Airbnb guest let her dogs loose in my garden

[willowwonder]

I live on the same row of houses as an Airbnb. The Airbnb is in the middle of the row. My house and garden is at the end of the row, where there is a dropped kerb, and an open driveway/parking area leading into the garden. So there is no gate, just the driveway opening. Garden has usual garden things, like kids toys, sheds, raised planters, etc.

This morning, the Airbnb guest walked right past us putting kids in the car, she turned into my driveway, and walked into my garden - with 2 dogs. I was strapping the toddler in and honestly took me a few seconds to register what was going on. Once she reached the grass in the garden, she let the 2 dogs off the lead! And then they were running around my garden!! She was sort of wandering about, looking at my raised beds, totally casual.

So DH followed her and called after her "what are you doing??" I couldn't hear her reply but after a few seconds they both appeared back. The dogs were running about. One jumped into my car. I pushed it out and DH got in the car, sort of rolling his eyes. I heard the woman say "I was told it was dog friendly here...". Haha - what, in my garden!??

This is an absolutely wild thing for her to do, right?? The Airbnb isn't even next door. Like, there is no world in which she would have thought my garden was part of her Airbnb property. She just walked down the street, past a few houses, past ME and into my garden, to let her dogs run around it. Presumably to poo.

What on earth could have been going through her head??

AIBU to think this is INSANE behaviour?

Wow!

She's got a nerve. Did she at least apologise?

That is insane behaviour. Her reply shows how prepared she was for confrontation - she clearly has something weird about her where she wants to do what she likes, then face people down instead of apologising

I can't give an opinion until I know what she said about why she let her dogs off in your garden. It might be obvious to the average person it was a private garden but was she under the impression it was communal space? Did she apologise? If not she's either very odd or a really blatant cheeky fucker.

I don't think she said why. I wish it had been me that went after her instead of DH to be honest! He's not great at details 😆
He said she said she was just letting the dogs go for a wee. I don't know what he said to that, and then they were all coming out the garden, and that's when the dog jumped into the car and all I heard was the comment about being dog friendly. I didn't hear her apologise, DH never mentioned it either.

I don't think you could mistake it for a communal area. It's just a garden.

I would complain to the owner or Airbnb.

100% agree with this. The owner is the only person's opinion she will care about, so you have to let this person know.

Complain to the owner or AirBnB direct.

Was this your front garden, or are you saying she actually went round the back of the house?
I mean, either is wrong, but I was a bit confused by you saying there were kids toys there. Round my way, if anything is left in your front garden, you don't expect it to be there for long!

I would have been livid if someone's dog got in my car - especially with the children in there!

How bizarre! Does the air bnb have its own garden? I can’t fathom what would have lead her to this.

Well you (or DH) just say ‘this is private property please remove your dogs’ and stand there til she does it. Of course it’s not on. Also inform the owner of the property to make it clear in her description that dogs are not allowed in any other gardens (shouldn’t need saying but people). Also a sign saying ‘private property’ if it’s not totally obvious (and even if it is as, you know, people).
I have an Airbnb in a holiday park. I make it clear in my description that dogs are allowed but must be kept on leads when walking around the park. I remind them of this when I send them directions and key codes a couple days before arrival. Still get complaints from the park caretakers about guests letting dogs off lead.

Well I hope your dh told her it’s a private garden and she mustn’t do it again otherwise the dogs will be shitting in your garden all week.

There must be a reason she thought that space was available to her dogs. I'd have to talk to her to find out what it is.

Complain to the owner and get a gate

I may need a diagram, because the way you describe makes it sound like it could possibly confused for a communal area. If it's at the end of a row, and there's nothing gating it off, quite often that sort of indicates a communal area/council land.

YANBU. But could you provide a map just so we can continued to be incredulous and outraged on your behalf ? In my head she must have thought it was communal garden.

The world has officially gone mad. Standards of behaviour are just down the toilet.

Also I think we should do something (parish councils for example) to prevent people setting up a BUSINESS in a residential street.

Wow, she’s a brazen cheeky fucker!

Are you living in a rural touristy type place? I do and I’d have threatened to get my gun and shoot the dogs for trespassing, to see how she reacted.

We have a very long drive - 200 metres - and I once had 3 male bikers parked up at the entrance having a wee in my bushes! I think they thought it was the entrance to a field but I was still bloody livid.

I can’t make up any excuses for her. And I tie myself up in knots trying to see the other side of an argument.

You have described it very well OP. I can i
sgu e it perfectly.

perhaps she thought your car was also communal. A bus, maybe? 🤔

We lived next door to a guest house. After 1 guest walked into our home we kept the door locked. Numerous middle of the night knocking asking if we had rooms.
The guest house had a huge B&B sign.
We did not.
Some people are just thick.

Do you confront your customers? That can’t be great for the other properties nearby.

Typical entitled dog owner. The world’s full of them.

This. You need to let them know and speak to her.

Is this your front garden, hence no gate? I'd be looking up the Airbnb listing to see what is says about access to garden space then depending what is written in there, complain to owner of property.

Is there any way she could have thought that your garden was a piece of public land? Was she from this country or potentially somewhere where any private land would be fenced off and inaccessible?

We used to have an unfenced side garden that people occasionally let their dogs run on because they seemed to think it was part of the street, rather than a private garden, if that makes sense?

You're going to need to contact the owner and let them know your property is off limits to their customers, dogs or no dogs and they need to make their customers aware.