Airbnb first-timer Jack had been quite excited for his trip to New York. Instead of choosing a hotel, he decided to give Airbnb a chance. After an eight hour flight, Jack arrived at his host’s house jetlagged and sleepy around 10 pm.
After the host showed him around, he immediately fell asleep. That could seem like your typical scenario when one travels, but the 24-year-old female host was not impressed that he did not shower before bed.
Frustrated, she penned a handwritten note to Jack expressing her feelings about him not showering before bed. She also body shammed him for having a bad odour.
Jack, clearly upset, decided to post the letter on Reddit to hear what other travellers thought about the letter.
The host, who calls herself Clara, shared this in the letter: “Hi, this might be your first time doing Airbnb so you should understand a few standard etiquettes. Airbnb is hosting so it is very different from a hotel or motel. You need to keep the room clean and free of odor because you are staying in someone else’s room. After your flight, you had a strong odor yet you didn’t take a shower before going to bed. As the owner of the room, the bed and the sheets, I am extremely displeased with this fact. You didn’t respect the cleanliness of my room. Please keep this in mind during your stay. I might have to report to Airbnb if you fail to keep up with the personal hygiene and lower the quality of my room. Best, Clara” (sic).
The letter Jack posted on Reddit. Picture: Reddit.
Jack further said that he is a ‘shower in the morning’ person and never showered before bed. He said: “I also think that if you’re worried about people’s funk… don’t rent your room out to others. I mean, I get it, nobody wants a smelly room, but I assume she changes the sheets when someone stays. Anyway, I’ve not been able to stop thinking about the handwritten note since I got it so I thought I’d share it with the internet.”
Reddit users decided to share their opinion on the matter and most sympathised with Jack.
User Kckaaaate said: “I was gonna say, this 100% should be reported to Airbnb - this person's listing should be removed!” (sic).
Another named halcyonwade, said: “This is so unbelievably out of line. Like you said, if she doesn't want the funk of others, she should either not rent out her room or have alternate sheets. I mean, what if a couple is in there hooking up? Is she going to dictate terms on that? She seems to want the income from hosting but at zero cost to her.” (sic).