I stayed with a Superhost just over a week ago who had great reviews. On the first night the host's (sometime) girlfriend (who didn't live there) woke me at midnight with screams (like shouting except in scream form) about how she was being beaten. She kept shouting it. I didn't know what to do being female myself and the host being male. Plus, I am acutely aware of what can happen if you get between a couple fighting. I could mostly only hear what she was 'saying', but then I could hear the host saying that he never touched her, and she replied 'you're beating me mentally'. So there was no violence at all, and I couldn't hear any sounds of violence. It calmed down at some point after about an hour. I was pretty terrified, but I managed to get back to sleep when the screeching had stopped. The next morning I tiptoed out of the house and went to the local art school I was attending on holiday, and I spoke to them about it. They advised me to speak to them about it. So I went back and tried to talk to the host, but I got no answer from the rooms. I figured they must be out. I couldn't get them for the next two days. I was walking on eggshells for the next couple of days, but at least it was quiet.
And then, at 5am on the 3rd night/morning the front door was being banged on by the girl, drunk, getting progressively louder and louder and then shouting to get let in. The host let her in as she was walking the street up. Then chaos. She started screaming again, accusing the host of violence again. Then there was stuff being smashed up, and I could hear the host asking to be let go and to stop hitting him, stop pulling his hair, stop biting him, stop kicking him, and she was accusing him of hitting a woman. It was very difficult to know what was going on but when he spoke it was muffled as if he was in a headlock or his head pulled down. Things were being flown across the room by the girl as he asked her to stop throwing stuff around. Then my door was battered into, and at that point it had gone on for an hour and I, too scared to leave the room, called the police.
The police asked if I was safe or felt unsafe. I said I was in the room too scared to go out, and I didn't feel safe as the door has been battered into. The police called me back asking how things were at that time, and I said it was quiet. I was told that the police were on their way. I took the quiet moment to get dressed and pack my bags, and then left. As I was leaving the police turned up and took a statement from me.
This was at 6am. I was wondering the streets with my suitcase on a Sunday morning with no place to go. There is more to this story about Airbnb and trying to get somewhere else to stay, that cost me more money and I was left without a place to stay even after I booked another place. I was told by Airbnb to find a third place to stay but, time wasn't a luxury I had. I was so let down by the Airbnb system that I found a hotel. I was seriously out of pocket, but I was safe.
I came home after my holiday, to find a citation to appear at court in a case against the girl.
I have not left a review yet. I don't know what to do. If I leave a bad review, it might impact on the court case. The host might take the side of his girlfriend/ex. at the court. It didn't seem like the host's fault, and I suppose domestic incidents can happen anywhere, but I felt endangered. I don't care about him leaving me a negative review in return as I won't be using Airbnb again. It's the court case in September I'm concerned about.
