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?

I wonder what state the AirBnB is going to be in when she leaves.

I lived in flats which had a communal garden. We once had two mums and their young children plop themselves down in it for a picnic. It really didn't look like a public park. I am not sure what possessed them.

You’d be fine with a random dog jumping in your car with kids too?

So, she presumably thought that your driveway was your driveway - because why would there be a 'communal driveway' - presumably in the Airbnb listing it gives details of where she should park her car and entrance/ entry points - yet she also thought the garden to the side of your driveway was 'communal' - yeah she's either not playing with a full deck or she just likes taking the piss.

I hope your DH clearly told her that it was your private garden - you don't want her doing that again! Also, fancy letting the dogs off the lead if they presumably have form for jumping in people's cars. What a pain for you - hope she's gone soon.

Great diagram 😊 you need a gate.

That's absolutely bonkers! People wandering around her house twice!!! How do their minds work?! Hope your friend could find the funny side of it, demanding coffees, I'd have steam coming out of my ears!!

This is too much. I’m sitting here reading and every outrageous story gets an ‘oh FUCK OFF’ and there isn’t even anyone in the house with me, I’m just saying it to myself! Complain to anyone you can. And tell them to fuck off, hopefully they’ll put it in their review and the owner will do something about it.

Can you leave them a review on airbnb?

They might be there at the moment, but that doesn’t make it right. Holiday lets belong in purpose built areas, not mixed among people trying to live their regular lives.

Excellent diagram. You have clearly been here for a while.

(Dog lady is bat shit)

My last place had previously been 3 properties owned by one family. We lived in the middle cottage that had been previous owners home, next door barn conversion was bought by previous owners DD, and farm house other side that had been run as a B&B by previous owner was bought by another family. Barn used to be used as an AirBNB, in the orginal spirit of it letting their spare bedroom (2 bed property) as a micro B&B, they had a keysafe for if they weren't there. House next door also had key safe from previous owner and current owner used it for a spare key.
We had all got to know previous owner, and so NDN didn't feel any need to change key safe code. So both key safes had the same code.

NDN both sides were away and barn NDN had guests coming. It was dark, but even so the house and barn conversion look nothing like each other. Any way their guests turned up let themselves in, pondered over the fact that none of the pictures on AirBNB had a Aga or a log burner featured, went to bed, helped themselves to breakfast. Next day they went for a walk and instantly found the barn!!

They were only a young couple who were mortified by their mistake, but we all thought it was hilarious, bit of a goldilocks vibe!!

Agreed. Although you can have annoying owner occupier neighbours too!

Totally entitled behaviour. The mind boggles!

The only person I know like that is bipolar

id be building a house in the garden, selling both houses and buying a house elsewhere with the proceeds

its a shame people can't ever seem to say "sorry I got that wrong and wont do it again" instead they talk shit about it being dog friendly etc

I did think that.

But it would make more sense if Op wasn't parked in there!

YANBU! Some people are so entitled!

We had this with a German AirBnb-type guest at a neighbouring house letting their dog run through our house and into the back garden. I was furious - they were horrified! Not at their dog but at me for daring to not welcome their dog into our home! They also said that they’d been told the dog could use the garden. I pointed out that that did not extend to everybody’s gardens.

There are no fences between our gardens at the back but there is about 40 metres between our house and the neighbour’s. It’s quite obvious which garden belongs to each house as well.

We told our neighbour - he said that the guests left the place in an awful mess. He no longer welcomes dogs there.

Maybe she was American? More likely, just weird,

Excellent diagram @willowwonder and yes, that woman was insane and rude and entitled.

you can find the AirBnB listing on the Airbnb website and contact the owners directly through their listing.

It would be a good idea for the OP to contact the Airbnb owner and ask that they make it clear to guests when they make a reservation, that the gardens of neighbouring homes are PRIVATE.

My neighbour rents out their property as an Airbnb intermittently. I've had people park on my garden because there is no parking at that property. I've had dogs in my garden. Really nasty druggy types and loud shouty people. People who rent out their homes don't give a fuk about their neighbours. I used to use Airbnbs but since being on the receiving end, I use hotels.

All the people slagging off dog owners - yeah, we're just a homogeneous lump 🙄

I lived in between holiday cottages a few years ago.
Some people stayed in the next-door one who were, I believe, friends of the owner. Anyway, they obviously didn't believe in car parks, & left their pet car partly on my front lawn, just as I was about to mow said lawn. I carefully mowed around it, put lawn mower away, & the stupid bitch got in her car & reversed into my (inches high) fence.. it was there to show that that was MY property boundary & not the cottage owners garden.
Cottage rental co. didn't want to know, so I hung up & phoned the police. She got away with the damage.Obviously one law for rich folk & none for us normal ones.
She left some receipts blowing round the garden for her new bra, too. Victoria's secret. Flat tits, lol. Bitter? Me? ;-)

Sympaathyfrom me OP. We live in a group of similar properties with one really annoying absent landlord renting out to dog owners and not being around for problems. Often with three or four dogs barking all day long,sometimes their owners have gone out and left them.

We had a hilarious incident when husband and I were having a coffee in dressing gowns in our garden and suddenly a woman with a dog appeared nonchalantly going for a walk right past us sitting by the pond. I said, “Can I help you?” and she said that she was taking her dog for a walk. When I explained that this was our private garden (the airbnb has its own fenced private garden) she said “Well there was a five bar gate”😜I told her that was the entrance to our field/garden and she didn’t even look embarrassed or apologise just huffily turned around. Rude.

Next day husband nailed on a Private notice😆

This! There are soooo many dogs around nowadays, in Cafes, Restaurants, shops etc, none of which I think are appropriate environments for dogs (and I say this as an ex dog owner myself). I was looking at some nice clothes in a large Garden Centre’s indoor shop recently, and had to alert other customers to a massive dog shit some ignorant dog owner had just walked away from, so they didn’t step in it. Felt so sorry for the member of staff who had to clean it up.

We live behind a very large secondary school

I cannot count the amount of times I've left work (shift worker) got off the bus and walked down onto my street and been unable to walk on the pavement because of the amount of cars that are parked (engines still going and from 2:30pm-school ends at 3:20pm) on it and I'm forced to walk on the road (with cars coming towards/behind me and im still the one in the wrong)

Many is the time I've found a car parked on my drive and the driver is like 'i'll only be a minute!' or 'there's nowhere else to park!'

I don't give a fuck-its my drive and I don't want them on it!

I've been very tempted to find out where THEY live and get dp to park on THEIR drive-when they come out to kick off,ill smirk at them like they do to me and say 'ill only be a minute' or 'theres nowhete else to park' (I wont but i can dream)

Entitled fuckers,they soon kick off if others did it to them