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These Airbnb Horror Stories Prove Why You Should Never Use It

Monica November 11, 2022

Many people love listening to horror stories. The only time most of us don’t like horror stories is when the story happened to us. Most of the time, personal horror stories involve ghosts, but oftentimes, they involve real people. These people just may be the hosts of your Airbnb stay.

When we go on vacation and pay for an Airbnb, the last thing we expect is for anything to go wrong with our accommodation. There’s a big expectation with Airbnb that it’s seamless, safe, and affordable. We hate to break this to you, though, but that assumption is very wrong. There are many reasons why you should use Airbnb, but there are also many reasons why you shouldn’t. We’ve collected some of the most terrifying horror stories on the internet about Airbnb. Next time you go on vacation, you might just want to book a reputable hotel. Find out these travelers’ Airbnb horror stories right here and make different plans for your next trip.

No Toilet Paper

Humans have basic needs but it sounds like this Airbnb host just didn’t care. For some reason, the heat was stuck at 90 degrees and there was no toilet paper. Either it’s a cruel joke or the host doesn’t care about their customers. Either way, this is one of those horror stories that show the reality of some hosts on the internet. At least the host got a repair man to come, even though the guest had to wait five hours in the overheated home for him to show up. This sounds like a huge way to ruin someone’s vacation and the host should expect a bad review after this stunt (via 5D Wallpaper).

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Chore List

One of the unspoken rules of vacation is not having to do any of the normal chores you usually do. This is part of the reason people book hotels and Airbnbs, so they don’t have to worry about making their bed or doing the laundry. This Airbnb host has a different approach, they believe that their guests should complete the chore list. If they don’t, they charge them $50. They seem to think they have a right to impose draconian rules on their guests like they’re their parents. Whatever the case, that’s not an Airbnb we’d ever stay at again. Hopefully, this customer complained and got her fifty bucks back. If they wanted rules and regulations, they’d go to military school (via 5D Wallpaper).

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In Your Face

These hosts apparently want to rub their jacuzzi in their guest’s faces, like, “look, we have this awesome jacuzzi but you’re not allowed to use it.” That’s cruel. If they didn’t want their guests using the jacuzzi, then why’d they put it there in the first place? They need to figure out a better water system if they want to keep their home on Airbnb. Horror stories like this make us lose hope in Airbnb hosts. They took the time to install a lavish jacuzzi, only to criticize their guests for using it. It’s outlandish to think their guests wouldn’t want to use the jacuzzi. Who would ever say no? If they don’t want people using it, they either need to take it out or take their home off Airbnb (via 5D Wallpaper).

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Decibel Meters Force Charges

This one’s a first. Now, we know noisy guests can ruin the reputation of an Airbnb. It’s understandable to want your guests to stay quiet and respect their neighbors. But these Airbnb hosts took it a bit too far when they installed decibel meters in their homes. Truthfully, you can’t force people to control their voices. If they were having a huge party that’s one thing, but having a decibel meter to control their voices or soft music is another thing entirely. It’s crazy and is one of those horror stories that would make most people run in the opposite direction. That seems like a total parent helicopter. Vacation is supposed to be enjoyed, not controlled (via 5D Wallpaper).

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Horrible Host

This one takes the cake. Not only is this one of the worst horror stories on this list, but it makes you feel bad for the guests. The front door and shower were broken, there were no cleaning supplies, and they were charged an $80 cleaning fee. All they did was leave their clean dishes next to the sink to dry. How else were they supposed to dry their dishes? This Airbnb is a scam and just wants to take money from its guests. They should’ve just left the house in total disrepair as revenge on the host. He would’ve only charged them the $80 no matter what (via 5D Wallpaper).

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Massive Unauthorized Charge

Horror stories involving Airbnb make us distrust the platform. For some reason, Airbnb took $18,000 from this poor person’s bank account. Either their Airbnb host figured out how to hack their credit card and take a bunch of their money, or Airbnb accidentally took the money from their account. We understand a couple of hundred bucks getting taken by the account by mistake, but $18,000? That’s ridiculous. We’re slowly losing our trust in Airbnb as we read more about these people’s horror stories (via 5D Wallpaper).

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No Noise After Four

Considering most people work until 5 PM, asking hosts to be quiet after 4 PM is ridiculous. We understand quiet hours after 11 PM, but early afternoon doesn’t make any sense. That’s not even dinner time. Not only that but there’s a fee for excessive paper towel usage. How many paper towels do they think they’re going to use? It just keeps getting worse. The hosts must’ve had a bad experience with previous guests and now believe they have to instill these horrible rules to control their home. They must know that not every guest is the same, and just because they had one bad experience doesn’t mean they’ll have another. These horror stories make us never want to go on vacation again (via 5D Wallpaper).

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Too Many Rules

Horror stories involving too many rules put us off Airbnb. We understand wanting an age limit since no one wants a bunch of teenagers trashing their Airbnb. We also get no deliveries and want to know what their guests do for work. But all of these combined in one home make it sound unappealing. Who would want to stay in a place like that? There are way too many rules to make it enjoyable. It sounds more like a prison than a fun place to stay for vacation (via 5D Wallpaper).

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Sweaty Problem

We can’t imagine prohibiting your guest from using the AC in Florida. That causes physical pain and discomfort, it’s completely different than setting quiet hours or having an age limit. This is harmful to someone’s health. These horror stories where people’s health is put in danger because of someone else greed are terrible. Let’s hope this woman ended up reporting that Airbnb and went to a hotel where she could crank the AC and take a nap. No one wants to sit in a puddle of sweat (via 5D Wallpaper).

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The Price Skyrockets

This couldn’t be more true. At first, Airbnb properties were affordable places to stay. They may even trick you into believing you’ve found an Airbnb that’s an awesome deal. When you go to book two nights, the price jumps from $150 a night to $1,987 for two nights. You could probably rent a room in a castle for that price. Where did the extra $1,500 come from? Airbnb horror stories about hidden fees couldn’t be more true. Sometimes, Airbnb feels like a scam. The property owner adds all these hidden cleaning fees and other random costs that you normally wouldn’t pay at a hotel. Honestly, staying in a hotel is looking more appealing after reading all of these stories (via 5D Wallpaper).

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Eating In The Bedroom

This is absurd. For starters, this person couldn’t catch a break. Not only was the couple arguing in the kitchen and shouting profanities at one another, but they were rated one star because they were eating in the safety of their bedroom. Did this couple want their guest to join in on their screaming matches? It sounds like a nightmare vacation. Those hosts are the ones who deserve a one-star, not the guest. Eating in the bedroom sounds better than watching a couple argue, although their fights sound entertaining (via 5D Wallpaper).

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Babysitting

Some Airbnb horror stories involve treacherous hosts while others involve outlandish rules. This one has both. It sounds more like a prison with chores than a vacation home. Not only does this guest have to abide by the strange rules like closing the shutters from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., but they also have to pay the maid and several other strange things. This makes it sound like something else is going on beneath the surface. Closing the shutters between a certain time frame is weird enough. It’s also odd to expect so much out of a guest who’s paying to be in your home. These Airbnb hosts need a house sitter more than guests who pay to stay in their house. This one is so absurd, it’s hilarious (via 5D Wallpaper).

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Free Violin Show

This one is as much hilarious as it is terrifying. Imagine asking your Airbnb host if you could bring your violin to practice while on vacation, only to turn up and see a crowd of people waiting to hear your music? Yikes! Luckily, this person forgot their violin so they didn’t have to perform a free show on the spot. It’s not fair of these people to expect something from this person, especially when he wasn’t even told about the potential concert. These horror stories keep getting stranger and stranger. This one is the complete opposite of the other horror stories where the host wanted their guest to be quiet (via 5D Wallpaper)

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Checkout Instructions

If there’s a binder full of rules at your Airbnb guesthouse, you know you’re in trouble. This person had a traumatic experience at their Airbnb and is still freaked out by it. How can a host expect so much of their guest? They’re on vacation, not on some sort of work holiday. It’s as if they’re telling their guests if our counters and floors aren’t sparkling from cleanliness, we’re going to leave you a horrendous review. That’s a huge red flag and another reason not to stay at that property (via 5D Wallpaper).

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All Caps

When you get a message in all caps, it only means one of two things. Either the person is extremely excited, or extremely angry. Based on this person’s experience, it’s safe to assume they were angry. Not only were they angry about trivial things like arranging the pillows and leaving hair in the shower, both of which are normal, but they charged the person $350. You could buy a new shower head and new pillows for that price. Some horror stories are absurd and sound like more of a scam than a nice place to stay. Let’s hope this person gets out of the cleaning fee (via 5D Wallpaper).

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Get Out

When you stay at an Airbnb, it’s up to you to leave it as clean as possible or the host can charge you a cleaning fee. Having a late checkout is wonderful since you can take your time in the morning with cleaning up the space. This Airbnb didn’t respect or care about the late checkout, they wanted their guests to get out as soon as possible. This doesn’t leave any time for cleaning or a leisurely moment to enjoy the last few hours of their time on vacation (via 5D Wallpaper).

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Hidden Fees

Why do certain Airbnb hosts boast about a certain feature of their home only to then punish those who use it? Similarly to the hosts with the jacuzzi, these hosts had a heated pool. But the downside is that they charged a $100/day fee to heat the pool. We understand that electricity and heating are expensive, but if that’s the case, then just don’t even offer to use the jacuzzi in the first place. It’s another one of those horror stories where the hosts dangle the bait in front of their guest’s faces (via 5D Wallpaper).

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You’re Trash

It sounds like this Airbnb host treats their guests like trash. If they don’t take out their trash, they charge $300. We’re not sure when taking out the trash cost $300, but in this host’s world, that’s a fair price. It’s understandable to want your guest to take out their trash, but to charge them hundreds of dollars is absurd. We all know it doesn’t cost that much to take out the garbage, so where is that money going? These horror stories make us wonder if these hosts are trying to scam their guests and steal from them (via 5D Wallpaper).

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The Truth

This person spoke the absolute truth about Airbnb. While some Airbnbs can be fun, most of the time, they’re close to housesitting. It’s not that much different. But instead of getting paid to watch someone’s house, you’re the one paying to watch their house, clean it, and leave it just as you found it. On the other hand, hotels have their maid service, pools, saunas, restaurants, and room service. What’s the point of Airbnb if you don’t even save that much? That might not even happen, considering the exorbitant cleaning fees some of these hosts charges. It does seem weird when you look at it like that (via 5D Wallpaper).

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Getting Put To Work

This is hilarious. This Airbnb host expected their guest to do all of their house chores for them. We understand taking out the trash, but cleaning the gutters and cutting the weeds? What kind of place is this? Airbnb needs to have better control over who becomes a host because this is ridiculous. We can’t imagine trying to take time off and go on vacation, only to be instructed to complete a load of chores (via 5D Wallpaper).

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Cleaning For What

Honestly, with these hefty cleaning fees, we wonder if these Airbnb hosts are royalty. Who charges that much for a cleaning fee? We do wonder if this person only left a couple of dishes in the sink. To be honest, it could’ve been a lot more than a couple. Regardless, even if they did leave a terrible mess, surely it doesn’t cost $400 to clean the place. Not only that, but they already paid $1500 for 5 days. Where were they even staying that the nightly fee is so expensive? These hosts already got enough money from them, why are they asking for more (via 5D Wallpaper)?

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Stick It To Em

When you stay in an Airbnb, you’re expected to clean up after yourself. That’s not to say you have to leave the place spotless, but at least don’t leave a mess. But expecting your guest to strip the sheets and start the wash, before the cleaning crew arrives, is downright ridiculous. If you’re already paying a tremendous amount of money to stay somewhere, you should be able to leave your dirty sheets on the bed. Sometimes, horror stories end happily, like this one. Instead of listening to their host, they said FU and didn’t do as they were told. That’s one way to take back your power. It’s seriously not okay to ask your guests to do their laundry, especially when there’s a cleaning crew coming (via 5D Wallpaper).

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White Lies

This Airbnb host failed to mention two important things about their home. To be honest, it’s understandable to feel annoyed that someone left glitter around the house. It’s tough to clean up and difficult to get rid of. But it’s also more unfair to not have hot water or gas in your home while you’re hosting guests. The host failed to mention this and made the guests out to be horrible people. There are always two to the story. Let’s hope they fixed the hot water and gas problem because that’s ridiculous. You can’t even stay in a home without those simple things. At least the guests left them payback (via 5D Wallpaper).

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Cat Sitter

This Airbnb host is in serious need of a cat sitter, not a guest. The fact that they expect their guest to cat sit for them is absurd. Not only did they ask to feed it, but they gave a strict schedule that the guest had to follow. People stay in Airbnb to go on vacation, not pay to watch someone’s pet. If this host needs a cat sitter, they should make their accommodation free. At least this person didn’t end up staying there and saved themselves an entire month of frustration (via 5D Wallpaper).

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Set Of Rules

This Airbnb host sounds like they want to pick on their guests. This sounds like one of the least relaxing vacations in the world and one of the bigger Airbnb horror stories on this list. No one wants to be told to quiet down when they were already trying to be quiet. They were also forbidden from cooking meat and had a five-page, single-spaced instruction manual on how to use the sauna. These people would spend more time reading the sauna manual than actually enjoying the sauna (via 5D Wallpaper).

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Vegetarian Hostel

This doesn’t sound like an Airbnb, this sounds like a vegetarian hostel instead. We understand people have their food preferences, but trying to tell other people what to eat, especially when they’re paying you to stay in their house, is absurd. It doesn’t stop there, though. They also had to share the house with eight other guests. Nothing about this sounds relaxing. Vacation is about putting your feet up and enjoying yourself, not watching what you eat. These hosts need to rethink what it means to run an Airbnb (via 5D Wallpaper).

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No More Footsteps

It’s understandable if the Airbnb host wants peace between the hours of 10 PM to 10 AM, but during the day? That’s just absurd. It’s too much to ask someone to not walk around during the daytime. What are they supposed to do, sit every minute? This host’s downstairs neighbor has some serious issues and needs to accept the fact that people walk around during the daytime. We agree with this guest, they decided to only stay in hotels from now on. These horror stories make Airbnb look like a complete waste of time. Unfortunately, all of these stories are true and bonkers (via 5D Wallpaper).

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Fees Cost More Than The Rental

Here we are again reading about outlandish cleaning fees. The Airbnb cleaning fee doesn’t make any sense, to begin with. The hosts usually have cleaners, so why would they make their guests clean up for them? They’re already paying an absurd amount to stay there. Luckily, this person is smart and decided to stay in a hotel instead of continuing to pay for Airbnb cleaning fees. They’re charging them $150 when they’re already paying $90 a night. No thanks. This is why Airbnb hosts are losing customers left and right (via 5D Wallpaper).

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Secret Airbnb

Many tenants around the world sublet their apartments unbeknownst to their landlords. We get it, it’s another way to make income and it gives us a cheap place to stay. But is the trouble worth the cost? This host wanted their guests to be quiet, lie to the landlord, clean up after themselves, and sleep on a pullout couch. If it was only one of those things it’s understandable, but the fact that it’s all those things combined makes it horrible. It’s not worth the trouble at all (via 5D Wallpaper).

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Superhuman

These Airbnb hosts expect their guests to be superhuman. Not only do they want them to clean the bedsheets on their last morning, but they also expected one roll of toilet paper to last eight people a week. Do they think each person only uses one square? These people are on the agenda since they needed to leave at 5 a.m. It’s fair to ask guests to keep the space clean, but ridiculous to think they can clean sheets and be out of the place by 5 a.m. At the very least, these hosts need to leave their guests more toilet paper (via 5D Wallpaper).

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The Review Scam

This person’s experience makes Airbnb sound like a complete scam. How can we trust the reviews at all now? It can put someone in danger if they stay in a place that only has fake reviews. How could you trust your host? It’s alarming that Airbnb removes the bad reviews and that critical reviews are being deleted. Now, we wonder how often this happens and if we can trust the platform. A hotel is looking like a much better option after reading all these horror stories (via 5D Wallpaper).

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Cleaning Before Checkout

Understandably, Airbnb hosts ask people to start their laundry earlier than the cleaning people come in. But, in all honesty, it’s ridiculous that they go so far as to ask their guests to do that. They should have another set of sheets and a duvet ready for the next guest so the previous one doesn’t have to do their chores for them. They’re paying to stay there, not getting paid to be a housemaid. These hosts need to get their act together and stop confusing paying guests with housemaids (via 5D Wallpaper).

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Steep Fee

It’s no surprise that we’re reading about yet another Airbnb experience about a guest having to pay money for a cleaning fee. This person was scammed for $140, although we’re only hearing one side of the story. It’s entirely possible that they left the house a mess and didn’t clean up anything. Being tidy to one person can mean something different to another person. This one is a bit muddled, as we’d have to see the place to make a judgment on the host’s charge (via 5D Wallpaper).

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Sneaky Hosts

These hosts sound more like spies than friendly Airbnb hosts. First of all, how is this person affording to spend almost $20k on a 10-day rental home? Regardless, the hosts should’ve been more open and honest about the hidden cameras around the house. It’s a breach of privacy to watch a stranger when they’re not expecting it. This lack of privacy, plus a hefty price to stay there just makes for trouble. There’s nothing worse than feeling you’re being watched. These guests couldn’t even walk around the property naked, for fear of being on camera. And if there were cameras in those places, there’s no saying where other cameras were tucked away (via 5D Wallpaper).

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Capture And Rescue Mission

If this woman’s cat was on the loose, why isn’t she at home? Wouldn’t you think she’d stay there to try and find her cat, not ask a stranger, who’s paying to stay at her home nonetheless, to catch her cat for her? This is a ridiculous story that’s borderline hilarious. This person was not only expected to house sit but to capture a missing cat and then catsit it. What if they were allergic to cats? Even worse, what if this cat was aggressive and tried to scratch the person when they attempted to rescue it? There’s no way of telling what could happen. At least this person was sensible and rejected the entire idea. It’s time to get out of that place and into a hotel (via 5D Wallpaper).

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