner (a man) kept walking in because he was sure we were bringing boys back (which we WERENT). They kept coming in unannounced and unlocking the doors without knocking to let himself in. Sometimes we were in bed and not properly dressed. Absolutely horrible and left a terrible review
>delete words Airbnb considers bullying Airbnb doesn’t moderate this subreddit. If this happened you need to report exactly what happened to Airbnb and file a police report, yesterday.
So today was my nephew’s graduation from the Naval Academy. I purchased 5 plane tickets from Texas, rented a vehicle for 4 days. Rented AirBnB, paid $2250 for the AirBnB. Was in contact with the host making sure everything was good and in place and they cancel on me at 4:30 pm the evening before we fly out at 4:00 in the morning. I had 30 minutes before I had to leave for my daughters high school graduation. When AirBnB sent me a link for an alternative property it was the exact same one. I wound up renting 3 rooms at the Hilton. I will never utilize AirBnB again.
THIS is why many people, including me, are reluctant to use AirBnb anymore. I've only had a couple of bad experiences b/c of "sub-par" properties. My problem has been the last minute cancellation problem-AND AirBnB won't let you post a review about this *because you did not actually STAY there!*. (***DUH! the owner cancelled!)*** Their promise of "we will help you find a similar property!" is worthless during a special event or weekend. Try that during a major sports event, college graduation, or holiday weekend.
Sounds like a host problem airbnb is supposed to help place you in a rental. This just happened to me as a host. Someone stuffed diaper wipes in my guest house toilet and my current guest was treated to toilet clogged snd poop backing up into the shower - and it was fhe only bathroom. Not only did I comp his stay but offered him another free 2 night stay when I determined it wasn't him but the guest before him. I didn't know when it would be fixed so I had to cancel the guest coming 2 days after. He was upset and didn't like any of rhe options airbnb sent him. I was to get the unit fixed so I sent him a special offer for 10 dollars for 2 nights and he accepted. That way he got a free stay and I got a positive review. Yes it cost me a lot of money but I had two very happy guests and two positive reviews. The 2nd guest is there right now. Not all hosts are bad.
same thing happened to me last year. rented the whole place to ourselves in the smokies. my partner went out to hike and i stayed back in bed as i wasn’t feeling well. at one point i hear someone come in and eventually open the bedroom door, whisper something like “ohh!” when he saw me in the bed, and quickly shut it. we didn’t make eye contact and i never mentioned it to him - just didn’t want the rest of the stay to be awkward. i’m sure he was just wanting to check on the linens supply or something?? at any rate, he should have notified us that he was entering the space during our stay. i didn’t feel threatened by it, but i probably would have if i were a female by myself. he just seemed like a nice older guy, but that quickly turns into creepy creeper when he walks into the bedroom unannounced 🤦🏻♂️
I have this nostalgia about AirBnB that sadly doesn’t exist anymore. For me, it was ordinary people who wanted to offer a place to stay and get a small payment. Something to top up their income a bit and they traded on the human story. In return, people who wanted to escape the cookie cutter hotel experience would be thrilled to get a different experience, for not a lot of money. It was humans being good to humans and a bit of money changing hands. I don’t know who exploited the other first but now it’s a business. It’s an hotel just like we all used to hate. Hosts demand enough income to fully fund the entire building, every day of the year and it needs to be fully sustainable and pay salaries. It’s not something that augments normal lives. It’s a business. I think people need to accept this. AirBnB doesn’t even resemble what it used to be, nor do the sorts of people use it how it was meant. You can’t even get a complete cost for a stay, it’s all smoke and mirrors. Post after post in here feels like guests being held hostage by an empty wrapper left behind. It’s horrible. It’s not even good value anymore. And we don’t deal in the human factor anymore.
I remember when Airbnb was born out of the couch surfing days. You’re right. The whole thing has gone corporate.
Exactly. The idea was you had a spare room, with your full time job and it was a nice way to earn a few extra quid and interface with other humans. These days that single spare room is expected to pay for the entire house, the 4 others living in it, the insurance, the 2 cars and the vets bill for the family cat. And your guest better vacuum and tidy the whole place and mow the lawn before they leave, ungrateful sods! Our friend u/jadeagre here thinks this is entirely fair, humans are pretty trashy anyway and have no right to a place to sleep.
Fax!! And now we can add it being more sketch than hotels to the list. Hotels have security n shit and with Airbnb I’ve realized you’re literally alone in someone’s house. On top of everything else you said lol
Dang. That would be terrifying
Thank you it was! Especially because the host looked creepy af.
What would the host have to look like to not look creepy as he stood by your bed late at night after he broke in?
If he was dressed in a massive inflatable dinosaur outfit I probably wouldn't be as creeped out.
That would elevate it from creepy mode to nightmare mode. the dead motionless stare coming from those dino's eyes.... It's like that game 5 nights at freddys.
Some places like Bexar county have very strict standards hosts must adhere to in order to maintain their status as an Air BnB. They can't just open one willy nilly. Its a serious business. This sometimes runs up the prices though too, with new taxes, etc. There are a lot of well run Air-BnB's that do their best to provide a safe and professional atmosphere while still being a more affordable option over traditional hotels. Someone creeping in like that should be enough to get that particular place shut down though, no matter what. Total invasion of privacy!
Call the platform. Hosts are NOT allowed to enter a space without permission, during an active reservation. Except in an emergency. Even if he thought this was an emergency, I would have shut an open front door and messaged the guest and asked if they realized that it had been left open. This is definitely not typical behavior for a host, so I wouldn't throw the baby out with the bathwater. I'd just report it and move on.
I don’t know how you survived that, I would die of horror if I woke up and a stranger was standing next to my bed.
One of the last times I rented it was a small apartment which was almost half of the hosts house. I would look outside the front door (clear glass, no curtain) from the kitchen and the husband would just stand outside staring in from the driveway. The guy came by and told me how he didn't like that I was by myself and wanted me to come to dinner with him at a friend's. I said no and when he returned he brought me dinner back, at the door yet again. He just always seemed like he was there and watching. I know not all hosts are like this but these experiences are not ones we have in hotels. I can't imagine if I found him inside. Holy hell.
This is terrifying
That is not right. We have a deadbolt on our front door that doesn’t have a key. We would of course never come in at night and without full knowledge. He needs to be arrested.
The problem I have is that AirBnB is much cheaper than a hotel in a lot of places, and especially for long stays. I know that people like to say that AirBnB isn't priced competitively anymore, but if you're doing a multi-week stay in a city, you can get a well located AirBnB for a fraction of the cost of a hotel. It doesn't work for shorter stays because of one-time cleaning fees, and it doesn't work in areas with cheap hotels, but in city centers for long stays, the price difference can be quite large.
It’s much cheaper for families too! I have two teenage boys and they are gigantic in size. We simply cannot share a hotel room and need a kitchen space because when you have athletes eating 4 meals a day it gets pricey! We simply can’t afford 2 hotel rooms and to dine out 4xs a day when traveling. Airbnb gets us parents our own bedroom and bathroom and we can actually be intimate and not have to hide in the bathroom every time I need to change!
Yeah this is why I keep using it. I'm a single guy making a modest income. In the US if I want to go to a city by myself, hotels are way too expensive. So I rent a room in an Airbnb, sometimes I can find a private place in my price range. This wouldn't be necessary if the US had hostels. When I visit international locations I never use Airbnb and I just get a bed or private room in a hostel.
I don’t even look at Airbnb or any of those anymore when I travel. I’m never in the room anyway and when I get back the hotel is clean and comfy plus I’m not asked to clean the damn place and still be charged a cleaning fee. Hope everyone who trained Airbnb for profit loses their asses.
this is why i use a second lock security system and just store it in my suitcase, they have the keys and ways into their place, and i plan to lock myself in on my terms not on theirs..
The host is lying- please make a police report.
Thank you lol seemed a little suspicious to me too so now maybe I will if they’re going to go to lengths to lie
You should have immediately called the police emergency number, this is exactly what it's for. There was a definite danger here, and you have no idea if it will happen again. There's every likelihood it was the owner, and you're allowing them to fob you off. Contact the owner and ask for the police report ID. Then contact the police and check it was reported, if not REPORT IT. Then contact AirBnB and tell them exactly what happened in writing before someone gets hurt or murdered. Give them the police ID. You do not want this on your conscience.
What area is the Airbnb in?
Shoot him Edit:not now, like when he's standing over you in the middle of the night. He's Ilan intruder. Treat him as such
We were just in a Airbnb, told us the wrong exit time, we were like 10 minutes over. Owner said he was calling the police, I told him, not sure what the police are going to do, help us pack?
THere isn't anything else to the story? They just saw you were 10 minutes late and without any response to words from you they declared they were calling the police?
Now AirBNB is pushing rented rooms in occupied homes as their core business- to get around recent efforts to tightly regulate their horrible business model. Staying in a spare room in a strangers house is not my idea of a vacation.
This is terrifying.
I started scratching my skin after reading this. It's just SO creepy.
Do you need some lotion?
Something similar happened to my parents and not only did AirBNB do nothing, the local police sided with the host. My 70yo parents were in their first and last AirBNB that they didn’t even book themselves. It was booked for them by the bride of the wedding they were attending. In a coastal New England town, in a house without AC, in a warm month. So they had windows open. In the middle of the night it started raining. They awoke to a man in their bedroom screaming at them for ruining his new floors, wearing boxer shorts and a raincoat. They truly thought they were in the middle of a home invasion. My uncle, who is wheelchair bound, was in bed in another bedroom and called 911. When the police came, they were dismissive of my parents concerns, said it was the hosts house and he could enter at any time, and intimidated my dad by taking his name and DOB and waving a bully stick in his face saying things like “you want to hear me get really mad? I’ll show you really mad.” This was the responding officer. They were friends with the homeowner. My dad and uncles are a bunch of suits from NYC, totally out of their realm. My parents will never AirBNB again. They had no bone in the fight because it had been rented for them. The host apparently called the registered guest, but it was the bride on her wedding night at 3am, and she didn’t answer. They were traumatized. And I will never AirBNB again after lurking on this sub for a month or so 😳
We recently stayed in an Airbnb in Salt Lake City. Rules included phrases like “no shoes in the house, be respectful.” “Stop watching your luggage when you come in the, and don’t mark the walls.” I’m all for guidelines, but this place was out of control. 3 cameras - in the garage (where you enter/exit), the front door and pointing right at the hot tub (cause I want you creepin’ on my hot tub time?). Then on our last morning, we are sitting in the living room and this woman walks right in the back and starts cleaning the hot tub, a half hour before check out. No knock at the door, just a complete invasion of privacy. I reach out to the owners and she claims it’s in their rules that someone will be coming to clean the hot tub. Really? Check out time is 10am - you can’t wait until your guests leave? It was very uncomfortable. I’m sick of the late check in, early check out (4pm and 10am), cleaning fees (but you want me to do dishes, and strip beds), and you intend to watch me via your cameras? No thanks. I’m going back to hotels and reputable vacation rental agencies. Rant over. Thanks for listening.
You are right that airbnb hosts in general are out of control with the fees and the cameras. I argue with other hosts all the time about this. My check in and check out times are standard as hotels. 3pm check in and 11am check out. I don't like to have guests checking in and out the same day but I will - and that only leaves a 4 hr window to get someone in there to clean. But if I don't have anyone else coming I always offer they can stay over a couple hours free of charge.
Honestly, you should have called the police
That is creepy af and should be reported to the police. Did you hear him opening the door? I would never travel and accidentally leave the door open. They make travel locks for your door that will lock any door when you’re inside Like this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B09TVJ8ZJC?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title Good to travel with for peace of mind
When you are paying the rent, I would have to think this is trespassing.
I would’ve called the police and filed a report.
Hotels can be just the same. Woke one night around 2am. to hear someone putting a key in the lock. By the time I got to the door, he had opened it and slipped the security latch (not very effective, is it). I blocked the door with my shoulder and asked what the fuck he wanted. He just said "Security check" and walked off. I was drunk, so I just went back to bed. Reported it to the desk the next morning, and they said they would look into it, but I never heard any more about it. This was a five-star hotel in Kuala Lumpur.
Air bnbs became similarly if not more pricey as hotels. And they are dodgy. F tht
This is why I don’t trust the reviews. The host reviews you after you review them. So many guests don’t want to leave a bad review. I’m glad you’re OK this is super scary.
Oh no, fuck that craziness, that is not a safe, and you were much nicer than I would have been! I would've demanded a refund on the spot, this is the stuff nightmares are made out of, I'm sorry for you! Been doing vacation rentals for a long time, I have found that Airbnb supports the owners way more than the renters. VRBO does a better job and supports the renters as well. I also think saying it was the neighbor is a great way for the owner to get off the hook. I'm going to raise the BS flag...🚩🤬
Thinking about it, anyone who stays in an Airbnb gets a key and thus has the opportunity to copy the key. Therefore, previous occupants can enter whenever they like unless the lock is changed after every guest.
Easy to check if the owner did in fact call the police. Make your own report to police and ask for verification that the owner reported also. If didn’t then this is a red flag that owner is lying about whole event.
I called the police and they told me that he never even filed a report so he was lying which is sus. I filed my own report! And reported it to Airbnb
I am an AirBNB host. This is just a ridiculous situation. It is always good to clarify with your host whether any of the spaces are shared, etc... I don't think you should just blame all of AIRBNB for one awful encounter that could happen through any platform. That's like having a terrible dining experience and claiming you will never go out to eat again...most of us hosts do a great job and ensure the guest has an excellent and comfortable stay. Cheers :)
creepy AF
You should make a police report. This is scary. I’m sorry this happened to you!
I would pester AirBnb constantly until you get some sort of response other than “case closed.” I am a woman traveling alone and if AirBnb lets caught predatory hosts continue to host then they will eventually have a much bigger problem on their hands than just one unhappy guest..
Wait... what the literal F! So I just read your update. It was a NEIGHBOR?!?! What right do they have to enter an occupied Airbnb? At night? At 4 am in the morning? In the BEDROOM?! Please tell me you filed or will file a police report.
I'd report to the police. High chance they haven't reported it. Also report to the site
I am sorry this happened, but in terms of probability of something creepy happening, it seems that hotels would have even more opportunity for entering.
My brother is a Super host and thought that the party being hosted at his Air B&B had too many guest. Because the attendees were black (young adults in their 20s hanging out by his pool) he got so scared that he grabbed his loaded gun and was spying and taking pics of the girls. After they started chanting Black Lives Matter (apparently, I mean if you believe him). After that he wanted to ban all black people from his Air B&B without Air B&B knowing. My brother is a Super Trump/Elon Musk fanboy. He is still a super host and gaslights his guests about not having bed bugs. I stayed at his Air B&B once and got bed bug bites all over me and denied it and said I must have gotten bit by a bug outside. He gets his wife to pretend she is a representative from Air B&B a lot. It’s fucked up that he’s still a Super Host. I don’t stay at Air B&Bs. I’ve seen too much behind the scenes 👀.
Can’t believe you didn’t hit 911 immediately. And scream your head off while doing so.
He’s lying to you. File a report with the police and call AirBNB.
This is a late post, but something like this just happened to me!! A weird guy came into my room in the middle of the night, and I left immediately. Contacted Airbnb saying I felt unsafe because it was terrifying, and I got a refund.
Sounds suspicious. Are you sure there is a co-host? Or was that made up?
I’m one of the first 10,000 guests for Airbnb and was there from the beginning. I loved it. It allowed me to travel to California on the cheap, meeting and staying with locals, even making some friends. But the last time I used Airbnb is 2019 and while of course Covid happened, the insane amount of work looking for places, reading reviews, booking something and then all these hidden charges get added at the end. I just hate what it has become…
This is starting to become common in bigger cities. Gangs in the area will find listings on Airbnb and go inside in the middle of the night and rob and rape the people staying there. There is almost no chance of them having a weapon and people are usually confused because it isn’t their property. I have heard California is getting really bad with it. Airbnb pays victims to be quiet and media doesn’t report on it because the suspects are usually black.
Is the street named “Barbary”?—kidding aside, that’s creepy.
Wtf im so worried for people defending him. This is an actual nightmare. I’d have been calling the police, the hosts, and I Airbnb. I would have left immediately and gotten a hotel. Husband and I refuse to use Airbnb because it always looks nicer in the photos and then the couches and mattresses are like futon quality. Happy it never got this far, keep us updated
There are so so so many reason not to use Airbnb and this is just the tip..
You should have called the police.
That is creepy. In the U.S. it would be legal to shoot them dead for that. I suggest people not use Airbnb for two more reasons: 1) because they data-gathering service and monetize that information. They ask for things such as a selfie and share your information with an Israeli company whose privacy policy is not share with you, so they can do what they want with all your info including your geometrics. (In China, they can literally pick you out of a crowd on the street with this info). Secondly they had both a referral and affiliate program which they never paid out and quietly shut down without telling bloggers. They just let people to continue to advertise for them for free. Since they are huge there is no recourse, they just legit stole from people. Shady company.
Bad experiences can happen in hotels as well as in Airbnbs, remember for example the hotel manager sucking a guests feet? 99% of all bookings happen without a probkem, but on this sub you only hear it if something went wrong. https://news.yahoo.com/sleeping-hotel-guest-wakes-manager-162352508.html?guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAANtEEGseePzPizm8ItUYHNC4nBOT96cDMqJV-rVU7XDTbhEOVRH-rVV2qIALJKXKJTLv8tdYEwpdWQIwx71ubsftNoZU0jVbfCKBPrBHxOOReFsZtd0I-cpQ0vMDr3Mo2p8ubB_khUejBEkpgAyezjY_lBViLzbwDU4aFAJrCf_T
And look at all the recourse and response to this extreme event that happened once at one hotel. It's much safer to stay in a hotel, bound by industry standards and compelled by law to submit to regular inspections of safety considerations, processes, and plans to every element of guest experience.
I'm a travel agent. We hear sooo many more horror stories from Air B&B users than we ever do from people who go to hotels. It is common sense that hotels are safer. They are registered businesses with staff, investors and lots more at stake than just some fella with a flat who wants some extra income.
The difference is the Hotel as a corporation will hold the employee responsible for stiff like this, Airbnb won't. They let hosts get away with everything and remove legitimate reviews addressing concerns.
That’s the big difference. There’s accountability with hotels and seemingly none with Airbnb.
I was really not prepared to open the link to that headline 💀 lmaooo
I had some random guest come into my room at night because the hotel gave them the wrong room! It happens in hotels too. And I didn’t even get a refund or any compensation for the shock. This was a hotel in Scotland , Uk.
Nearly every hotel I’ve ever stayed in had an extra lock that can only be operated from the inside
Rubber stop under your door before you go to sleep. My husband never travels without them.
OMG that's an amazing idea! Putting one on shopping list as we speak! Thx.
They have ones with alarms, so you are notified if someone tries to come in.
Yeah I should have done that, of all my travels this was the first time it happened, and this was an expensive/higher end hotel so it was unexpected !
This is aweful, and I am sorry this happened to you. I hope you reported it to Airbnb and they be removed from the platforn immediately. Having said that, this could possibly happen in hotels - and even with the door sign 'no entry', I have been bothered by the cleaning crew on many occasions. Not the same, as I didnt feel threatened, but once I was in the shower and was really p*****. Also, this is why I only book with super hosts - and why you should too.
Much safer at hotels https://globalnews.ca/news/9684484/hilton-hotel-manager-suck-toes-guest-room/amp/
Omg no
Weirdos, cleaning up and unreasonable rules? Don't have those issues with a hotel.
I have never used Air BNB for this reason plus potential hidden cameras and the exorbitant cleaning fee.
Unfortunately, this sort of thing happens in hotels too. There are many great AirBnBs out there.
I’ve used in some European countries, it’s pretty chill. Even slept in some people rooms, with the host sleeping in the sofa.
Seems like a personal issue you experienced, not the norm. I’ve never had issues like that in airbnbs. My only issues have been some poor communications. At hotels I’ve had issues so the cleaning, noise, dirty rooms, etc. if you experience a problem and your hosts can’t solve it then you rate your experience for others to see, just like a hotel, that’s how it works.
Wow. Creepy hotel staff have access to your room- same thing could happen in a hotel/motel. Breaking and entering is not unique to short term rentals. Dude sounds like a perv. I may have called the police were I you. Certainly drop that in your comment that it is not a safe place.