Is this normal host behavior?

I have stayed at various Airbnbs throughout the world and the US and I want to ask the opinion of hosts so that I can be a totally fair person in my reviews.

My hosts smoked pot at night and during the day when he thought I was out for the day, which gave me a headache at night and thought was unprofessional since one of the host rules is no smoking. I also found a cigarette butt floating around in my non shared toilet the day I checked in.
He called me on my personal number before check in as I emailed and asked if I can check in much latter due to work issues delaying me. He called my phone and said it was fine and we talked at length. After check out I started getting strange "garbled “spanish” text messages ( I am Hispanic). I called the number from an undisclosed number and the man who answered sounded exactly like my host !
I’m not sure what to think. While I was there the house (my room) experienced issues and I was okay with it. He called a repair person right away. I know stuff happens and I was good natured about it.

Should I leave a bad review about the pot smoking. Am I being paranoid about these strange texts ? I have never experienced something like this before.

Goodness knows what the texts were. Are you in a cannabis legal part of the world? I guess a 420 listing might be a thing but might better be disclosed as it’s not everyone’s bag. I find it strange that the hosts put themselves under the spotlight by smoking dope where guests can see/smell them, especially if it’s a no smoking listing. Fag butt in the toilet is unacceptable. In the review I would be tempted to say 'The listing had no smoking in the rules but there was a cigarette end in the toilet and I could smell smoke elsewhere in the house."

Super not legal in Texas. Plus most employers , including mine, do random drug testing which makes me super paranoid of being in the same house as pot smoke. I’m not a prude but pot odors give me a mini migraine. I’m not even a cigarette smoker. Thankfully I was gone all day. Just got in to shower and go to bed.

I don’t know about the US, but your host(s) sound like what we would call Dope Heads or Stoners here in the UK. Yes, totally unprofessional, and hypocritical to boot with a no smoking policy. The “fag” butt, a UK term for cigarette ends that I know you have a different meaning for (we’re a bit odd here!), was it left by another guest perhaps?

In any event, and I can’t comment on the garbled Spanish messages, I think that as long as your review is utterly factual ,and non emotive, simply state what you experienced and star accordingly. I for one, would be so hacked off if I ended up staying somewhere with a bunch of stoners for hosts; they bore me rigid for starters! So be honest but keep it factual and within the bounds of being non accusatory/libellous; just factual.

2 Likes

Yeah some of the skunk in my city smells so strong you can whiff it driving through the student districts/ghetto etc… It would give me a headache in the same house for sure. That stuff is a long way from a herbal remedy lol.

1 Like

Nope, not acceptable. What are their reviews like? Has anyone mentioned things like this before? You sound like an ideal laid-back guest but there is only so far you can put up with things.
Other than these issues, do you feel safe and comfortable there?

Sorry but this did make me laugh… the US is still in the world, as far as I know at least…!

6 Likes

My lovely Southern Californians who have just left felt that they were no longer part of the US…

4 Likes

The bathroom in my bedroom was a pass through style bathroom. One door lead to my bedroom and the other door lead to a child’s room. That bathroom door to my bedroom didn’t have a lock, which means someone could walk in from the child’s room, through the bathroom to my room… that made me a little nervous as I like to lock all doors when I go to sleep.

It really doesn’t matter if it’s “normal” or not. As we hosts are always told by Airbnb if we dispute a review is that the review is your subjective judgment. If they smoked and sent odd messages, then report that they smoked and sent odd messages. And whatever needed repair might be worth mentioning as well. What if this listing is always having something go wrong? Unless it’s listed as a pot friendly listing then they are idiots for smoking where guests can smell it.

3 Likes

Locks on doors or not that bathroom arrangement does not sound very private at all. I completely remodelled a house like that once, it had a good excuse as it was 300 years old. Sounds like the hosts need to do a rethink unless they want to market super cheap rooms to stoners.

Strangely it was a brand new huge, huge home that was tastefully decorated in a very nice neighborhood.

Why is that strange? If the comment is related to the pot smoking, you should be aware that old stereotypes about stoners and potheads are less and less true all the time.

5 Likes

What is strange is the layout of the house, being a new house.

It was a comment about the weird walk through bathroom layout. In a modern home you’d expect the space to flow and for bathrooms and bedrooms to have their own exclusive private access.

They also have their own private entrances, that is how I saw that it was a child’s room. They had left the child’s door leading to the hall open when I was leaving during the day. I supposed it’s so two siblings can share a bathroom but have their own rooms ?

A Jack and Jill bathroom?

2 Likes

Sorry I didn’t see this comment.

Sounds like what we call a Jack and Jill bathroom? They aren’t uncommon at all in newer upscale neighborhoods. I have friends with a custom built house who set the kid’s rooms like that. A bathroom with bedroom on each side. No access to bathroom except through a bedroom. However, the doors do have locks.

@txguest did you notice if other bedroom doors had locks? That part seems odd but not the layout. You did have a separate entrance to your room or only through the bathroom?

If they are designed to be kids rooms they don’t have locks because they don’t want the kids to be able to lock themselves into the room (for safety.)

2 Likes

Yes I would spend another couple of grand and just have ensuites rather than a Jack and Jill, or just a shared bathroom. Jack and Jills are a pain with people forgetting the locks and make the house inflexible accommodation moving forward.

It was a massive bathroom. Easily could’ve been two bathrooms with shower stalls. It was a uncomfortable not being able to lock my door while I slept. Especially a lady renting a room from a man.

2 Likes