‘The fact that Airbnb doesn’t walk through the properties they allow on the platform is crazy’: Airbnb guest says host watched them through security cameras. Their rental had fake walls and a ‘mystery unit’ upstairs
A woman went viral after posting a series of videos about a terrifying experience that occurred in the Airbnb she had rented to celebrate her bachelorette party in San Rafael, California.
TikToker Alexa (@heyylexa2) created the videos when she realized she and her guests weren't alone in their Bay Area rental, and she said she wanted her posts to serve as a warning to others.
The first video, which has over 77,000 views, was narrated by Alexa's fiancé.
@heyylexa2 AirBNB awareness. #scary #cameras #airbnbreview #bayareacheck #sanrafael #california #bachelorettegonewrong #surveillancevideo #violating #fear #nightmares #pleaseview #spreadawareness ♬ Dramatic Music Background - Background Music for Video Edits
He summed up the story: "It was a beautiful home. Everything initially was going very well. Until one of the girls noticed that there was a false door that led to a staircase upstairs. This wouldn't be an issue, but the Airbnb posting said that there was no staircase and that this was a single-family home."
Alexa's fiancé said that after the women found the hidden staircase, they "were kind of freaked out, so they went out to the backyard where there were numerous cameras. They were sitting by the fireplace, when all of a sudden, a light turned on upstairs and they could see a man looking out the window at them."
That's when the group called the police.
In the second video, which has garnered 1.2 million views, Alexa admitted that the listing did disclose the security cameras, which the group didn't have issues with. "But it just started to become really creepy," she said.
@heyylexa2 San rafael california terrifying airbnb experience #parttwo #airbnb #scary #scaryexperience #surveillancevideo #mysterywall #beingwatched🧐 #bayarea ♬ original sound - heyalexa
"As we're in the hot tub and we tried to turn up the jets, and as we're walking In the backyard, the security cameras are turning and following us." They even received text messages from the host, telling them to stop touching the jet panel.
"At that point, it just felt like we were being actively watched, which was really uncomfortable," she added.
Then the group found a fake wall, which Alexa claims was not disclosed in the description of the listing or its photos. Alexa provided visual evidence of the fake wall and the staircase the women found behind it that lead up to the second story of the house.
Unfortunately, the group found even more troubling features with the Airbnb when they searched the rental's interior. Alexa said that there was a "glass window, mirror-looking thing" that they couldn't see through, but was attached to the same fake wall. This suggested that someone could watch them as they used the bathroom. "It's just extremely violating," she said.
Once law enforcement arrived, they called the host who claimed that she was 25 minutes away, but suspiciously managed to arrive within 2-3 minutes. After police conducted a search, they confirmed, "that there was an entire unit upstairs and there was surveillance upstairs." The police suggested that the guests relocate.
At around 4 am, the bachelorette party packed up, did their final walkthrough with the police to ensure there was no damage, and left.
Alexa also noted that while the Airbnb listing appeared to have been disabled for now, her case was "still undergoing investigation," and that she had still not received her refund.
"If you are going to use an Airbnb please just be aware of your surroundings," she concluded.
Users were horrified by her experience. Many blamed Airbnb's policies.
"What a horribly scary & violating experience!! Airbnb needs to ban [them] from their website! I'm so glad you guys found out & called police!" one user said.
"There needs to be a 3rd party home inspector approved by state or county before airbnbs can be put up. Glad you're safe," a second agreed.
"This is why I will never use Airbnb again," a third replied.
Many blamed the owners for the deception.
"I found a YouTube video of that house when it was for sale. they totally added all that," a user shared.
"On top of that they’re making 1068$ a NIGHT, just to live at their own house," another user added.
Alexa responded, "Literally, I just want our money back. We spent close to 5 thousand dollars."
"Imagine what they’ve gotten away with," someone wondered.
Many wanted to know how the group discovered the wall: "How did you find out about the wall??"
"When touching the wall it was hollow and it bounced back when putting your hand on it," Alexa said.
This is not the first time an Airbnb host has been accused of spying on their guests. One renter was recently startled to discover an undisclosed crawl space in their rental, while another alleged that her Airbnb host stayed on the same property and watched her during her stay.
Airbnb has had a lot of bad press in recent years. From inflating the housing market to undermining local cultures and regulations, the company has become a bane to many residents in tourist-heavy regions. Guests have also complained about the lack of quality control of the rentals. For example, one Airbnb guest in Australia woke to discover that a possum had used her bed as a restroom while she slept.
The Daily Dot reached out to Alexa via TikTok comment and Airbnb via email for further information.
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