A California woman is calling out a group of Airbnb guests after she says they trashed her family’s home. TikTok viewers were outraged when they saw images of the damage caused by the guests.
On July 26, a woman (@janelle._.ivy) documented the aftermath of her family’s Airbnb in a viral TikTok that has amassed 3.1 million views as of Saturday.
“You guys are not ready for the type of horrible guests we had,” she shares.
What Damage Did The Guests Cause In The Airbnb?
As she walks through the front door, the woman shows what she says was a shattered glass table, trash scattered across the entryway, and empty beer cans covering the floors. She says the damage only worsens as she moves through the house.
“They did not pick up a lick of trash,” she says. “They actually came here to ruin our house. Are you joking?”
Upstairs, Janelle points to even more damage. She says the guests broke window blinds, left food sitting out, misplaced blankets, and snapped one of the beds.
“We have two blankets missing,” she says. “The bed is broken. No clue what we’re gonna do about that, but the bed is broken.”
The timing made the situation even more stressful. She explains that another group of guests planned to arrive just a few hours later. She says this left her family scrambling to clean and repair the property before check-in.
“Mind you, we have a guest coming in a few hours, and I have no idea what we’re gonna do,” Janelle says. “I feel bad for them because now they’re gonna have a bad impression of us.”
For the woman who posted the video, this damage hit especially close to home.
“We love doing Airbnb,” the creator shares. “I grew up in this house, and we’ve shared it with so many wonderful people. They’ve had great memories here. But then there are people like this who just have no respect for other people, and it’s sad.”
In a follow-up video, she clarifies that her family filed a police report. However, they still have minimal updates as the incident was relatively recent.
What Policies Does Airbnb Have In Place To Prevent Similar Incidents?
Airbnb says guests are responsible for leaving a property in the same condition they found it. If guests cause damage, they can face financial consequences. Under Airbnb’s terms, hosts can request reimbursement through the company’s AirCover for Hosts program, which includes protections for property damage caused by guests. Hosts must document the damage and submit a claim with evidence, such as photos, videos, receipts, or repair estimates.
While extreme cases like a home being severely damaged are not the norm, conflicts between hosts and guests remain one of the more common issues reported on short-term rental platforms. Complaints often involve excessive messes, broken items, unauthorized guests, parties, and rule violations. Airbnb has taken steps to limit disruptive behavior, including its global party ban, which permanently prohibits open-invite parties and events that create community disturbances.
When hosts encounter major damage, Airbnb recommends that they first communicate with guests through the platform and then submit a request through Airbnb’s Resolution Center if the issue cannot be resolved. Hosts are encouraged to avoid handling disputes outside Airbnb because keeping communication and documentation within the platform helps create a record of what happened.
To prevent situations like this, Airbnb provides several safety features for hosts. This includes guest identity verification, reservation screening technology, reviews, and protections designed to reduce risks. Hosts can also set house rules, require guests to agree to those rules before booking, limit who can reserve their property, and install approved security devices such as exterior cameras where allowed.
@janelle._.ivy I didn’t even show you the backyard, they stole so many of our things and to see my mom hurt and crying because of the damage is horrible @airbnb @airbnbexperiences #airbnb #disrespectful #viral ♬ original sound – janelleivy
Subplot reached out for comment to @janelle._.ivy via TikTok comment and direct message and Airbnb via email.
