When searching for accommodation while traveling, one is usually left with two options: traditional rentals and services like Airbnb.
Each of these options has its advantages and disadvantages—and its own horror stories. However, few of these stories are as bad as the one recently shared by TikTok user Sunny (@thenomadicsunny).
In a video with over 89,000 views, Sunny says that she had to suddenly leave her Airbnb after her host tried to sleep with her and her fiancé. She shared the trending storytime on Monday.
What happened at this user’s Airbnb?
Throughout her video, Sunny explains how she ended up in this peculiar situation.
According to Sunny, she was staying at an Airbnb in Bucharest, Romania that, while initially seeming alright, soon became strange. This was due not only to the apartment, which had issues like a leaking toilet and blinds that didn’t close, but the host, Claudia.
One of the first issues arose when Claudia asked Sunny to buy her groceries, which she did. Sunny says she did not receive repayment for this purchase.
Second, Sunny says Claudia began asking her and her fiancé bizarre, uncomfortable questions.
“She started asking weird questions like how many people I slept with…were we poly—because she was wanting to see if we wanted to get in her bed,” Sunny explains.
While Sunny rejected Claudia’s advances, she says that they quickly became more aggressive. Sunny and her fiancé allege that Claudia started to make further advances and bizarre statements, such as claiming that she could cure Sunny’s fiancé’s diabetes.
How did Sunny get out?
Sunny proceeded to call Airbnb customer support. While she was on the phone, Claudia told Sunny that her fiancé had cheated on her.
“I was like, ‘What do you mean?’” Sunny recalls. “And she was like, ‘I just can sense these things. I just know them.’ She was shaking—shaking—and she told me that she could cure his diabetes.”
This set off a dispute in which Claudia accused Sunny of trying to kick her out of her own house. Airbnb support told Sunny to leave, and Sunny and her fiancé were working hard to pack up as quickly as possible. Sunny managed to record some of this interaction and posted it in a follow-up video.
“I was scared that that girl was going to grab a knife and kill us right there because she had the craziest look in her eyes,” Sunny states.
Sunny says that, upon leaving, she simply threw the keys behind her, not wanting to risk another incident with Claudia.
It doesn’t stop there
While Sunny likely hoped this was the end of it, Claudia began messaging her via Airbnb, messages that she shared in a follow-up video.
“That girl ended up messaging me and accusing me of punching her. She accused us of raping her and just the craziest things, but Airbnb said, ‘Hey, I heard you. I was on the phone with you. There are recordings. You’re gonna be fine,’” Sunny says.
Sunny says that, though this incident was certainly shocking, she was pleased with how Airbnb handled everything.
“Airbnb was great throughout this entire process. They have taken care of us… Like right now we are in the best Airbnb in the city and it’s amazing,” she explains. “They paid for our lunch and they paid for our transportation. They made sure that we are taken care of.”
“The ONLY time i have ever felt unsafe in an AirBnB, or with another woman for that matter. I should’ve trusted my instincts and left the first day, but I chalked her weirdness up to cultural differences,” Sunny wrote in the caption of her video. “But @airbnb really took everything seriously and took care of us, for that I will always remain a loyal supporter of them.”
@thenomadicsunny the ONLY time i have ever felt unsafe in an AirBnB, or with another woman for that matter. I should’ve trusted my instincts and left the first day, but I chalked her weirdness up to cultural differences. but @airbnb really took everything seriously and took care of us, for that I will always remain a loyal supporter of them! thank you 🥲🇷🇴 Now to enjoy the rest of our time here in Bucharest! | #romania #budgettravel #airbnbexperience #airbnb #bucharest #travelstories #interestinghorror #europetravel #trustyourgut #trustyourself ♬ original sound – Sunny | VanLife & Travel
Commenters weigh in
In the comments section, users recounted their own Airbnb stories.
“Had something like this happen without the recording and they did NOTHING. Zero refund zero new accommodation. You got lucky,” said a user.
“That’s why I never do a room or portion of the house. I want the whole damn house and I don’t want to meet the host lol,” added another.
“This is the first time I’ve heard of Airbnb actually taking care of guests who had a scary experience. Hopefully they do something to get her off the platform,” stated a third.
As of Thursday afternoon, Airbnb has deleted Claudia’s listing.
In response to one commenter, Sunny noted how highly rater Claudia was on Airbnb. “4.9!!!” she said of the host’s rating. “The place was listed as a ‘Guest Favorite’ AAAAND she was a SUPER HOST.”
Other guest reviews
One commenter asked Sunny, “Can you show some of her other Airbnb reviews I wonder if anyone else has gone through this?”
The TikToker obliged by sharing a slideshow of alleged reviews on Claudia’s Airbnb listing.
“Now with the context form my experience… i view some of these differently lol,” Sunny joked in the caption.
The Daily Dot reached out to Airbnb via email and Sunny via TikTok and Instagram DM.
Update 2:15pm ET Feb. 13: In an Instagram DM exchange with the Daily Dot, Sunny said that, as a result of the incident, she and her partner “weren’t able to to everything we wanted in Bucharest because of it unfortunately, but we still had a good time— we will just have to come back to finish everything on our travel list there.”
She then explained the manifold reasons why she felt uncomfortable with Claudia from their first meeting.
According to Sunny, Claudia only offered curt responses to the couple’s questions and showed little interest in being hospitable. When Sunny attempted to break the tension through conversation, Claudia’s responses were generally unpleasant.
The situation grew more uncomfortable when the couple returned from dinner to find Claudia staring at them from her open doorway. Sunny later added that Claudia never seemed to sleep during their entire stay.
Additionally, the apartment itself was uncomfortable.
“There were also many issues with the apartment itself, such as a leaky toilet, blinds that didn’t close—so neighbors would see us changing unless we changed in the complete dark. The host had the heat locked even though it was -5°C outside. Not to mention, to enter our bedroom, you had to go through the room with the bathtub and a sink (the toilet was in another room across the hall),” Sunny recalled.
Despite the issues, Sunny only has positive things to say about Airbnb and the company’s response to the stated issues.
“Airbnb has been incredibly responsive and supportive throughout this entire ordeal. From the moment I reported what happened, they took my claims seriously and immediately escalated the situation to a specialized team,” she detailed.
“Airbnb’s response went beyond just removing us from the situation. They immediately covered up to $100 USD for a meal so we could go somewhere safe while they arranged accommodations. They also provided up to $100 USD for transportation to a new location of our choice, whether that was another Airbnb or a hotel,” she later stated. “I can confirm now, following an investigation that they have refunded what we had paid for the original stay and covered the cost of a new Airbnb—one that was not only in the best area of the city but also had a security guard and was located right next to a police station.”
“Since the incident happened, they’ve remained in constant contact, checking in to ensure we felt comfortable in our new accommodation and that we were okay after what we experienced,” Sunny concluded. “They have been nothing short of phenomenal in how they handled the situation. I know they’ve suspended her listing, but I cannot confirm if any further action has been taken against her as a host…That said, I truly feel like they did everything they could to make things right, turning what could have been a terrifying experience into one where we felt genuinely supported and cared for.”
Update 6:11pm ET Feb. 13: In an email to the Daily Dot, Airbnb clarified that there had been no prior safety-related reports involving this host and confirmed that the company was able to move Sunny to new accommodations.
“The host’s reported behavior is unacceptable. We have removed her account from the platform, and our Safety team has been supporting our guests,” an Airbnb spokesperson wrote in a statement
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