A woman went viral on TikTok after claiming her Airbnb was broken into and “thousands of dollars” worth of items were stolen.
The video, posted by Sylvia (user @sylpal), shows the Airbnb in question, which has many items missing. Her video currently has over 2 million views.
@sylpal Airbnb hosts aren’t required to change the keypad access codes after each rental!! Be careful booking with them #airbnb #traveltiktok #BBPlayDate #ShowYourJOWO #FORDfortheBuilders #robbery #dallas ♬ original sound – Sylvia
In the video, Sylvia goes through the Airbnb in Dallas, Texas, detailing everything that was stolen. Goods stolen include a set of AirPods, an iPad, a substantial amount of makeup, and more.
She also notes that the keypad on the door was broken. Dallas police allegedly told Sylvia that there was no sign of forced entry.
This detail and the fact that many of the items in the apartment appear intact led many commenters to speculate that the Airbnb host had something to do with the break-in.
“Has to be the hosts!” wrote one user. “Didn’t take TVs but took makeup?”
“Sounds like a complete set up,” another agreed. “Sounds like this was the work of the host.”
“The host did it. they destroyed some of their own stuff to make it look good,” a third claimed. “Why break the door when you already in the house?”
Sylvia states in the video that Airbnb hosts are not required to change lockbox combinations for each visitor, which could point to the thief being a previous guest. Airbnb does suggest on its website that hosts should change combinations after each guest; however, this does not appear to be a clearly defined rule.
“If you use a lockbox, you should update the combination between stays and be sure no one else has access to the keys during the reservation,” the website states. “If you use a smart lock or keypad, it’s important that you change the code after every reservation.”
Alleged Airbnb hosts in comments claimed they frequently change access codes.
“I have an air bnb in Dallas. I change my door codes every time someone leaves,” one user wrote.
“I’m an Airbnb host and I make the code the phone number that is associated with the account they booked with,” another stated. “It automatically deactives at checkout.”
Still, for many, this video served as a warning against using Airbnb.
“This is why I stay at a hotel. Nope,” a commenter shared.
“I have seen way too many scary air bnb stories on here,” a second agreed. “Definitely staying in hotels from now on.”
We’ve reached out to Sylvia for comment via Instagram DM and Airbnb via email.
Update 3:44pm CT May 30: In an email to Daily Dot, Airbnb wrote: “We are actively supporting both the guest and the Host.”
Airbnb also stated that it requires hosts to secure their properties, as well as safely and securely exchange keys or otherwise allow entry to properties to guests.
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