Awkward encounter with guest

1

Hello Airbnb hosts!

My husband and I had a weird situation happened at our home. A guest booked a night at our place when we were out of town. The guest had stayed with us previously that weekend and wanted to stay for an extra night. We went ahead and approved the booking and we let our guest now that we were going to be home in a couple hours.

When we got home, as soon as my husband open the door, we could that our guest who was staying on the second floor was having physical intimacy with someone in the house, clearly the room door was open because there was nothing blocking the sound and the noise was pretty loud. We didn’t know what to do, so we just started making loud noises, like letting our dog out the patio and screaming his name so they could hear us. Apparently their noise was louder than ours, because it just wouldn’t stop. We started to open the fridge, closing doors, even talking and turning our TV on, but the noises continue. Then they proceed to get in the shower, the door was still open because you could hear the water running loud and clear. It seems like they were fooling around and then they went for round two.

We’ve never had a situation like this, it was very uncomfortable, especially because it is still our home, not a cheap motel to go and fool around. After 15 minutes in of just pure awkward and went to my studio which is on the first floor, right below the rooms, and I slammed the door very hard so they could hear us and hopefully stop.

After that, a male voice yelled, “Hello, hello?” to what we responded, “hello, we are home”, the guest that booked the room then proceed to say, “Hey Maria, I’m just showering, I’ll be down in a sec” , I responded “IT’s ok, don’t worry about it”. Of course I din’t want to see her, it was very uncomfortable.

After that, I got into my room and didn’t leave until the next morning, hoping not to run into her. Which I didn’t.

Now I’m wondering what to do? It has been one of the most uncomfortable experiences ever, and I don’t know what to do. She didn’t mention anything, and never have I. Not sure how should I provide feedback? Should I just tell her privately? This is still my home, and I feel violated in a way, I now this may soon exaggerate but it was very disrespectful.

Thanks for you help!

2

It is pretty safe to assume that if you are going to be hosting guests that some them will be intimate with their partners during their stay. Having hosted over 600 guests, I can say that some guests are more discreet about this than others. In all fairness to your guests, they thought that they were alone and you did surprise. I would certainly not bring up the subject with them.

However, if you only approved the reservation for one person and you have a policy regarding additional guests, than it would be valid to bring this to the guests attention or make this information more explicit in your your house manual.

Not to add insult to injury, but there was a satirical article in the New Yorker recently about this very topic that you can find online titled “PLEASE MAKE YOURSELVES AT HOME IN MY AIRBNB AND HAVE SEX”

2 Likes
3

Make it VERY PLAIN in the first two or three lines of your listing that guests are NOT allowed to bring unregistered visitors to your home, and that violation of this will result in their reservation being cancelled immediately!

2 Likes
4

I agree with the comments above. If you don’t allow your guests to bring friends back, then make sure that guests are well aware of it right from the start. We allow guests to receive up to two visitors (separate apartment) but only during daylight hours.

And yes, you will have guests who have sex. I believe that the best way to deal with any problems with guests is face-to-face. I wouldn’t have gone through all that rigmarole of slamming doors and yelling for the dog. I would have marched right up there and hammered on the guest’s bedroom door!

Challenge the guest about behaviour you don’t like but temper it with a little humour. Although our rental is a separate apartment it is in a quiet complex of just a handful of units. On several occasions, I’ve had to ask guests to cool it a bit with the noisy sex and we’ve ended up having a laugh about it. :slight_smile:

4 Likes
5

Ick. Maria disrespected you. I would write a review stating the facts you told us, and stating that perhaps Maria would be better suited to the no tell motel next time.

It’s one thing to have sex people but it’s another to take over the house and make the hosts uncomfortable… there is a difference. This is crude behavior. Next time get a room in a private setting, sheesh.

1 Like