‘I would’ve canceled my booking ASAP’: Airbnb host charges $50 for every minute of late check-out
A TikTok user's video has gone viral after showing a rule list that a host allegedly sent him before checking in.
In a video with over 587,000 views as of Saturday, TikTok user James (@doveslayer89) shows the rule list in question. It includes questionable potential charges such as $500 for failing to lock the door and an incredible $50 charge for every minute a guest checks in early or checks out late.
“If you wear your shoes in her house, she’s going to charge you $50,” James observes.
@doveslayer89 #stitch with @tiaashley21 #greenscreen not all are that nice but some are just out to make a quick dollar. Be careful and read the rules and take pictures when you book in case they change them. @airbnb #airbnbhorrorstory ♬ original sound - Doveslayer89
In the video, James also calls out an unusual alcohol policy that limits guests to 1 bottle of wine per guest per day or 3 bottles of beer per guest per day.
“If you drink a 6-pack, she’s gonna charge you an extra $60 for that 6-pack,” the TikToker notes.
Although some were in disbelief about whether this Airbnb truly existed, James later posted a follow-up video proving that he had, in fact, booked and canceled the Airbnb.
@doveslayer89 Replying to @holistic_roots111 not fake at all #airbnbhorrorstory @airbnb ♬ Oh No - Kreepa
In short, this Airbnb is real and is currently available for rent in Corpus Christi, Texas.
In context, some of the rules are more reasonable than they initially appear. For example, when reading the rule list, one may immediately balk (as James did) at the rule that guests cannot wear shoes in the house. However, the Airbnb owner notes that “in-house slippers” are provided for each guest.
That said, things quickly take a turn for the worse as one continues down the list — specifically regarding additional charges.
For example, a missing kitchen knife will cost guests $500. Individual pieces of silverware that go missing are charged at $50 an item. “Noise” is prohibited (presumably during the listing’s “quiet hours” between 10pm to 6am). Those who violate this rule are charged $1,000 per "time."
Continuing down the list, other rules simply do not make sense.
While the listing boasts that a “well-appointed kitchen offers a gas range, granite countertops, stainless steel appliances,” the rules confusingly say “kitchen prohibited.”
The host claims they will charge guests $500 per day for violating this rule. It is unclear what the rule actually is.
One of the most jaw-dropping charges regards garbage in the apartment.
In the rule list, guests are told to “throw out the garbage before checkout” and that “all trash needs to bag and go to the correct trash bin. Two trash bag per day.”
If additional trash bags are needed when the apartment is being cleaned, the guest will be charged $2000 per bag.
According to James, he managed to confirm that these potential charges were legitimate after talking with the host through Airbnb.
On a phone call with the Daily Dot, James said that the house rules were initially conveyed to him solely through direct messages (the host has since added them to the listing).
James told the Daily Dot that he had booked the accommodation for a wedding. Two weeks before his planned arrival, he inquired about checking in early and bringing additional guests to visit the location.
Bringing extra guests, the host told him, was going to cost $50 per person, even if they did not stay the night.
Hearing this and seeing the long list of rules roused suspicion in James.
"Me and my girlfriend were talking, and [we were] like, how is she going to know if we're wearing shoes? How's she going to know about the trash?" James asked.
"On one of the pictures, you actually see a camera in the cabinet," James told the Daily Dot. This is true, though the camera appears unplugged. James then noted that the listing claims that the apartment has "6 cameras around the house for security and safety only." It does not specify whether these cameras are inside or outside the apartment.
Airbnb's terms allow for security cameras so long as they are noted in the listing, not intentionally concealed, and not in "private spaces like bedrooms, bathrooms, or sleeping areas."
When James explained the situation to Airbnb, he said the support representative "literally laughed."
"She was like, 'yeah, I would never stay here after she sent these rules,'" he recalled.
According to James, Airbnb spent about three days trying to get in contact with the host. Once they did, the host confirmed the veracity of all of the rules that she had sent James (James claims she later attempted to recant some of those rules through personal messages after he moved to cancel the booking, contradicting her original messages affirming them).
Through Airbnb, James managed to cancel his listing and receive a full refund.
On TikTok, users were taken aback by the rules.
“Like at some point, they need to realize, maybe hosting their property isn’t for them,” wrote a user.
“If you breathe too loud it’s $80/per breath,” joked another.
“So we’re supposed to book her Airbnb and just stand in the place?” asked a third.
In an email to the Daily Dot, an Airbnb spokesperson shared the following statement: "We agree that some of these additional rules and fees are not reasonable and we can confirm Airbnb would not enforce them. We will be reaching out to this host to remind them of our policies and expectations on fees and guest requirements."
The spokesperson then linked Airbnb's CEO Brian Chesky’s recent comments on this issue, where he tweeted, "If Hosts have checkout requests, they should be reasonable and shown to you before you book."
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