prostitution set up in basement apartment of single family home - Silver Spring, MD

[Suzy28]

July 8, 2018

For many reasons, I believe my most recent guest is a prostitute.  She says she's 18; lives 20 minutes from me; paid more than $600 for a six night reservation (what 18-year old can/would do this?); watched tv during the day; had late evening guests who stayed less than 2 hours; showered before and after guest visits (I hear the shower from upstairs in the house); her messages convey the mindset of someone more mature than her years or appearance.  Describes in her profile her love for solitude and in her messages that she and her  "friends" are quiet when they're together.  She never could say whether a "friend" would stay over night or visit and leave.  Yikes!  It makes sense!  I'm sick!

Should I write a review for her?  She communicated well, was quiet and left the apartment neat.  In theory, she'd get a 5-star rating.  If I write a review, she will be able to instant book with other hosts. This is a problem with instant book.  Would asking for a copy of a government issued ID with photo for every guest solve this problem?  I welcome feedback!

Suzy

5-star Superhost of 3 years

[Heather415]

John,

Thanks! I haven't been through this yet and appreciate the heads up!  Think I have only had one group/ guest that have been somewhat deceptive in our negociations.  I do have Airbnb screening everything they offer, (Government ID and several other things). I figure if they filter out some of the issues that will insure my happiness with the experience, I won't even know what I'm missing, (the good or the bad).  Must say it has been successful and I would not like wondering "what they may be up to."

[Morgan104]

Depends on where you are.

I live near a big music venue AND an international airport. Local guests stay all the time - they want to avoid traffic/uber and want to drink at a show. Or they're leaving super early in the morning and don't want to park their car somewhere. Or they're picking someone up early/late. Or a couple times they've been in the middle of moving, and their old lease ended before the new one started. Or their mom is coming to visit and wants to stay halfway between Disneyland and Universal studios, so they stay together to have some girl time. And so on. 

Local guests in *your* area may be a red flag, but that's not the case in all areas (or probably in most big cities - looks like Providence's population is less than 200k)....

[Fred13]

Wow, you all get exciting guests!  😄

[Stay-Asheville0]

This post is atrocious.  You have no clue what she's doing.  What if she's a massage therapist?  What if she just has sex with her boyfriend or girlfriend every night while she's staying there?  You have NO CLUE what could be happening here. 

If she paid you, didn't break anything, and didn't bother you, you owe her a great review.

[Kimberly54]

Hi @Stay-Asheville0 and @Suzy28,

I think 'atrocious' is a bit strong, but I gotta agree with Shawn.  Too many colorful suspicions. (Though @Fred13 was having a good time with it! 😉   Honestly, I could think of about a dozen things (seriously) that could go on for a couple of hours, shower before and after... perfectly innocent.

It looks to me like you have a great guest.  Give her a 5!

Best!

[Fred13]

Really Kimmie, since the nude Las Vegas pole dancer (2016) running around without a care and the two French couples into menage' a' ~quad~ (2017),  it has been all 'downhill' from there. ;-(.

[Kenneth12]

Massage therapists must be licensed.

Three police-involved incidents on the property in a year,  and Chicago yanks STRP licences,  so yeah,  I have a large incentive to prevent illegal activity on my property.

[Robin4]

@Suzy28, your hosting situation is similar to mine in that the only common space is your stairwell, the guest is not coming into your personal living space. It is like adjoining tenancies in an apartment building! And the guest would have a perception that they had a right to enjoy themselves without offending others. It would be a different story if the guest was indulging in accutely personal activity in your own private space....that would be offensive and just plain rude!

We hosts do face a moral dillema when it comes to how we host...we don't give a sh*t what people do in theirs and other peoples spaces, we do care what they do in ours. Something like sex seems like an invasion of our privacy, even if it took place in a car in the driveway of our property! It would still seem wrong.

I think, as hosts we have to get ourselves over this moral hurdle and understand that this is something that is going to happen at some point and I truly feel there needs to be a bit of sensitivity on both sides.

I know this activity is going to happen in my cottage....and that is fine! There is a few locked doors and a patch of garden between them and me, so as far as I am concerned, I say, as long as you don't damage anything good on you.

@Suzy28 I understand exactly how you feel, but for me..... If this guest communicated well, was quiet and respectful of the property, paid you the amount in full that you required....why on earth would you be agonising over a review.

Until proved wrong, I think we all like to be given the benefit of the doubt, and sometimes very good guests may do things that we would personally question.....but that doesn't make them bad guests!

Cheers......Rob

[J-Renato0]

@Suzy28

Just add the following text in your house rules -  "It is not allowed to bring strangers into the house. It is not allowed to bring overnight guests".

If I were you, I would not leave a review if you do not want to recommend her. At least, she did not break any house rules.

Moreover, you say that - "in her messages that she and her  "friends" are quiet when they're together." As far as I can understand, she did not tell a lie 🙂 You could have asked for clarification before her arrival.

[Lizzie]

Hello @Suzy28,

Great to meet you.

I just wanted to check if you have contacted our Support Team about this? If not, I would recommend contacting them to explain your experience. 

Here is a useful Community Guide on the different ways to reach them directly. 

Thanks,

Lizzie

[Andreas-and-Anna0]

Don’t write a bad review. You are completely assuming this l. Was she a good guest? Check! Who cares about the rest. Give her 5 stars and wish her well

[Dawn33]

I wouldn’t jump to conclusions. 

She sounds more responsible than most 18 year olds that I know. Maybe, she is renting your room to get away from a judgmental mom.

Six days of freedom to sleep in, watch TV, chill with friends. No one telling her to clean her room or calling her a prostitute.

[Kenneth12]

Did the host allow unregistered / undeclared guests?

Sure,  no jumping to conclusions,  but there's reason for concern.  

[Morgan104]

---

@Kenneth12 wrote:

Did the host allow unregistered / undeclared guests?

Sure,  no jumping to conclusions,  but there's reason for concern.  

---

Guests stayed in this case for 2 hours, not overnight. Most airbnbs as far as I know don't require people to "register/declare" (btw what is this, customs?) people coming to visit for a short time. I personally do request that, because they're in my actual home with me and it's kind of weird if their friends come by and I'm not sure who they are, but I would say this is rare when you've got the place to yourself.

For instance when I stayed at a place in Denver for work, I had my coworker come by for a bit and we sat around the dining room table working for a couple hours. *Gasp* I didn't let my host know! My coworker was UNREGISTERED/UNDECLARED! And it was super hot and we both sweat a bit - what if he'd brought clothes to change into for going out to dinner after, and took a shower? Is that reason for concern? And when I say "coworker", I don't mean I'm a prostitute and he's a john, by the way (although his name is actually John, coincidentally). I work as a salaried employee for a non-adult-industry company. 

Come on, man. You seem to be the only one with this severe of an attitude on this thread- maybe that should tell you something.

[Yulianna0]

So, if someone hosts a “kind” guest that loves all the humanity and he or she invites a vagabond to eat and to have shower in others house it will be ok? Without asking the owner about it. 

When someone states: no visitors at any time, it means exactly no visitors.