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Booking an Airbnb is always a bit of a gamble. You could score a stunning apartment in the heart of the city you’re visiting, or you might show up to find that the photos on the site were taken a decade ago and all of the home’s amenities are barely functioning. But no matter how disappointing a rented place can be, we still expect them to be safe.
Unfortunately, one traveler recently learned that even safety isn’t always a guarantee. Below, you’ll find an upsetting story that was shared on the Airbnb subreddit, detailing why this woman says she’ll never use the platform again.
RELATED:
While staying in an Airbnb all by herself, this woman was shocked to wake up and find someone else there
Image credits: cottonbro studio (not the actual photo)
Now, she says she’ll never use the website again
Image credits: cottonbro studio (not the actual photo)
Later, the guest shared an update after speaking to the host
Image source: [anonymous]
She also posted the response that Airbnb sent her
Over the past few years, Airbnb seems to have lost its luster
Airbnb was once a godsend for travelers on a budget who wanted to have an authentic experience in the cities they visited. Rather than sleeping in a sterile hotel room with free breakfast in the morning, many of us were thrilled to have the option to save $20 per night and sleep on a stranger’s fold out couch. This is how the locals live! And at least we have a kitchen!
But over the past few years, the appeal of using Airbnb has been diminishing. Due to exorbitant cleaning fees, the stress of having to coordinate with hosts, issues upon arrival and the opportunity to stay in hotels for much less, many travelers have now sworn off the site. Time reported in 2022 that many Airbnb rentals that were fully booked a few years ago are now sitting empty, as the vacation rental site has lost its charm.
“It seems like a lot of people are kind of fed up with Airbnb, and they’re angry about how some hosts treat them now,” host Jim Ewing told Time. “I’m curious to see if my timing for leaving the short-term market is the right move, and if in six months or 12 months, Airbnb becomes a bad investment for people.”
We reached out to the woman who posted this story on Reddit, and she shared that there haven’t been any updates on the situation since she shared Airbnb’s response in the comments. “They said they would investigate the matter, but that was the last I heard.” She also noted that their solution to the issue was to simply refund her partially for her stay. “I probably won’t use Airbnb again,” she told Bored Panda.
This is not the first time a guest has had concerns about their safety
When it comes to cutting costs, Nerd Wallet reports that the average Airbnb for 6 people is 33% cheaper than booking three hotel rooms. However, the average hotel is 29% cheaper than booking an Airbnb if you only have two guests. So the best option financially will depend on the size of your party. But that’s not the only factor to consider.
According to Bloomberg, the woman who shared this story on Reddit is certainly not the only one who’s had a dangerous and frightening encounter while staying in an Airbnb. Yet the company spends millions of dollars every year to keep these unsavory stories from seeing the light of day. In 2015, a woman staying in a Manhattan Airbnb came home to find a man waiting in the room with a knife, ready to rape her.
Apparently, this particular Airbnb had two sets of keys floating around, one of which was never returned. After the horrifying experience, Airbnb wrote the woman a $7 million dollar check as long as she agreed not to talk about the settlement or imply that Airbnb or the host was responsible for the assault.
Airbnb’s entire business model rests on the idea that we can trust strangers to open up their homes to us, and we’ll have a safe place to stay for a reasonable price. But today, travelers are realizing that the service is not always the most affordable, most convenient or safest option. Stories have surfaced over the past couple of years exposing hosts for secretly filming their guests, and exorbitant cleaning fees have deterred guests from making future bookings.
Alternatives to Airbnbs may be cheaper, more convenient, more ethical and safer
According to Airbnb’s site, they’re available 24/7 to assist guests and hosts and ensure their safety. But the reality is that it’s very challenging to enforce these rules with over 7 million properties listed around the globe. And when we look at the ethics of Airbnb as a whole, the idea can become questionable.
Using valuable living spaces as vacation rentals can contribute to housing crises in certain areas, and these rentals can negatively impact locals’ quality of life. Rather than having a lovely neighbor they can build a relationship with and rely on when they need to borrow a cup of sugar, suddenly the grandmother next door has to deal with dozens of new loud and disrespectful tourists every week.
We would love to hear your thoughts on this frightening story in the comments below, pandas. Are you an avid Airbnb user, or have you sworn off the site as well? Feel free to share, and then if you’re looking for another Bored Panda article to read, we recommend checking out this one discussing why travelers are opting to avoid Airbnb!
Readers were quick to shared their concerns for the woman and their criticisms of Airbnb in the replies
Some even had similar experiences to share
What do you think ?
Roan The Demon Kitty 2 years ago
I despise AirBnB with a burning hatred. Not only is it ruining towns like mine where every other house is a "guest house" meaning people who are actually local here can't own their own house here and have to move further afield. (though thankfully it was voted that any new build here cannot be a holiday let, or something to that degree, though there isn't many new build houses here compared to the towns population) and then there's all these horror stories that just make me think it really isn't worth it whatsoever, I've heard even worse stories of people nearly being kidnapped, trafficked, etc. Then there's the hosts that overcharge and have ridiculous rules. Not worth it. f**k airbnb.
Donna Peluda 2 years ago
Same where I live, long term rental for a 2 bedroom was ~800 euro, now they are 1600. Don't forget that theses corporations have lobbied to get laws passed to enable them. I'm my building we are fighting back..making it uncomfortable for them and making sure the know they are not welcome and to post a review.
Load More Replies...
Annymoose 2 years ago
Yeah, still don't understand how Airbnb was ever a thing and how it's somehow still a thing. Especially for women putting themselves at a high risk for sexual assault. Airbnb should have been cancelled long ago.
loranthippus 2 years ago
I agree with the spirit of your comment, and would add 'women are at higher risk' rather than 'putting themselves at a high risk'.
Load More Replies...
LonelyLittleLeafSheep 2 years ago
One of the many reasons I will always use hotels. Other reasons: room service, no cleaning, free tiny toiletries!
𝕔𝕚𝕟𝕟𝕚𝕖𝕞𝕠𝕠𝕟𝕥𝕖𝕒 2 years ago
Yeah! Hotels have cute mini bottles of shampoo and other soap! What do random strangers houses have? Nothing much, besides the chance to get assaulted in your sleep
Load More Replies...
Alexandra 2 years ago
AirBnB's are a menace to communities, so much is clear. At the moment legislation is put forward that it is no longer allowed to rent out your place as an AirBnB unless you as the owner are present at the location. Of course this will defeat the purpose of AirBnB's so let's hope it it will die a quick death.
Rachel Ainsworth 2 years ago
Hotels can be just as unsafe as AirBnB. I have more bad hotel experiences than AirBnB (using each 50/50). For both, I always look at the worst reviews to see the problems that have occurred but it doesn't always identify the unsafe places. Trust yourself, if you feel that something is wrong, there usually is something to worry about so take action.
JB 2 years ago (edited)
Try to remember it’s the horror stories that are newsworthy. My dad and I spent a wonderful week in the gay district of Montreal. The Airbnb “appartement” was simple and lovely - two bedrooms, shared bathroom, living room and kitchen. So much more character than the typical hotel and less expensive because we’re talking the equivalent of a suite here, and we could feed ourselves. We would walk to the nearest boulangerie to grab fresh bread in the morning, then, returning to the apartment, make breakfast in the full kitchen, which we would eat on the balcony overlooking a gorgeous garden. It was also easy walking to the heart of the district. The owners lived in the apartment next door. We saw them twice. Once, on entry to confirm everything was to our liking and last, when we handed the keys back. I’ve used Airbnb multiple times and never had a poor experience. I guess it’s down to choosing carefully and considering the place you stay as part of the experience.
Barbara Whitehurst 2 years ago
I booked one in nyc and they got shut down by the mayor. I was out a ton of money for a hotel. All airbnb did was rev a property way out of town. They get pretty snotty and off no real help. Money grab
Michael Sell 2 years ago
My family and lived in a very authentic neighborhood for years. Fireman, police officers, city workers were all once neighbors. A money driven individual started renting a 3 unit home next to ours, and it was a disaster. Prostitutes, drug dealers, attempted suicides all came with it. Airbnb is not in the business of helping or policing bad hosts/actors. My entire neighborhood filed complaints on Airbnb neighbors site. They are very good at seeming like they are doing something, and very good at ultimately doing nothing. They won't disclose 'what action they've taken' no matter how hard you push. I think 5 years ago it was a good service, and it's become our of control with no care to protect neighborhoods. Myself and all of my old neighbors classify it as an aggressive cancer, meaning, highly toxic and almost unstoppable considering they won't police themselves and that most cities have such arcane zoning laws that they can't figure out how to police them either.
Id row 2 years ago
"When you think about it you are literally sleeping in a strangers house." Did this person not know that? Isn't that the entire point of the business model? Did they think these apartments and houses were built by Hilton just for them to rent for a few days? I don't understand this revelation the OP had.
Roan The Demon Kitty 2 years ago
I despise AirBnB with a burning hatred. Not only is it ruining towns like mine where every other house is a "guest house" meaning people who are actually local here can't own their own house here and have to move further afield. (though thankfully it was voted that any new build here cannot be a holiday let, or something to that degree, though there isn't many new build houses here compared to the towns population) and then there's all these horror stories that just make me think it really isn't worth it whatsoever, I've heard even worse stories of people nearly being kidnapped, trafficked, etc. Then there's the hosts that overcharge and have ridiculous rules. Not worth it. f**k airbnb.
Donna Peluda 2 years ago
Same where I live, long term rental for a 2 bedroom was ~800 euro, now they are 1600. Don't forget that theses corporations have lobbied to get laws passed to enable them. I'm my building we are fighting back..making it uncomfortable for them and making sure the know they are not welcome and to post a review.
Load More Replies... Annymoose 2 years ago
Yeah, still don't understand how Airbnb was ever a thing and how it's somehow still a thing. Especially for women putting themselves at a high risk for sexual assault. Airbnb should have been cancelled long ago.
loranthippus 2 years ago
I agree with the spirit of your comment, and would add 'women are at higher risk' rather than 'putting themselves at a high risk'.
Load More Replies... LonelyLittleLeafSheep 2 years ago
One of the many reasons I will always use hotels. Other reasons: room service, no cleaning, free tiny toiletries!
𝕔𝕚𝕟𝕟𝕚𝕖𝕞𝕠𝕠𝕟𝕥𝕖𝕒 2 years ago
Yeah! Hotels have cute mini bottles of shampoo and other soap! What do random strangers houses have? Nothing much, besides the chance to get assaulted in your sleep
Load More Replies... Alexandra 2 years ago
AirBnB's are a menace to communities, so much is clear. At the moment legislation is put forward that it is no longer allowed to rent out your place as an AirBnB unless you as the owner are present at the location. Of course this will defeat the purpose of AirBnB's so let's hope it it will die a quick death.
Rachel Ainsworth 2 years ago
Hotels can be just as unsafe as AirBnB. I have more bad hotel experiences than AirBnB (using each 50/50). For both, I always look at the worst reviews to see the problems that have occurred but it doesn't always identify the unsafe places. Trust yourself, if you feel that something is wrong, there usually is something to worry about so take action.
JB 2 years ago (edited)
Try to remember it’s the horror stories that are newsworthy. My dad and I spent a wonderful week in the gay district of Montreal. The Airbnb “appartement” was simple and lovely - two bedrooms, shared bathroom, living room and kitchen. So much more character than the typical hotel and less expensive because we’re talking the equivalent of a suite here, and we could feed ourselves. We would walk to the nearest boulangerie to grab fresh bread in the morning, then, returning to the apartment, make breakfast in the full kitchen, which we would eat on the balcony overlooking a gorgeous garden. It was also easy walking to the heart of the district. The owners lived in the apartment next door. We saw them twice. Once, on entry to confirm everything was to our liking and last, when we handed the keys back. I’ve used Airbnb multiple times and never had a poor experience. I guess it’s down to choosing carefully and considering the place you stay as part of the experience.
Barbara Whitehurst 2 years ago
I booked one in nyc and they got shut down by the mayor. I was out a ton of money for a hotel. All airbnb did was rev a property way out of town. They get pretty snotty and off no real help. Money grab
Michael Sell 2 years ago
My family and lived in a very authentic neighborhood for years. Fireman, police officers, city workers were all once neighbors. A money driven individual started renting a 3 unit home next to ours, and it was a disaster. Prostitutes, drug dealers, attempted suicides all came with it. Airbnb is not in the business of helping or policing bad hosts/actors. My entire neighborhood filed complaints on Airbnb neighbors site. They are very good at seeming like they are doing something, and very good at ultimately doing nothing. They won't disclose 'what action they've taken' no matter how hard you push. I think 5 years ago it was a good service, and it's become our of control with no care to protect neighborhoods. Myself and all of my old neighbors classify it as an aggressive cancer, meaning, highly toxic and almost unstoppable considering they won't police themselves and that most cities have such arcane zoning laws that they can't figure out how to police them either.
Id row 2 years ago
"When you think about it you are literally sleeping in a strangers house." Did this person not know that? Isn't that the entire point of the business model? Did they think these apartments and houses were built by Hilton just for them to rent for a few days? I don't understand this revelation the OP had.
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