"They Left Bullets"— Airbnb Host Details "Nightmare Guests" Who Threw a Party Then Filed a Chargeback for Stay
Published Aug. 31 2023, 1:19 p.m. ET
In light of ridiculously high hotel fees, Airbnb has become a saving grace for travelers across the country. The company offers short- and long-term stays for travelers, typically at a reasonable price. Folks can choose to rent out an apartment, house, or room to fit their needs.
With that in mind, reserving an Airbnb comes with the responsibility of adhering to the host's rules — from no parties to strict quiet hours. However, there have been countless stories online of Airbnb hosts and customers who have had less than adequate experiences. In particular, one woman shared that she had a nightmare after guests decided to charge back their stay. Here’s the full scoop.
A woman shared her Airbnb nightmare after guests did a chargeback for their stay.
Audacity is never going out of style. In an Aug. 26, 2023 TikTok video, creator VA Loan Mama (@valoanmama) shared her experience hosting guests via Airbnb and having to deal with chargebacks.
“Short-term rental horror guests,” the video caption reads.
As the video starts, the creator gets to the nitty-gritty of the problem.
“It is Feral Friday, and I’m about to file a 'defrauding an innkeeper' claim because one of my guests who threw a party trashed the house, left bullet casings in the kid's playroom, stole towels, stole an Xbox controller, and I only charged her $150 for doing all of this,” the creator said.
“She filed a fraudulent chargeback claim on her entire actual stay itself, plus the $150,” the creator added. “So obviously I had legal agreements, a rental agreement, a copy of her photo ID, and her home address.
The creator went on to share that she makes it a point to “secure everything” when renting to people to avoid any issues in the near future.
She went on to ask TikTok followers if she should post Ring videos of them entering and leaving the residence while stealing things and throwing a party.
“I’m not in the mood today for this,” she said. “If you want to defraud people and act like a freaking terrible person, let’s go."
Interestingly, she shared that defrauding an innkeeper comes with a penalty of five years in jail. She ended the video by saying she’s not the one. IKTR!
In a series of follow-up videos, the host shared a sneak peek of Ring footage she had but said she was scared to post because “she wants these people to kind of go to jail.”
Everyone loves receipts, and the host wasted no time spilling the tea. In another video, she shared text messages with images and pictures of the bullet casings. She even revealed that the guests left a cooked chicken in the bed.
In another video, the host shared her experience actively conducting a 'defrauding an innkeeper' charge on the guests. After calling a Crime Stoppers hotline, she was told to file a police report first to jumpstart the legal process.
After calling the police department and giving basic information about where the crime occurred, she was told to call the Osceola County sheriff’s office. She then went on to provide the required information and was told to go to the office in person to make the report.
In a final update, the host shared that submitted evidence to the guest’s bank. The bank said they would look over the information and get back to her by Oct 1, 2023. She then called the sheriff’s department and was told she’d have to go in to file the official reports, which she plans to do.
TikTok users believe the host’s efforts will show people that they can’t get away with fraud.
Unfortunately, there is no way to judge a person’s character before agreeing to host them at an Airbnb. That said, given that the host has decided to take any legal measures she can to be fairly compensated and get justice, TikTok users believe that it's the right step to take.
“This is what happens when people eff around — they find out,” one person shared.
“I’m sorry you must deal with people who abuse your property. It’s good that you are attempting to hold these folks accountable. Good luck,” another person shared.
If you don’t have the money to rent an Airbnb, there is no reason to go through with the process. Hopefully, this serves as a warning of what can happen if you don’t honor your rental agreement.