Six unbelievable Airbnb horror stories

It seems like the perfect arrangement in the gig economy for the renter and the rentee. The traveler typically pays less than they would for a hotel room and the owner generates income from a space they weren’t using anyway.

But sometimes the arrangement isn’t quite that simple.

Just this week we learned about a woman who hasn’t paid rent on her 540-day-and-counting-stay in a Brentwood guesthouse and is demanding $100,000 to leave. But there are at least six more short-term rental horror stories that will haunt the dreams of the renters and rentees.

The call is coming from inside the house!

A bachelorette party turned into a setup for a trite horror movie when one of the revelers discovered the host was staying inside the home — contrary to their rental aggreement, according to House Beautiful. 

“We soon discovered a man was watching us through the upstairs window later in the evening while we were at the fire pit,” one of the guests wrote on the Airbnb listing, according to the outlet. “We took action and called [the host] and cops to come help. I caught [the host] and her husband sneaking out of the side of the house.”

Airbnbrothel

One man in England had his flat turned into a place of ill-repute, according to the BBC. 

When he realized what his rental was being used for, the host rushed home.

“It felt like the place was burning down,” he told the outlet. “So I came into the flat. It smelled of wine and perfume. I found used condom wrappers under the bed, I found the bin was overflowing with tissues and condoms. And basically what I had to do was pick all that up with my hands.

“There were probably about seven or eight wine bottles as well — they’d got through a fair bit of Prosecco and a fair bit of Pinot Grigio.

It might seem a strange thing to say, but one of the things that really surprises me is that if they want to carry on doing this, how easy would it have been for them to clear up their own tracks? Quite easy.”

House rules

Short-term rentals often come with rules, like a cleaning provision to ensure the place isn’t trashed. But there are rules, then there are RULES. A Montauk listing drew the ire of social media users for having multiple signs posted throughout the rental that, among other things, requiring occupants to only apply perfume outside of the house and having the hot water shut off after eight minutes, according to the New York Post.

Tortuous stay

In 2015, a 19-year-old man reported being locked in a fourth-floor apartment in Madrid as the host threatened him by rattling knives in the kitchen to get him to submit to a sexual act, according to the New York Times. 

The teen — who said he was eventually assaulted, but managed to get the host to release him — eventually returned to Massachusetts, but not without significant trauma, according to the outlet. The host, for her part, said the sexual acts were consensual and that the teen was being transphobic.

Smile for the camera

Another unfortunate, yet frequent, issue is hidden cameras. A couple last year booked a spot in Rio de Janeiro and discovered hidden cameras pointed at their bed, according to the Post. The travelers documented their discovery on video. “Look here. Camera. Camera. Pointed towards what? Double bed,” a woman said in the video. “Camera in Airbnb in Copacabana. Expensive Airbnb. Next to the beach.”

Bed, bath and beyond acceptable

Not much more to add here than the post on X, formerly Twitter, from one Airbnb user in June:

“tfw you arrive at your @airbnb and realize that the whole space is essentially just a large-ish bathroom that the host put a bed into”

The listing is allegedly in London, though it was not confirmed, according to the Evening Standard.

“Our customer service team has been in contact with this guest to provide support. We encourage guests to review all photos, as well as the description and reviews, prior to booking a stay,” Airbnb said in a statement to the outlet.