Should AirBnB guests really have to shower before bed? Photo / Getty Images
Should AirBnB guests really have to shower before bed? Photo / Getty Images
Anyone who has ever stayed in an AirBnb before knows that, as with most online profiles, what you see is not always what you get.
Maybe you found someone else still vacating the property, or the accommodation was shockingly small compared to the online photos.
But for one man, a holiday to New York City took a bizarre turn, when the owners' obsession with cleanliness left him totally freaked out.
Posting to the online thread Reddit, a 26-year-old named Jack was left a note by the owner, asking him to shower each night before going to bed, in order to maintain clean sheets.
The post began: "I (26m) tried out AirBnb for the first time on a recent trip to NY. I was staying in my host's (24F) bedroom while she bunked with her roommate.
"I arrived after an eight-hour flight at what would be around 3am my time, but 10pm in NY. Met my host who showed me around quickly, pointing out the bathroom and the bedroom. I told her I was exhausted, so I just wanted to go to bed."
Jack continued: "I fell asleep almost immediately, and then awoke at about 4am NY time and I discovered a handwritten note had been slid under my door.
"The note reads as follows: 'Hi, this might be your first time doing AirBnb so you should understand a few standard etiquette's. AirBnb is hosting so it is very different from a hotel or motel. You need to keep the room clean and free of odour because you are staying in someone else's room.
"After your flight, you had a strong odour yet you didn't take a shower before going to bed. As the owner of the room, the bed and the sheets, I am extremely displeased with this fact. You didn't respect the cleanliness of my room. Please keep this in mind during your stay. I might have to report to AirBnb if you fail to keep up with the personal hygiene and lower the quality of my room. Best."
Jack went on to explain he was a "shower in the morning person" and ask why the host would rent out her room if she was so worried about other people's "funk".
Jack also shared a picture of the letter from the strange encounter.
The note left under the door. Photo / Reddit
Reddit users were quick to jump to Jack's defence, even prompting him to complain to AirBnb.
Tipsywinosaur wrote:
"Eww, assuming you didn't reek of something awful. This is a huge no go for AirBnb. You'd be well within your rights to say something to the company about the host making you feel uncomfortable."
Hayclonwade also noted:
"This is so unbelievably out of line. Like you said, if she doesn't want the funk of others, she should either not rent out her room or have alternate sheets. I mean, what if a couple is in there hooking up? Is she going to dictate terms on that? She seems to want the income from hosting but at zero cost to her."
However, gnowZ474 understood what the host was trying to say, despite the strange way they went about it. Noting:
"What they really wanted to say is 'Even though we charge you a cleaning fee, please be considerate and don't stink up the sheets because we don't want to spend money washing the sheets for the next person staying in this room."
