Open Lockbox – what would you do?

[Mark1465]

I am not a host myself, but I was hoping to get some feedback from the AirBNB community about a first-time situation I encountered last night during a scheduled stay.

Upon our arrival (my wife and I), we followed instructions left by our host to a lockbox located on a pole near an alley. It was after sunset, so it was a little hard to find in the dark, but we did find it!

When we found it, the lockbox was already unlocked, open, and the set of keys was hanging out of the lockbox compartment. Naturally, this made my wife and I immediately feel a little uneasy and unsafe not knowing how long ago (or by whom) the lockbox had been opened.

We decided to explore other accommodations after our host was not very understanding or empathetic about the situation. She is currently refusing to refund any of our scheduled stay. I am contemplating how soon I should take the next step and involve AirBNB to mediate the situation.

My question is –– am I within reason for feeling unsafe because of this? Also, if you were the host in question,  how would you respond? 

Thanks!

[Paul1255]

Hi @Mark1465  I hope you are well!

This doesn't sound like an ideal situation- pehaps the previous guests didn't close the lockbox correctly when depositing the keys after their stay.

It at least sounds like the lockbox wasn't located close to the accomodation which is good, was there anything identifying the keys to a particular address, like a keyring with the home address and so on?

Personally, as a guest if there wasn't, and they keys weren't identifiable and therefore useful to someone without a reservation and instructions, and the home lockable from the inside I wouldn't have been too concerned- but this is me.

To answer your questions:

1- If you felt unsafe you felt unsafe!

2- I would like to think I'd respond empathetically and help you to understand the level of risk in the situation, and to put your mind at ease so not to compromise your safety or the stay.

Best wishes

Paul.

[Mark116]

I would guess that the previous guest was supposed to fully close the lockbox and they failed to do so, which is why it was open.  Since the keys were there, it seems fairly inocuous.  If someone had stolen the keys, copied them, and then replaced them, they would have closed the box.

[Sarah977]

@Mark1465  A lock box on a pole near a dark alley? This screams illegal rental. Either the host is a tenant renting the place out without permission or contrary to her landlord's wishes, or Airbnb isn't allowed in the building, or something. I'd flag the account and report it to Airbnb anyway.

[Mark116]

@Sarah977  That isn't what the guest's complaint is, nowhere does he mention that he thinks it's an illegal rental, and I'm not sure why a lock box would indicate an illegal rental, lots of people use them, if someone didn't want the expense or hassle of an electronic lock, the lock box enables guests to let themselves in and out, and they have to be connected to something like a railing, so I don't see the problem there either.  The guest complained he felt unsafe because the box was open, and this seems to me like an overreaction.

[Sarah977]

@Mark116  There's absolutely nothing wrong with a lock box. But wouldh't most hosts put them on the door? Not on some pole on an alley, not on the property?  There have been posts about these exact scenarios before, and while the OP here didn't mention anything else about the instructions given, in the other cases I read about, the guests were told that if anyone asks, just to say they are friends, not Airbnb guests.