Airbnb Host taking the piss

[crikeymikey123]

I’m staying in an Airbnb and working from my laptop. The Wi-Fi in my room was unreliable, and I had an important meeting, so I moved into the kitchen. The host suggested I use the spare bedroom instead for more privacy, and I’ve been working in there ever since. Some of her laundry was drying in the room.
After work, she walked in without knocking to collect a few items while I was in the middle of an important video interview. She also asked me to remove my own drying laundry from the room. Separately, I’ve asked her each night to turn the heating on, but she hasn’t.
Am I being unreasonable to expect her to knock before entering?

Ok well next time find an arrangement that doesn’t lead to you being a CF in someone’s house.

After work

Not unreasonable of her to think that after work, you would have moved out of the room, she had kindly extended use of. Drying your clothes in there is also not on.

The Airbnb host is not the one taking the piss here.

If the WiFi and set up aren't working, you need to find somewhere else.

Sounds unstable and not cosy.

You are being such a CF. Use the room you’ve paid for. You’ll be hanging up your damp knickers in the sitting room next.

Did she say that home working was okay before you booked?

personally I’d have booked a place that was all for me to avoid this.

People seem to forget this was the original idea behind Airbnb - to rent out your spare room, not whole properties.
Your host suggested you use the room to work in. She did not say you could dry laundry etc. I’m with the host on that point. But she should have knocked if she thought you were still working in the room, even if just a warning knock that she was coming in.

I don’t think she realised you were in there - did you have headphones on so the meeting wasn’t obvious to her ?

You're being unreasonable, you rented a room, not her spare room to work or hang laundry. I also don't think you're reasonable carrying out work calls in her kitchen as you have access to cook, not hang out their all day taking work calls and essentially commendering it as your space.

ideally you need to find a co-working space or ask if you can remote work at the place you're doing your in-person meetings. If that's not possible you need to sort your own WiFi to work in the room you are renting. I expect the host is counting down the days til you leave to be honest.

This.

@crikeymikey123 well and truly didn’t envisage the thread going this way!

Live and learn @crikeymikey123 . Next time you need accommodation and an
Office space for 3 weeks - don’t be a tight ass. Get yourself your own air BnB or a hotel room

I think it’s quite odd to rent a bedroom in someone’s house and spend all day working in it. She probably wasn’t expecting you to do that.

Cant you find a co-working space to use in the day?

Of course they can. They’ve rented out a bedroom, not a co-working space/office.

What I would do if I were you op is

1. understand the Airbnb host is not taking the piss. You are
2. find a suitable alternative. Either a WiFi extender (you purchase) for the room you have actually rented; or find one of those shared work spots/coffee shop type places

She kindly let you use a room you haven't rented to work in. Why are you drying your laundry in there? That should - obviously- be done in your own room.

I wouldn't have thought that renting a room in someone's house was the best option for you to be using for work in any event. Renting a private apartment would be more suitable.

I can see I'm in a minority, but i think YABU. Its her house and not the room you are renting. If the wi-fi doesn't work well enough in your room then you should talk to her about a solution to that. If she let's you work in another room then thats great. But its her room and she is using it too. If you have meetings I think you need to tell her and request she doesn't come in.

She was probably expecting people to rent the room and then be out most of the day, not providing office space and Teams ready WiFi.

Ahahahaaa you can't just use another room without permission!! She only allowed it for the wifi not for laundry!

Read the thread maybe before saying you’re in the minority 😆

As PP have said this sort of arrangement was exactly what AirBnB was set up for, before it became primarily a platform for self-contained short-term lets. I used AirBnB a lot in the early days, renting rooms in people's homes all around the world. I think expecting to treat someone's home like a hotel is really cheeky. It should be more like a cross between a B&B (where traditionally you were expected to make yourself scarce after breakfast and not come back until bedtime) and staying as a guest in someone's home. Expecting to WFH full-time without asking if that was ok is unreasonable. Taking over a spare room and expecting exclusive use of it well into the evening is unreasonable. Using the drying racks in the spare room without permission is unreasonable. I think you need to find yourself somewhere that is self-contained, check into a hotel or find a suitable co-working space.

I thought the same, but the vote is the other way round. I can only assume people have voted without understanding the actual position and thinking the host is walking into the room OP has actually paid for 🤦🏻‍♀️.

OP this sounds like a really weird way to work and a false economy. If you are intent on staying there, could you swap so you have the room with the WiFi (and your wet washing) instead of the one allocated?

You said it was "after work " so she probably didn't expect you to still be in that room and assumed you'd finished for the day and returned to your rented room. That would explain why she didn't knock. Maybe dry your clothes in your room, she can't object to that.

Actually my bad, that’s not what the vote says at all - apologies it’s been along day!!!! Second bit of my post still stands though!

The Wi-Fi worked in one room but not another? How weird and annoying.

But yeah she should have knocked.
I guess maybe she wasn't used to guests being in there?

I guess just leave a truthful review that there was no Wi-Fi in the room and you needed to take a meeting but the room she gave you for that was also in use by her. So a bit awkward for both of you.

Was basing it on the votes mainly. Read a few comments and some of OPs comments. To be fair, as I hit 'post' I saw some other comments but was too late....

Was assuming most voters were thinking of an Airbnb most of us have where you have the whole place, not a room in someone's house.

This is in fact the original purpose of Airbnb.

OP no, if you're in a spare room then it's not your exclusive room and you shouldn't expect the same privacy as you get in your bedroom. Working from an Airbnb room in a host's house is always a dodgy proposition.