Unscheduled visit

[Janna74]

Our host came by without calling or texting or emailing. She showed up saying she needed to drop laundry off. I let her in but it was VERY awkward. My husband was relaxong in bed and she went in the bedroom. Just felt very nosey. I feel like if we weren't here she would have just come in and we would never have known. Why couldn't you bring the laundry after we left and checked out? It feels very uncomfortable. Is there anything that can be done?

[Christine615]

It's inappropriate. When you are a guest you have a reasonable expectation of privacy. She's not allowed to just "drop by" unless it is an emergency..

Please report her and/or the listing to Airbnb.

[Anonymous]

@Janna74  Good hosting etiquette dictates that hosts should give proper notice to guest before entering their rented space, unless it's an emergency. This kind of behavior would be awkward in a shared-house rental, and downright bizarre if your listing happens to be an Entire Home.

But is there anything that can be done? Well, if you no longer feel comfortable staying in the home, you may request a booking alteration to have an earlier checkout date and, if the host approves, get refunded for your unused nights. That's about it. If you'd rather complete your stay, there's certainly no reason for any kind of compensation, but you might try to have a conversation with your host and politely ask if she could give you a heads-up before showing up at the home lest she walk in on an intimate moment again. (At this point she is likely to feel as awkward as you did)

Whichever option is right for you, communication is the path to a resolution. 

[Kia272]

@Janna74 That's absolutely super weird and a definite no-no. What a violation of privacy! 

She has no business stopping by unannounced, and no business doing her laundry while you're staying. 

Perhaps message her politely to find out what she was thinking? There may be some weird explanation that might help you see it in a different light. Or at least give her a chance to acknowledge her blunder and apologize. If it's not explained or resolved to your satisfaction, definitely mention it in a review. 

I'm an on-site host, and I feel weird going into the yard just to water the plants- when my guests are gone!! I'm very focused on guest privacy. I don't want anyone to feel uncomfortable. The washer/dryer are in the guest's house, and I just wear dirty clothes if necessary until guests are gone and I can do laundry. 

I can't imagine doing such a thing as a host. 

[Anonymous]

@Kia272  We'll never know the whole story, and maybe this is just a loopy host with boundary issues. But this is also the kind of thing some hosts do as a last resort when they have strong suspicions that something dodgy is going on in their house.

If such suspicions are wrong, the guests would have every reason to feel alarmed. But then again, if they were sniffing around for a reason to demand a refund, consider their bluff called. 

[Kia272]

@Anonymous  I'm gaining awareness that being an onsite host has some advantages over hosting from afar, be it across the city or several states away. I've also been very lucky with guests (aside from the dreadful Alyssa), so I don't see much of the dark side of hosting. 

Your comment that the host may have had suspicions could be spot on. That hadn't occurred to me. However, an unannounced visit just doesn't sit right with me. I can see coming up with a flimsy excuse (like laundry), but arriving unannounced is really not acceptable.

A 5-10 minute warning- at a bare minimum- might be acceptable. Not enough time to clean up a party, but enough time to put some clothes on and wonder why your host is popping over to check on their toothpick holder collection.