An Airbnb guest exposes the many ways the San Diego home he rented is not worth its $1,250 nightly rate.
In a viral video, Tiktoker Nick Doty (@nldoty) gives viewers a tour of the five-bedroom rental home he deems “the most pathetic excuse for a house.” He shares a laundry list of things wrong with the home, making the listing far from a luxury unit.
He starts the tour in the home’s garage. This is where he identifies the first problem. “The first bedroom’s in the garage. I’m not kidding,” he says. He opens a door in the garage, which leads to a small windowless room fitting solely a twin-size bed and a lamp that cannot be plugged in because the room has no outlets.
“It smells like gasoline. There’s no air vent. The smoke detectors expired. Actually, they’re all expired. And this is not legally a bedroom,” he shares. “I could probably make an hourlong video with all the things that are wrong with this house.”
While his viral video is not an hour long, he uses the next six minutes to share and show viewers all the nightmarish horrors in the home.
In the bathrooms, viewers see toilets that are not attached to the wall or floor, allowing them to be rocked back and forth. The shower handle in one of the bathrooms has completely fallen off. The air conditioning units throughout the home are locked up and controlled by the host. “[We] can’t turn on the AC unless we Venmo him $25 a day—luxury,” Doty shares.
Rather than five bedrooms, there are five twin beds and a futon in the basement. One of the bed stations has the luxurious added element of a modesty curtain.
@nldoty Replying to @laminatedbears #landlord #landlordspecial #airbnb #airbnbfinds #airbnbexperience #airbnbhost #landlords #landlordsfromhell #fyp #fypage ♬ original sound – nldoty
In addition to sleeping quarters, the basement is equipped with an especially confusing bathroom. “So this entire hallway is our bathroom,” Doty explains. He shows viewers a long hallway with several rooms, each of which is a different part of the “bathroom.” One room holds the shower, another holds the toilet, and the last room has the sink. The rooms do not seem to have doors, and only the shower room is equipped with a curtain.
“There’s no air vent down here. There’s also no air conditioning. But we have a dehumidifier. At least, it makes the lights flicker when you turn it on,” Doty shares.
In another bathroom in the home, he shows a light fixture that is balanced on top of drywall screws rather than being secured to the wall. “There is no ventilation in the shower … which explains all the mold on the ceiling,” he adds.
“All this could be yours for $5 million and a lifetime supply of antidepressants,” he shares.
Doty’s video has over a million views and thousands of comments. Many viewers shared Doty’s frustration. “$1250/night?! You could stay at a 5-star hotel for that,” one commented.
Others shared similar experiences and provided tips on how to get refunded. “Call local code compliance and file a complaint and get your Airbnb refunded,” one suggested. “Contact Airbnb and submit a code claimant and contact the fire marshal. Had to do that when I stayed [at one] with a crumbling basement foundation,” another shared.
The Daily Dot reached out to Nick Doty via Instagram direct message and Airbnb via email.
