In a recent TikTok, a regular Airbnb customer (one half of @tyandkim) says she and her family stayed in the worst Airbnb for a last-minute vacation. And the restrictions she ran into are part of an alarming, recent trend in weird house rules that renters are reporting.
“We checked out of probably the worst/weirdest Airbnb that we have ever stayed in,” she says. “This is like nothing I’ve ever seen before.”
The listing included several pictures of amenities. These included an outdoor kitchen and grilling area on a waterside deck, a wakeboard, and a telescope, the TikToker says.
“But then when we got there, everything was zip-tied,” she says. “There were cameras all over the property—on the outside, of course. We couldn’t use anything that was there.”
In a follow up TikTok, @tyandkim shares photos of the tied up drawers, tables, chairs, and cabinets.
“The grill was zip-tied,” she says. “We popped the zip-tie to use the grill that it says in the listing we could use, and we got a message that said, ‘Don’t use the grill.’”
The TikToker also says ants had infested the deck.
“Everything on the deck was broken,” she says.
At the end of the video, she explains that the closet and fridge were full. Therefore, they could not store their items.
“We own an Airbnb at the beach and would never restrict our guests from using the property,” the video caption reads.
Weirdly restrictive Airbnbs: More common than you think
This TikToker isn’t the only one who has had a weird Airbnb experience. Some viewers shared their stories in the comments.
“One time I stayed at an Airbnb for my friend’s birthday and there [were] cameras everywhere,” one viewer wrote. “Even one pointed DIRECTLY at the hot tub!”
“Our Florida Airbnb had a grill and pool but you had to buy a gas tank for the grill and pay $40 a day for a heated pool,” another said.
“I stopped using Airbnb after my last experience,” another commented. “It was in FLORIDA during the SUMMER and he had a lock on the ac and you had to pay for them to turn it on.”
Several viewers left advice for the TikToker in the comments.
“Motel 6 would have been better,” a commenter said.
“That sounds like false advertising,” another wrote. “I would push for a refund.”
@tyandkim NEVER EXPERIENCED THIS EVER
♬ original sound – TYandKIM
According to Airbnb’s rebooking and refund policy, Airbnb will refund or help a guest find a similar place if an advertised amenity is nonfunctional or missing.
The Daily Dot reached out to @tyandkim to ask if they have requested or received a refund, but they did not immediately respond.
Update July 14, 1:34pm CT: An Airbnb spokesperson tells the Daily Dot: “We tried to contact this poster last week so we could look into this, and haven’t had a response. We’ve not found an account for them on Airbnb. In the rare event a listing isn’t as advertised on arrival, guest bookings are protected free by Aircover and our 24/7 support, and we’ll help guests to find a similar place or refund them. This year, we updated our policy on security devices to ban indoor cameras in listings and bring in more comprehensive rules on outdoor cameras.”
