Strange AirBnB situation...

If she was working the night shift, wouldn’t her kids have noticed by now?
It would be a bit of a coincidence that the first time they realised she wasn’t there overnight was the night she had Airbnb guests.

Teacher here. All the child protection training essentially boils down to ‘if in doubt, report’. So many cases of child negligence show multiple people assuming the best (and I don’t judge for that. In most areas of life, I try to assume the best of intentions.) This sounds like there could be an issue. If there could be an issue, then someone (police or social services) should investigate. If it’s legit then all good. If it’s not, you’ve done the right thing. I always just think of how I’d feel if it later emerged something awful happened and I could have done something. I get it’s hard though.

From the way you've described it I think the child did sound pretty scared. I know that people ship out of their own homes to let them out for AirB&B and the mum has perhaps seen it as a way of generating income. But if she did stay somewhere else (someone up thread mentioned the car) then she hasn't thought it all through carefully. There is too much risk involved.

She could at a push rent the room out but imho only if she is lying somewhere where she'd hear it if the guest got up and started roaming the house. So that she'd know if they were anywhere near her children.

But as others have said, it's an absolutely desperate way to make money with children in the house. For all we know they may well be desperate though.

Ideally she would be reading this thread and take it all on board, so that you don't need to involve SS but at the same time she never does anything like this again. It's crazy.

I wouldn’t judge them based on a snippet of conversation heard through a door, you’re making a huge amount of assumptions. It sounds like you don’t really get the premise of air b&b - it’s not a hotel. Hosts don’t have to list the quantity and ages of their children - it sounds like you knew from the listing that you were staying in someone’s family home.

I’m an air b&b host and yesterday my DS was rolling around on the floor in front of our lovely guests saying ‘I’m an egg’ at one point - not ideal and he was quickly shushed - but they were delighted, had a great stay and left perfect feedback - because they knew they were staying in a family home and were fine with that.

I wouldn’t rent a room out with Airbnb with kids in the house. All very strange.

I'm kinda confused that you were fine with a sofabed in a randoms living room for accommodation tbh

personally i thinks its wrong to have strangers in your home where under 18s live. No safeguarding there whatsoever

You don’t actually know for sure what occurred. Just forget it and don’t book there again.

I’d report to social services for the area in writing.

I would not assume anything- it’s people assuming the best which means that things like this get missed over and become worse. If she did just pop out for milk she can explain that and show her bank statement and that’s the end of it.

I would report it. It's not your decision to decide if the situation you described puts the children at risk but it is someone else's job to make sure they are safe. Always report if any element of doubt and let the safeguarding team decide.

I would call children’s services and report. It may be nothing at all, in which case they will look at it and find no problem, or these kids may be at risk, in which case SS should be involved. Will take a few minutes to make the call and you’ll know you’ve done what you can. I personally always worry about the worst case scenario.

I'd report it to the local children's services. Anyone happy to have unvetted strangers around their children overnight is irresponsible.

I would assume that she'd just popped out that morning for milk or bread or something! Highly unlikely that she'd been out all night leaving young children in the house with 2 strangers in her front room. Also, might not her partner have been upstairs in bed?

Poor kids. Where was it?

I would call the safeguarding team local to where you were staying. Eg - type in safeguarding plus harrow and chat to them.

I don't think it would be reasonable to say "we have kids" on the listing as that might attract weirdos.

She was probably just out briefly in the morning, and what about the dad? Kid could have been moaning but perfectly safe...

It’s quite a stretch to assume she was out all night, op?
Far more likely she ran out of milk and popped to the shop.

Maybe she went to sleep in the car because the front room sofa bed is where she normally sleeps. Or she went out to work on the night shift. If so, I would feel bad that she needed the money so much. Did she look like she came back from a night out on the tiles?

It is really unsafe to leave her children with strangers overnight.

But you do not know how long she was out of the house so I don't think you should report her.

It depends if she'd nipped out for milk before they woke up, or if she'd left them overnight. I don't know how you find out which it was in order to take any further action, without asking the host, and unlikely if the latter you'd get the truth unfortunately.

^

If she had just nipped to the shop why wouldn't she say she's just nipping to the shop? Especially with an 8 year old in the house.

Id say if they'd left the kids overnight with just you there asleep that's pretty unlikely.
It's more probably the kid was confused and maybe they hadn't had many air b&b guests before. And hadn't adequately explained it to the kid. There's no actual evidence of abandonment or safeguarding concerns I don't think just based on that overheard convo.
I'd say don't use them again though. A set up with a front room in a house that may not have been explained, with hosts plus kids is bound to feel a little off.

I don't know the laws about it but to my mind it is a bit negligent to host strangers in your house when you have children anyway, especially in communal spaces like the living room. Leaving then alone even to nip to the shop is not on. I think this is a bit off generally and I think I would tell someone, yes. It is possible you have got the ages completely wrong but that can be cleared up if necessary.

As a rule I'd say it's not your place to judge, but it is your place to raise the alarm if you're worried and let someone qualified judge.

I would assume she just nipped up the road for some milk rather than somewhere overnight.
I do however worry that you could have been complete weirdos and she’s putting her children in a very vulnerable position.

Maybe the shushing was she didn't want to wake you. Or, didn't want you to assume she'd left her kids alone when she'd only been out for minute. Or all night - but you don't know that. If you didn't hear her go out in the evening then she must've already been out, and the dch were on their own until you got back?

I don't think a responsible parent would have strangers paying to stay in their front room with full access to their children. Which makes me also think that she probably did leave them. Clearly her responsibility and stranger danger radar is switched off. Could you anonymously report?