I will implement all those frequently suggested ways to leaving a review for this guest (such as waiting till last minute). But wondering if I’m overreacting. Surely I’m not overreacting? Was I completely at fault? I am willing to assume some fault for ya know…trusting guests.
The scene: I’ve been streaming live coverage of Irma from the ABC station that covers the area where my family lives. I had left my laptop on a chair in my living room, with my earbuds connected, if it matters, my laptop was placed sideways on the chair (meaning not facing the room as the chair is in a corner) and the top of laptop was half closed (that’s just the way I always Ieave any of my laptops, work or personal).
I went out to put trash cans to curb, got sidetracked by deadheading some flowers, then putting a cooler I washed out yesterday into the shed. I was out maybe 7 minutes.
I knew guests were awake before I went out, as I heard the shower running (guests rent my upstairs bedroom/bathroom) and it’s quite clear in my listing and in the greeting tour that guests can feel welcome to sit in living room, and use the kitchen for self serve continental breakfast and any food they bring in. I specifically pointed out to this guest with their tour that they could sit on couch, chair, use kitchen table, toaster, microwave.
When I got back inside, the husband was in the kitchen eating breakfast, watching my laptop that he had moved to the kitchen table. Earbuds disconnected, left on chair in living room. With a completely different news channel in full screen mode.
I said to him, 'Did I leave my laptop on the table?", He said no, but that ‘it was running the news’. (I have no idea how that grants someone to think it’s ok to grab someone else’s laptop, pull up a different news channel, and use the laptop.)
I calmly told him that using my laptop was not an amenity included in my listing and that it was an absolute violation to my privacy.
He was casually cool and indifferent to my words, just sat there eating his yogurt, which I was tempted to take away from him and start eating because ya know, it was open. But, germs.
He again asserted that the laptop was running as I must have had a look of disbelief on my face, or maybe he felt the threat to his yogurt.
But he could not have known that it was running, unless he opened it up. It was not open enough for him to know it was logged in and running. I did have the news channel streaming, but the earbuds were in so there was no sound, and with the lid of the laptop in the position I left it, he would have had to literally opened it up to notice that I was logged in and the news was streaming. I immediately took the laptop back and told him again, use of the laptop was not an Airbnb amenity and was an invasion of my privacy.
He and wife checked out very shortly after this incident.
So, I should mention this in the public review? Perhaps not the actual intrusion, but just mention lack of boundaries, I think lack of boundaries sounds better. Or maybe just state best suited for a non-shared space? Or was I so wrong for leaving the laptop out and logged on, that I shouldn’t mention it?