No matter how thoroughly you read the description and reviews for an Airbnb, chances are high that you’re going to be met with at least one surprise.
Many Airbnb hosts try their best to be honest about their rental and what guests should expect upon arrival. Sometimes, however, key details are omitted, leaving guests in an uncomfortable situation.
For example, one Airbnb guest arrived at their rental to discover they would be staying in a basement—and that there was “zero soundproofing” from the arguing men in the floor above. Another arrived at their rental to find that it looked different from the photos and had unsecured tiles, one of which fell on her daughter’s head.
Now, a user on TikTok has sparked discussion after asking a question for fellow Airbnb guests about landscaping. Is she right?
What Happened During This Woman’s Airbnb Stay?
In a video with over 22,000 views, TikTok user Elizabeth (@elizabetho1724) says she and her husband rented an Airbnb while on vacation. The rental had a pool and a fenced-in backyard. Elizabeth says she allowed her dog, a micro goldendoodle, to freely run in the yard.
One day, Elizabeth says her husband ran to a supermarket to get some groceries. At this time, she lounged in the pool.
Suddenly, while her dog is running around the yard, the rental’s landscaping team arrives and gets to work.
“So I jump out of the pool, don’t even get a towel or anything,” Elizabeth recalls. “I’m like, ‘Stop! Stop, stop, stop, stop!’ Because my dog is on the other side of the fence, and she’s barking. She’s, like, running towards them, and he’s not stopping his lawn mower.”
Eventually, Elizabeth was able to get the workers to turn off their equipment.
“To the guys, I said, ‘I’m going inside. Go mow when I’m inside. Please don’t come out here when my dog’s here,’” she says. “They were like, ‘OK.’ And they were really nice.”
Something Doesn’t Sit Right
After the vacation ended, Elizabeth found herself thinking about the incident with the landscaping team.
“I just felt very uncomfortable. Why wouldn’t you tell me the landscapers were coming?” she asks, noting that the host had a book of rules that did not mention landscapers.
Elizabeth discussed the issue with her husband, who said that it was “not a big deal.”
“That is a big deal to me. That’s a big deal,” Elizabeth countered.
Consequently, she decided to send a message to the Airbnb hosts.
“I said, ‘The only problem that we had, which was kind of significant, was the fact that we were not told when the landscapers were coming,’” Elizabeth explains. “And I said, ‘And my dog was out and she was in the backyard, and I was scared to death that they were going to run her over because they did not understand me when I was saying, ‘Please turn off your lawn mower.’’”
In response, one of the Airbnb hosts wrote that they do not know when the landscapers come. This left Elizabeth “absolutely furious.”
“I said, ‘Well, my dog could have been killed, because if I would have not been in the pool, if I would have let her in the backyard, she could have been killed.’ And there was no response,” she recalls.
While Elizabeth initially asks viewers if she’s correct, she then states, “Actually, I don’t care what anybody says. I’m in the right, ’cause they could have killed my dog.”
In an email, an Airbnb spokesperson told BroBible the following: “We want every guest to feel informed about what to expect during their stay. We ask hosts to let guests know about any scheduled maintenance that could occur during a stay, and we are following up with the host on this.”
Is This Normal?
Landscaping work being performed on a property is normal. It’s also normal not to know exactly what time landscapers will arrive, as it’s standard practice for them to arrive on certain days rather than at specific times.
However, this doesn’t mean Elizabeth’s concerns are illegitimate. On the Airbnb website, it says that “Guests have a reasonable expectation of privacy in the space they have rented. Hosts must obtain guest permission before accessing the listing or property during the reservation, unless there is an emergency.” The unexpected arrival of a landscaping crew may violate this expectation of privacy.
Additionally, many landscaping professionals note the dangers of leaving one’s dog near landscaping equipment. Guides for lawnmower safety often stress the importance of making sure children and pets are not in the mowing area. If a mower is not being paid close attention, it can hit or run over a small child or animal. While this is rare, it does happen.
Commenters Aren’t On Board
In the comments section, many users claimed that Elizabeth was overreacting to the incident.
“You are making a big deal out of nothing,” a user said.
“Do you use landscapers? We don’t know when they are coming because they are working against weather conditions and multiple yards,” another offered. “I understand your frustration but that’s the way landscaping works.”
However, others stated that she was in the right.
“I agree with you. They should have let you know that the landscapers was coming. I would be angry also,” shared a commenter.
BroBible reached out to Elizabeth via email and TikTok direct message.