(Updated on November 8: Airbnb confirmed to Bored Panda that they have issued a full refund to the guest.)
A woman documented her bizarre experience at a nine-bedroom rental where several items were locked.
Stephanie, who goes by @she.stewards online, described the situation as “absolutely ridiculous” in a video that has since amassed over 2.5 million views on TikTok.
Highlights
- A woman's video of a rental accommodation where everything was locked up went viral.
- The rental had a zip-tied fridge, cabinets, and a plastic-wrapped armoire.
- Guests also found an intimate toy under the bed.
The clip, posted on Wednesday (November 5), begins with Lauren, Stephanie’s best friend, opening the “House Rules” book that was left on the kitchen counter. “It probably says that everything is zip-tied,” she remarks, before turning around to confirm that the refrigerator is indeed locked with a nylon strap.
Image credits: Scott Webb (not the actual photo)
“What the heck? No, can’t use that,” the two women protest, also noting that the cupboard handles were zip-tied shut.
The video then cuts to a small armoire covered in plastic wrap. “She’s really worried we’re gonna steal her jewelry,” Lauren says.
Stephanie reveals that she’s too scared to go downstairs because she senses a “weird energy” in the house.
Later, the baffled women discover another locked feature of the house: a door to an unknown room.
Image credits: she.stewards
The one-minute clip ends with both guests bending down to film what they find beneath one of the beds.
“Should I check out the bed? I don’t want bed bugs, either,” Lauren admits.
Using Lauren’s phone as a flashlight, the women spot a pink object that appears to be an intimate toy under the bed. “She could’ve put that in the locker,” Stephanie comments. “She just throws that behind the…”
The TikTok user claimed that the property shown in the video was booked through Airbnb and is located in Michigan.
Stephanie and Lauren documented their "absolutely ridiculous" experience at the nine-bedroom house
Image credits: she.stewards
Image credits: she.stewards
In the comments, thousands of netizens offered suggestions for the unlucky guest and shared their own unusual experiences at rental accommodations.
“Call Airbnb. They would have immediately refunded you and gotten you another accommodation,” one user wrote, to which Stephanie responded, “Oh, I left a bad review. They just called me last night to talk about our experience.”
“Stop. I stayed in this exact Airbnb, and we were dying over the locked things and all the signs,” another user claimed.
“I also don’t want people going through my fridge and cabinets…so I don’t rent my house out on Airbnb!” commented a third individual.
According to the women, most of the doors were locked, as were the refrigerator and several kitchen cabinets
Image credits: she.stewards
Image credits: she.stewards
“I recently had a vrbo experience where the host took all the heating elements out of the stove and took the cord to even plug it in!!” a separate netizen shared.
“For all they know, you could have had medication that required refrigeration for safe storage (insulin, etc). Yikes,” pointed out an additional user.
“I can understand keeping maybe a closet locked with private stuff, but everything?! no fridge?!?!! that is absolutely wild,” another confused user said, while someone else concluded, “This is why I will always stay in a hotel.”
Responding to one user, Stephanie explained that she had read reviews before booking the property and that they were all “perfect.”
According to the lifestyle content creator, the host lived in the house and rented it out for the weekend.
To make matters even more bizarre, the friends discovered an intimate toy beneath one of the beds
Image credits: she.stewards
Image credits: she.stewards
Lauren claimed there was “no mention of anything restricted” in the house’s description.
“Every kitchen cabinet zip-tied shut, even the fridge. Most rooms were locked. Jewelry box Saran wrapped. Vibrator and washcloth under the bed. We were leaving a bedroom and the light went out without us flicking the switch. The porch light was turned off the next morning. There were two creepy beds in an attic…but the espresso machine was fair game,” she wrote on her TikTok account.
“A 9 bedroom house, someone could be hiding anywhere dude. Never again.”
Watch Stephanie and Lauren's experience below
The rules read: “If there are restrictions associated with amenity access, these should also be fully disclosed on the listing page (for example, a pool that is only available during certain hours or months of the year).”
If the listing advertises “essential amenities,” the host should offer one towel and a pillow per guest, linens for all guest beds, toilet paper, and soap.
“A 9 bedroom house, someone could be hiding anywhere dude. Never again," Lauren wrote
In a statement shared with Bored Panda, an Airbnb spokesperson confirmed that the company had issued a full refund to Stephanie. They also stated that the guest did not contact Airbnb during her stay to report any issues. (Stephanie had previously commented on the video that she was "working" to get a refund.)
“We expect a listing’s advertised amenities to be available to guests during their stay, and our AirCover for guests provides protection in the rare event that isn’t the case," the spokesperson said.
"While the guest didn’t contact our customer support team or their host during their stay, our team has since reached out to support them. We’ve issued the guest a full refund, and have reached out to the host to address the concerns raised.”
“Never should have looked under the bed," one viewer commented
