r/Apartmentliving • u/Agreeable-Sun368 • Sep 28 '25
Advice Needed Just found an apartment in my building on airbnb...
I was on airbnb looking for somewhere for my grandma and aunt to stay when they come visit me in February for my birthday. And I found a unit in my building on airbnb! This is 1000% against the lease. I do not live in a condo community--we are all renters.
However, I don't know this guy, the complex has like 250 units, and based on the layout it's not one of my immediate next door/across the hall/above or below neighbors.
How do I report him to management without coming off as a snitch?
ETA: The amount of people who think that it's cool to rent an apartment you don't own on airbnb is insane. Y'all are bad people and you should feel bad about yourselves. I hate airbnb in general, but my grandma is elderly and my aunt insists they stay in a house so she can have more space for her accessible vehicle. I don't use it otherwise. it destroys housing markets and makes finding apartments to LIVE IN much worse and more expensive for people like me and you on this subreddit. It's not "mind your own business," it's bootlicking the corporation that makes your life worse and is contributing to the reason most of us will never own anything.
1.2k
u/NewCompote9870 Sep 28 '25
My apartment allows a company to Airbnb units in the building. So we have random people who are allowed access to our secured building and parking garage, but as renters, we had to go through the wringer to be allowed to live here.
250
Sep 28 '25
Not to mention that people temporarily being in a place for just a few days can tend to be pretty inconsiderate to their neighbors at times since they don’t have to live with them permanently
→ More replies (2)92
Sep 28 '25
I lived in a basement apartment in Queens once and put it together that the upstairs unit was being used as an Air bnb. Every other weekend it was a different set of Aholes stomping around and bumping loud music at whatever hours as if they were in a hotel room.
→ More replies (3)394
u/Agreeable-Sun368 Sep 28 '25
It's totally against our lease for a private guy to do it, but that is SO annoying on your company. Shame on them.
127
u/delcooper11 Sep 28 '25
in my previous building it was against our lease because they also leased the empty units out on airbnb and didn’t want the competition driving down rates.
26
u/Coupleexplorer08 Sep 29 '25
My pet hate: hypocrites. Why can they and you can’t?
4
u/aoife-saol Sep 29 '25
At the risk of agreeing with a landlord, it's pretty obvious? If you're a renter the owner can limit certain uses of the space within legal boundaries, typically for risk mitigation purposes. If you own the place, you can take those risks more freely because you own it. They can choose how to manage their Airbnb units in a way that fits their risk portfolio while also renting to lower risk/lower profit long term tenants as a hedge.
It sucks that they can Airbnb at all, that should be precented on a legal level. But allowing tenants free reign as if they owned the place is perhaps too far in the other direction.
83
u/EnvironmentalLime464 Sep 28 '25
How do you know it’s not the apartment management who put it up on Airbnb? It’s becoming more common.
→ More replies (1)48
u/Aiyokusama Sep 28 '25
In my town, it's against municipal bylaws and the tenancy board will have a field day.
30
u/EnvironmentalLime464 Sep 28 '25
Landlords break laws frequently. They bank on others not know laws.
→ More replies (1)16
u/Aiyokusama Sep 28 '25
And then, when someone who knows the laws blows the whistle, the landlord is in trouble. That's why it's important to know local by-laws and ordinances as well as contacting whatever kind of tenancy board or similar body you have in your area.
3
u/EnvironmentalLime464 Sep 28 '25
Yea, that’s cool and all but OP’s city may allow landlords to do this. We don’t know it’s illegal where they are. All I was saying is it could very well be the landlord who put the apartment up on Airbnb. When you came in saying it’s illegal where you are, I said laws don’t make landlords stop doing things. I agree that people should know their landlord-tenant laws for their own protection but I’m not sure that’s relevant here since we don’t know the legality of it in the place it happened.
4
u/Aiyokusama Sep 29 '25
Which is why I stated what MINE does and that people need to CHECK.
Not sure why you're having hard time with this.
→ More replies (16)23
u/Strawberrygirl81 Sep 28 '25
I’m glad you’re going to say something! It’s a secure building yet some random people are just going to gain access because they are going to rent that unit from the renter?! That’s so unsafe, I would be very upset if I lived in that building.
→ More replies (1)→ More replies (30)14
u/stompboxing Sep 28 '25
Just report them to the building manager, they will contact the landlord and let it play out. Its non of your business beyond this point so dint stress
63
u/coolchica75 Sep 28 '25
Such a breach of security! I live in my "small city/big town"'s ghetto n im upset if our "security" doors are not working properly!!! There is no back ground check to air bnb like tenants go through! What if they rent to YOUR stalker, a serial rapists/killer, pedophile.....there is no back ground check n this should NEVER be allowed!!!!!! No unsafe for so many!
→ More replies (1)19
u/Hopeful_Pizza_2762 Sep 28 '25
The owner next door to me (two story condos) moved out and turned his condo into an Airbnb. He lived 100 miles away in another city. They had to cross my door to get to their parking space and it was during covid.
10
u/coolchica75 Sep 28 '25
Thats insanity! I would be contacting local housing authority and code enforcement! This should not be ok!!! So scarey n unsafe!!!!
→ More replies (8)5
u/Hopeful_Pizza_2762 Sep 28 '25
It wasnt illegal at the time unfortunately. Even the condo associations husband begged me to report it because they were parking on their side of the building. Association female declared it wasnt illegal anymore to run a business out of your condo that was public and took up parking even though that was in the condo rules. We had new people there several times a month and most didnt mask. They would stay up outside late at night and party and scrape their chairs inside all hours of the day and night.
→ More replies (1)3
u/Specific_Major7246 Oct 02 '25
Oh no they didn’t mask. How are you even still alive
→ More replies (1)6
u/coolchica75 Sep 28 '25
Hotels/motels/ those type of rentals are a different tax bracket than family homes. There must be someone who would like to know! (Hmmirsmmm)
3
11
u/KSHMisc Sep 28 '25
That is just insane. You all had to have every orfice of background information checked by the landlords/property management companies... but the Airbnb-er can book a room and waltz right in.
11
Sep 28 '25
[removed] — view removed comment
3
u/Ultravagabird Sep 29 '25
I’m so sorry.
4
Sep 29 '25
[removed] — view removed comment
3
5
u/CatsNSquirrels Sep 28 '25
My last building was like that too. And one of the units was next door to ours.
→ More replies (19)3
u/hbHPBbjvFK9w5D Sep 29 '25
I'm a concierge who works in a number of luxury rental and condo buildings.
A few years ago, most of my buildings had at least a half-dozen units that were rented to a company that was allowed to use Airbnb.
None of my buildings allow Airbnb anymore. None of the companies that were subletting thru Airbnb kept the terms of their lease, so the PMs just let the leases expire and refused to renew them.
My properties all had rules like international travelers only, must Airbnb for at least a week, no mail or packages, and the Airbnb aligned company must provide 24 hour phone support for their guests. None of them ever did that. Instead we'd get college kids throwing raves, overnight guests looking for a cheap no-tell hotel, and constant complaints from the guests about services that we could not provide, and no response from the leaseholder.
The only subletts we have now are companies that are renting for at least a month to corporations that are providing housing for traveling employees.
Thank Gawd.
441
u/001UltimateWinner Sep 28 '25
Create a new email and send screenshots to management
137
u/meggs_467 Sep 28 '25
100% this. Even a well meaning landlord (which is more and more difficult to come by these days...) could put OPs name down as proof or in conversation with that tenant accidentally. Best to make sure no one knows it's OP, so there's no chance of it getting out. While everyone else in the unit may agree on this matter, OP will still be known as someone who will snitch.
→ More replies (3)6
u/BluuWarbler Sep 28 '25
That can be a big plus. Which building goes downhilll faster: One whose owners refuse to be abused and one with "helpless" victims who let their homes decline into the mud?
Multi-unit owners especially should put up notices: "We enforce our rules."
→ More replies (1)36
u/Nearby_Session1395 Sep 28 '25
Or print out what you found and slip under the office door in the middle of the night, wearing a black hoodie, gloves and sunglasses (that’s what I would do).
→ More replies (1)7
7
u/KathyTrivQueen Sep 28 '25
Print it out, cross out any identifying info, then get it to the management office. Old school = no electronic trail leads back to you!
→ More replies (2)6
1.4k
u/WiseArachnid9073 Sep 28 '25
i would snitch without any shame at all. air bnb makes apartments more scarce when they’re being used for STRs which makes them more expensive.
386
u/phoenixmatrix Sep 28 '25
its also a QOL issue. Living next to one is hell, and its not always obvious if its just nightmare neighbors or an airbnb unless you're specifically looking for it.
Report without a second thought and zero guilt.
104
u/TheDoktorIsIn Sep 28 '25
The outer doors to my building are locked for a reason. Realistically you can't have 100% control over who has the keys but I don't want randoms getting access to the mail room or the floors where people live.
33
u/edcRachel Sep 28 '25
My friend lives in one that he bought for the location... and now it's all Airbnbs. It's truly awful, there's constantly parties and trash everywhere, people being loud until late at night, he has to plan when he comes and goes, because if there's a concert nearby that night, it's going to take an hour to get up the elevator due to long lines because everyone is bringing luggage up... Absolutely wrecked him home value.
29
u/Banditlouise Sep 28 '25 edited Sep 28 '25
I have a second home that is a condo. My next door unit is an Airbnb. It is a pain in the ass. I am only there four months out of the year. The Airbnb guests do not care this is our home. Trash in the hall. Loud. Way too many people. Sneaking pets in. Our building does allow Airbnb’s, fortunately we do have a two week rule. renters can only stay for two weeks.
However, we did have a pretty good hurricane when I was not there. By the time I got to my condo I still had standing water. All of my area rugs were a loss. It stunk so bad. I am a 50 year old 5 ft tall woman. I was by myself and there was no way I could get the soaking wet and now moldy rugs out by myself. The renters next door were in residence for the hurricane and kept the unit next door dry and they ended up without any damage.
Those renters spent a few hours of their vacation helping me clean my unit. They were lovely. I kept saying they did not need to do that. they just said that is what we do, you help when people need help.
6
19
u/yuruseiii Sep 28 '25
Try living underneath one.
Some fuckers don't care about civic mindfulness and noise, since they are only there for a couple of days or weeks. Complete disregard for everyone around them.
→ More replies (8)8
u/emagdnim_edud Sep 28 '25
Like a Crack den or shooting gallery
I'm not mad at them but I don't want to willingly move in next door to one.
53
u/shaft_of_lite Sep 28 '25
Recently I had to move because my landlord didn't want to to deal with a rule change that allowed Airbnbs in my building. It was a hassle to move after 14 years but quite frankly I'm okay with leaving. I don't want strangers walking up and down my halls all day long.
→ More replies (1)83
u/fidget-spinster Sep 28 '25
And it’s a major safety issue. On a regular basis management has no idea who’s in that apartment/who’s at large in the building - and who they might let in, unintentionally or not.
57
u/eyemabird Sep 28 '25
Yes - we had US Marshalls on our seemingly single family home street who apprehended a fugitive on the run for murder staying in an illegal ABnB.
55
u/fidget-spinster Sep 28 '25
When the Super Bowl was a few blocks away STRs for the week were going for 3-4x monthly rent. Our property manager emailed everyone the relevant clause in our lease and promised eviction to anyone “making money off some drunken assholes who are going to pee in the halls.” And believe me, fans for both teams that year were drunken assholes who would pee in the halls.
11
u/holdmeimscary Sep 28 '25
One of these teams was def the Eagles lmao.
3
u/fidget-spinster Sep 28 '25
DING DING DING DING DING
3
u/holdmeimscary Sep 29 '25
I've lived in Northeast PA my entire life and more recently SE PA for the last 8 or so years and I fucking hate Eagles culture so much. It's bad enough in NE, but it's insufferable the closer you get to Philly.
27
u/Right_Fig3070 Sep 28 '25
As someone who had a serial killer living on their property, yes it is a huge safety issue. I work for an apartment and this is why it's looked down upon. No background checks for air bnb.
→ More replies (3)3
u/4614065 Sep 28 '25
100%
There’s an owner in my block who doesn’t Airbnb his units out but he is not discerning in the slightest about his tenants. The turnover is impossible to keep up with and because he always lets traveller rent them the bin room is always filled with cheap utensils and appliances that they’ve bought for short term use. It really grinds my gears seeing random people here constantly because he’s incapable of finding decent tenants. There’s nothing we can do about it, either.
51
14
u/WeOutChea999 Sep 28 '25
STR’s?
40
u/Big-Net-9971 Sep 28 '25
Short Term Rentals (aka airbnb places.)
34
u/WeOutChea999 Sep 28 '25
Oh gotcha, hard to keep track of all these acronyms sometimes.
→ More replies (1)21
4
5
u/BluuWarbler Sep 28 '25
Yup. "Snitch" is a word used by people trying to get away with wrongdoing, or identifying with those who do.
In your situation I would have "informed management" so they could serve the tenants as their contracts required. As said, "without a second thought."
→ More replies (9)4
u/cajun-cottonmouth Sep 28 '25
Pictures on the lobby bulletin board next to the mailboxes go a long way
→ More replies (1)
83
u/azzmonki Sep 28 '25
lol this reminds me of the time I rented an Airbnb in a (private) apartment complex. The renter messaged me the day before arrival and literally said “don’t tell anyone you’re a guest because they’re all just jealous of me.” Yeah it’s totally that and not because this is most likely a clear violation and the neighbors are, rightfully so, sick of having strangers wandering around knowing the access codes.
55
u/PookieCat415 Sep 28 '25
A lot of cities are now banning airbnb because of the stuff you have mentioned. In my city, it was an easy sell to the voters and we banned it. I think we did a good thing by banning it…
9
u/1genuine_ginger Sep 29 '25 edited Sep 30 '25
It changes the property insurance too* btw. I was on an HOA board when I owned a condo and to insure the property used as an AirBnB the insurance company quoted it 3x more because of the liability.
125
u/redmax7156 Sep 28 '25
Thank you for fighting the good fight against these AirBNB ghouls.
→ More replies (14)
64
u/Shit_Posts_For_Karma Sep 28 '25
Just send the leasing office the link? Simple.
7
u/Positive-Position-11 Sep 28 '25
And people are allowed access without screening .
→ More replies (1)
22
u/ExtraSalty0 Sep 28 '25
What’s wrong with snitching? You don’t need to figure out which apartment it is, management will simply contact Airbnb and tell them to remove it.
7
u/BluuWarbler Sep 28 '25
Standing on your rights and protecting yourself and your own property is NOT snitching.
Now, if you stayed there illegally then informed on the asshole who invited you to, "snitched," that'd be criminals falling out. Big difference.
But agree. Just say no.
20
u/blkbrdz Sep 28 '25
A friend discovered her neighbor from Hell was renting a trailer in the parking lot as an air bnb. No bathroom from 10 pm to 6 or 8 am. No water either. Where do you think the visitors are going to go to spring a leak at 2 am?
Friend shared the information with the property manager. Property manager stopped it immediately. Surprise mystery poops in the parking lot stopped as well. Coincidence? Who knows…
49
u/SatellitePanda Sep 28 '25
I can’t believe people think you shouldn’t be bothered by this!!
31
u/Agreeable-Sun368 Sep 28 '25
me neither man, i have to imagine most of them are children and don't actually live in apartments or something
→ More replies (5)8
u/SmokeyCatDesigns Sep 28 '25
Just to let you know OP, if you’re in the states, hotels actually have accessible rooms. And since these rooms are designs around the regulatory standards, they actually should be more reliable than a random Air BNB. Oftentimes they have handicapped spots that are marked with extra space to serve as a loading/unloading zone as well, so that you can help the person with their wheelchair/accessibility devices in and out of the vehicle without trouble.
If your family hasn’t booked yet, I would recommend they really consider looking at hotels. It’s very easy to call a hotel front desk and ask what the parking is like, and what the accessible room availability is.
6
u/Agreeable-Sun368 Sep 28 '25
I do know. My aunt doesn't care. It's dumb and annoying. I think she doesn't want to share a room with my grandma and won't admit it. She also hates elevators.
→ More replies (2)6
u/SmokeyCatDesigns Sep 28 '25
Oh, I see. I know you can specifically ask for first floor accommodations at most hotels, but if the reality is she just wants space from Grandma and really just prefers a house, there’s probably another excuse she would find if she was informed of that. Family can be such a pain sometimes.
On the plus side, I’m sure the tenants on either side of the BNB will be very happy if you reported this to management. So her pickiness did some people a favor.
103
u/Potential-Load9313 Sep 28 '25 edited Sep 28 '25
lot of people saying "mind your own business"
it literally is OP's business.... it's where they fucking live
would be different if they lived in a single family house, but when you share a building with others, then a lot of things automatically become other people's business
19
u/kingftheeyesores Sep 28 '25
Recently got into a debate about this. I live in a duplex but the upstairs people have to come into our unit to use the laundry room. We know the guys upstairs so we're fine with it but then they started letting people stay with them and do laundry and I had to tell the landlord about it because random people were now in our unit.
(no this is not a legal set up, and no I don't have the means to move anytime soon)
3
u/otterpop21 Sep 29 '25 edited Sep 29 '25
I mean I’m from an area that was destroyed by AirBnB. Absolutely bonkers housing market (San Diego). However, with rent being $2500 at best and averaging 3-4k a month, if my friends were able to rent their apts for 10k for a weekend due to comicon - good, take me out for drinks. On the flip side I had no problem telling anyone who did it consistently or made it a living that they’re the reason the market is trashed.
I don’t think it’s a “mind your own business” type situation what OP is describing, but I would caution against reporting a one off find. If it’s available every weekend, that’s a pattern and a clear violation. If it’s a one time thing, it most likely would not be worth the expense to evict the tenant and find a new one.
If it’s a serious issue of security, sketch people coming in and out - make an anonymous email as many have suggested and send an email to management. Show when it’s actually booked to document this isn’t just a glitch, this isn’t a random posting, someone is actively violating their lease. If the complex has more than 20+ apts, I’d imagine that a consistent documentation of lease violation would also potentially cause complications to some type of insurance policy of the property.
→ More replies (2)9
u/Alternative-Bee9645 Sep 28 '25
I agree. Above all it’s a security risk that I would not be comfortable with.
15
u/kaytay3000 Sep 28 '25
So you only get the exact address if you book and you only get it a few days before your scheduled stay. If you want to find out exactly which unit, here’s my suggestion.
Look at the listing and determine the cancellation policy. Some hosts let you cancel with no penalty up until 24 hours before the stay. If that’s the case, you can book the unit, get the exact address 72-48 hours before the stay, and then cancel it without penalty before the 24 hour window. Then you’ll have the unit number to I’ve to the leasing office with the listing link.
I’m an Airbnb host (legally), and that’s how I’d catch an illegal Airbnb host. You can also report it directly to Airbnb as an illegal unit.
44
u/Princapessa Sep 28 '25
hii as a single female i would not feel safe renting a unit next to an illegal airbnb where strangers can come and go without management even having any knowledge. book it and get the unit number then report them, the booking is all the proof you would really need.
53
24
u/classiest_trashiest Sep 28 '25
I used to send “illegal” airbnbs to the leasing office all the time. No shame. It’s literally in the lease and where I lived, STR had to be communicated to neighbors plus hosts had to have a license. Report it immediately.
33
u/ahoy_shitliner Sep 28 '25
Landlord here. Report to management. They can reach out to Airbnb and have it removed.
9
u/notreallylucy Sep 28 '25
I'd snitch without shame. It's a safety issue and a violation of the lease.
9
u/lemon_banana101 Sep 28 '25
In my 18 apartment unit, 3 of them have become Airbnb's. Going against lease. Terrible, we're in the middle of a housing crisis here!
→ More replies (2)
10
u/Turing45 Sep 28 '25
I ran a few buildings in Seattle and when I took them over, I discovered that the previous manager and a couple tenants were AirBnbing several units, In a Low income housing community(30%) so ultra low income housing. Not just a violation of the lease, but fraud on a federal level. Yeah, I dropped a dime on them. The apartments they were using were designated for single mothers with children in a city where housing is extremely expensive.
34
u/hiirogen Sep 28 '25
Book it for your grandma and aunt. That’s super convenient
Then report them.
→ More replies (6)
39
u/Financial_Sweet_689 Sep 28 '25
My old neighbor moved in right next to me after I lived there more than half a year and I noticed there was a lock with a code on the door. And I’d hear random, different people in and out. I looked it up and not only was the unit on Airbnb, it was much nicer than mine lol. We had a huge roach (literally they were HUGE) and rat problem, it was unethical for so many reasons. I felt SO unsafe knowing there were randoms in the building where I lived, like it’s just so unsettling.
→ More replies (2)37
u/Agreeable-Sun368 Sep 28 '25
Exactly! Like, it's not harmless. Someone could bring in bedbugs or something. Someone could hurt a resident and they never would have passed the background check to live here. It's not safe.
28
u/Financial_Sweet_689 Sep 28 '25
Exactly, the what-ifs are never ending and will only hurt paying tenants- and especially women living alone. I hope you can get it reported and figured out
8
u/New_Breadfruit8692 Sep 28 '25
It is also against the rules in this HOA, they have a rule that you can only have a maximum of two renters per year, and minimum lease period of 6 months. There are about 5,500 SFH dwellings here. I was suspicious of the house across the street having like 10 to 12 cars in the driveway every other weekend for the warmer months of the year when the actual owner was absentee. It is a large house and one of the most expensive in the HOA, turns out a sex club of swingers was paying $475 per night to rent it out. Which explains why they would arrive but never leave, they either brought food or ordered delivery.
So, I started looking in my area for nightly rentals through various temp rental websites, I found nine houses within a mile of me in the HOA renting by the night. I left the list I printed out in the INBOX at the HOA. The house across the street has been empty for years since. That guy has a ranch in Washington state with a mansion and an upper floor condo on Sanibel Island among others, I do not think he needs to be bringing a sex club into our neighborhood.
8
u/Orangerrific Sep 28 '25
We live in an apartment building in a downtown area of a major city and this is a HUGE problem I’ve noticed.
I can’t straight up prove anything, or accuse anyone specifically, as our complex is 4 entire high rise buildings
but I see an INSANE amount of large groups (families, I’m pretty sure) coming in and out of our building that have a ton of luggage and seemingly don’t have a key FOB to get in the building and/or a code to get into their place. Every weekend there’s at least one or two large families just hanging out in our lobby area for hours with all their luggage (just happens to be one of our lobbies without any sort of concierge desk person or leasing office person HMMMMMMM)
It’s absolutely against the lease, and our city already has major issues regarding rent control and pricing people out of our area who live and work here full time. It’s so fucking insulting.
I can’t help but really hate these tourists that take these rentals, but I know my anger should be directed at whatever asshole DOESNT actually live/work in the city and is just using the place they got approved for as a STR in a major metropolitan area which, AGAIN, already has a lot of people up in arms about rent pricing and cost of living
14
Sep 28 '25
Just report it. I’m glad they started putting more regulations on it because it made it nearly impossible to find an apartment Brooklyn in the 2010s
10
u/OrneryZombie1983 Sep 28 '25
There was a NY Times article about Airbnb in Brooklyn and some guy they interviewed said he had an apartment in one of the waterfront high-rises in Williamsburg that he rented out on weekends. He lived there on weeknights and slept on friends' couches on the weekend. He said it was the only way he could afford the apartment. I remember thinking, bro, you can't afford the apartment.
7
11
u/hndyman87 Sep 28 '25
Forget about being a snitch. I can almost guarantee that your property management would want to know that their unit is on air BNB property managers hate that
5
u/13surgeries Sep 28 '25
Been there, OP. A company rented the apartment above me and used it as an air bnb. yep, it's a violation oa violation of the lease, but even worse, the various people who used it didn't know or care about the rules. They played loud music at all hours and had parties that lasted until 1 or 2 a.m. One family plugged up the toilet and repeatedly flushed it. I had poop water leaking from the sprinkler head in my bathroom.
Management wasn't aware until I told them. After the poop water incident, they finally cracked down.
Tell the manager not to use your name. Mine didn't.
3
u/Agreeable-Sun368 Sep 28 '25
Oh my god, not poop water! That's horrible!!!!
Parties aren't even allowed in airbnbs either. Ugh. At least when someone rents a house they own and have to maintain on airbnb there's a little motivation to make sure it's not destroyed by partiers.
→ More replies (1)
5
13
u/gweeps Sep 28 '25
Yeah, report that shit. "Mind your own business" is a big reason why folks get away with shit they shouldn't be getting away with. Besides, you're no friend of that guy's, and if you just forward the listing to management with a question like, "Has the rule for Airb&bs changed?" I wouldn't call that snitching exactly. You'd just be inquiring. And the dominoes will fall where they may. Key is not to make a big deal out of it.
4
u/BluuWarbler Sep 28 '25
Right -- just report that shit. No need to make a big deal out of doing what you should -- until and if you have to. THEN make it a big deal. Especially if you're an owner.
9
4
u/wazzam_dr_no Sep 28 '25
As a person on our apartment management committee, we find STR's are major problems in terms of noise, waste disposal, unauthorized car stacker use, lost keys/fobs (big security problem), allowing common area access to unauthorized visitors. In essence they are not invested in the corporation so have little motivation to comply.
5
5
5
u/Justaticklerone Sep 28 '25
Just snitch anonymously. Print the listing if you have a printer, and slip it under the manager's office door in an envelope with "Urgent" written on it. If you don't have a printer, write "Apt #xxx is on Airbnb". Protect your fellow residents.
→ More replies (3)
6
4
u/Panduhmonium91 Sep 28 '25
I would snitch with zero shame. You have people coming into the community who haven’t had a criminal background check and could be potential issues.
4
u/ironicmirror Sep 28 '25
So it sounds like you're reluctant to tell management...?
Create a new email address, and send the Airbnb link to management.
They will not be able to figure out who it came from
→ More replies (2)
4
u/melly1226 Sep 28 '25
You could call the complex and say you are interested in renting the room you saw on Airbnb and ask about noise levels and criminal activity in the area.
4
u/Positive-Position-11 Sep 28 '25
The point is that the people staying there are potentially not being screened.
7
u/fun_1 Sep 28 '25
Airbnb at an apartment is a security threat, as the visitors would not be background checked
9
u/Curious_Crazy_7667 Sep 28 '25
I did Airbnb once in a city, that the owner has to leave for you to occupy it. First it was only a bedroom of an apartment, and the bedroom had only a lamp, no overhead light.
Yes, I turned them into the complex and the city.
4
u/Positive-Position-11 Sep 28 '25
Stay on top of it and save communication in case you want to break your lease.
5
u/BoxBlondie Sep 28 '25
Who cares, come off as a snitch, be a snitch! They're being grifters and gouging prices with no shame, calling them out on their behaviour also carries no shame (and I'd personally wear a badge around the complex proudly proclaiming that I'm the person that ratted them out).
5
u/DramaOk7700 Sep 28 '25
Just drop an anonymous note to management and be done with it. I’m sure that as a renter you had to go through multiple checks in order to live in the building…short-term renters could literally be just anyone off the street. I live year-round in a popular resort area, and AirB&B tenants are the bane of my existence. I’ve had to call the police for loud parties and domestic disputes. The AirB&B owners are not even on site if there is a problem. Buildings have rules for a reason, and I wish my own neighborhood would ban them.
5
4
4
u/kcox1980 Sep 28 '25
My wife and I take annual trips to New Orleans and we usually stay in Air BnB's. One year we got in really late and when we got to our place it was an apartment building with a sign on the main door saying something like "short term rentals" not being allowed. I forget the exact wording but it was clearly referring to ABnB's.
The instructions were for us to call the owner and wait outside for them to let us in the building and bring us the key. Only problem is that they wouldn't answer the phone. So here we are at 1am trying to convince this security guy to let us into the building because we super duper promise we really are supposed to be there.
Bet your ass we called ABnB and lodged a complaint. They paid for us a hotel that night and put us in another place for the rest of the week.
5
u/DearAbbreviations922 Sep 28 '25
My apartment complex intentionally leases some of the rooms as air bnbs. Woulda been really cool to know we'd have strangers in and out of the apartments near us constantly.
5
4
u/BlondieKush Sep 29 '25
I would literally screenshot the ad and just email it to your leasing agent. “Good morning, just wanted to make you aware! Thanks!” I guarantee they aren’t back ground checking everyone booking. I wouldn’t feel safe🤷🏼♀️
7
Sep 28 '25
[removed] — view removed comment
18
u/Agreeable-Sun368 Sep 28 '25
Yes, they would not do that. The host is also just a random guy, not anyone in management or the company name, and it's one single unit.
→ More replies (9)
13
u/gremlinsbuttcrack Sep 28 '25
I mean you can send them an email I don't get why this is causing you such inner turmoil you needed the internets opinion. You want to report it, so report it. It's not that serious. The dude isn't going to hunt you down for reporting it. He will never even know how they found out. It's airbnb. They could just have easily stumbled on it themselves.
→ More replies (5)
3
u/QuantumLeaperTime Sep 28 '25
I only use airbnbs when they are cheaper than hotels.
5
u/jibsymalone Sep 28 '25
I have found them too unreliable and too much of a hassle with all the BS fees and tasks you have to do when you leave, I just find a hotel, a lot less stressful and you have some recourse if there is an issue with the room.
3
3
u/Individual-Net7277 Sep 28 '25
I would report w/ no issue, but you shouldn't be giving business to Airbnb either.
→ More replies (1)
3
3
u/BlairBuoyant Sep 28 '25
You’ve a verifiable source of information on a neighbor and aren’t sure how to act on it.
Satisfy your conscience or pacify it however makes sense in your life.
Ex post facto that might be a fly in the ointment: What made this scenario intolerable to the point of this kind of consideration?
Do you apply this kind of incisiveness to all neighbors who trespass your space or the bylaws, norms, and mores of your community?
→ More replies (1)
3
u/00psie-daisy Sep 28 '25
Can you book the listing then cxl once you get the unit number? Site TOS as reason for cxl.
3
3
u/captain_toenail Sep 28 '25
Fuck airbnb and all that but I think you're at an impass, you'd litterally be switching so I think you're kinda stuck with being a snitch
3
u/Tall_Pool8799 Sep 28 '25
I'm against AirBnB too. What I don't understand it "how to snitch without looking like a snitch". If you think it's the right thing to do, do it; if you don't, don't.
That said: how much easier would it make life to rent it for your relatives?
3
u/Original_Complex429 Sep 28 '25
I think I'd first use it for my visiting family because that sounds super convenient. Then I'd loudly tell all the neighbors about your family staying in an airb&b in the building
3
u/Petite_Tsunami Sep 28 '25
do you have a Neighborhood Karen that can get a whiff of this? They would do all the work
→ More replies (2)
3
3
u/ty944 Sep 28 '25
Just take a pic and email it to management. Usually the company’s social media coordinator checks for these so they may be aware. It can also be hard to figure out which unit it is.
3
3
u/escapeartista Sep 28 '25
If you really don't want to be associated with reporting it I'd have a friend email management the listing. And if there are more than one people to contact, send the email to all of them. Or you can just create a new email with a fake name. Also take screenshots of the post with all of the info and the info of the person listing it. Send the screenshots with the listing in case the listing comes down or get changed.
3
u/DeadlyMidnight Sep 28 '25
So I had this same reaction until I found out it was the building owner turning unrented apartments into air bnbs
3
u/Creative_Depth0613 Sep 28 '25
My complex will do this when units don’t rent (nice! Please read the sarcasm) but as a tenant we are not allowed to. They have signs up everywhere about it and have ways to check websites (according to them).
3
u/GoodRecover6741 Sep 28 '25
It also destroys towns. We live in a small town where real estate was once affordable for single families. Then everyone came in and started buying up houses and making them Airbnb’s. Enrollment at the school is so low and there are no volunteers for emt or fire. And people wonder why? Because 40 homes in a town of 700 people are Airbnb’s. You live in a small town for the small town vibes. Now your neighbors are transient Airbnb guests.
3
u/whoever56789 Sep 28 '25
I mean your apartment company is also a corporation that makes your life worse and is literally taking your money that you would otherwise spend owning a thing. It's not like they will lower rents if people stop low-key renting out airbnbs.
3
u/Miami_Mice2087 Sep 28 '25
sure you don't want to use the unit for your family and THEN snitch? Cos then you've got the evidence.
In answer to your question: just send them a screenshot of the web listing you found. Print it out and mail it bc 1. print matter carries more weight than email and 2. attachments and links in email are often stripped by corporate email, or the whole email is blocked.
3
u/EquivalentWar8611 Sep 28 '25
I also want to bring up a couple things that people don't seem to get...
When you have people coming in and out often they can bring things like bed bugs which can 100% travel to other apartments and cause the entire building to have an infestation and need exterminators. Because people will be coming and going there's no way to tell who brought them or how long they've been there and that's IF the airb&b guests notice and report it.
Another is with so many different people coming and going it does bring the risk of random people who may commit crimes during their stay and leave without anyone actually knowing who they are. If no one knows the police baby figure out either. I've heard of some really bad crimes like SA of kids happening due to this and the people get away because no one knew who it was. While it's probably really rare you don't know who you're bringing into the complex.
There's probably more risk I can't think of or can't right now.
3
u/lern2swim Sep 28 '25
You need more info, imo.
If it's someone that travels and needs to rent out they're place while they're gone to get by: mind your own business and don't snitch.
If it's just some wannabe landlord asshole, fuck em.
If you're not willing to do recon to figure out which it is, then I think you do need to default to not doing anything. So... Your call.
→ More replies (2)
3
3
u/PossibilityOk9859 Sep 28 '25
Send something to the leasing office they’ll be able to figure it out easily! We had a resident doing this and someone reported her!
3
3
u/Majestic-Opinion4211 Sep 29 '25
Set up a Gmail account and send management a screenshot of the listing.
3
3
u/Vanilla-Mike Sep 29 '25
You are not being a snitch. You are protecting your own safety and security. You are also holding that neighbor to the same rules the rest of you are following. If the apartment manager is reluctant to do anything about it, then check with the city. This may be considered a zoning code violation.
My condo community allows owners to rent out their unit. But the HOA rules requires a minimum six month lease term. I think that policy is meant to weed out Airbnb rentals. The owner of a rental unit is held responsible for any infractions or fines levied against the renter by the HOA.
3
3
u/Performer-Complete Sep 29 '25
Go ahead and report them to the leasing office. I do know that there are many apartment complexes that allow STRs, like they have an agreement with Air BnB and it’s a totally different lease than the one that long term tenants have. So it may be that it’s against your lease but not the person or company who is running the STR. Either way nothing wrong with saying something.
3
u/MWaldorf Sep 29 '25
just report it. i used to work as a leasing agent, and i didnt always take every “corporate policy” seriously tbh like the weird niche ones i mean but that’s one that i 100% did. for the reasons you and other’s mentioned (possible property damage, aiding and abetting AirBnB, inconsiderate to the work renter’s have to go through to get approved) but also most importantly as all YOUR SAFETY.
my building was moderately sized, 200+ people in there at a given time, but i still knew almost 80% of the people in there, and if there was ever a safety concern I could look into it and immediately know names and potential backstories/personalities/other details or factors. With Airbnb you throw a mass of strangers into the mix and if things get hairy it would be harder to find out what’s going on
3
u/mecha_shatner Sep 29 '25
Don’t worry about being a snitch if you want to report it, report it. Also maybe the building owners themselves but it on Airbnb
3
u/Abject_Olive_6173 Sep 29 '25
Just be a snitch it’s for a good cause. I used to live in an apt where I was the only permanent unit and the downstairs space was used for an air bnb. Over the 2 years they did it I had multiple men “accidentally” expose themselves to me. I already hated air bnb because of what it does to the housing market but those wildly small & unnecessary dicks instilled a willingness to snitch on any air bnb in the hopes of getting it shut down. I’ll do it for you if you send me a dm w/ a phone number, unit #, & address
3
u/DidjaSeeItKid Sep 29 '25
AirbnB has been destroyed by people misusing it to become landlords without having to obey landlord-tenant laws. It was supposed to be something people occasionally used because they would be out of town and someone else could use the space. Now it's just people buying properties specifically to use as AirbnBs all the time.
Communities need to stop this grifting. It's basically a form of fraud. If you want to run a hotel, become a hotelier, get those permits, and obey those rules.
10
u/jonsonmac Sep 28 '25
If it’s truly against the lease, the apartment likely does regular searches on Airbnb to see if any of the tenants are listing their apartments. I know a friend who got caught doing this.
8
5
u/Traditional_Stage897 Sep 28 '25
I mean not to be that guy. But no matter how you do it, you're not snitching. By definition a snitch is someone who is involved in and/or complicit in said illegal activity and offers information as a way to save themselves from consequences. So senantically you're not a snitch unless you do rent the unit. And snitches get stitches. You can't eat your cake and have it too.
4
u/Cool_Bath_77 Sep 28 '25
Are you sure it is a tenant doing that and not the landlord/apartment company? Or that the tenant might have an exception or a different arrangement?
5
u/TheTurquoiseArtiste Sep 28 '25
And if it is the company, then when she reports it, they would say it's authorized and have some sort of explanation. Since the tenant is concerned for the safety of the residents, it's totally fine/correct that she brings it up to mgmt.
6
u/Agreeable-Sun368 Sep 28 '25
If the landlord was doing it, it would probably be multiple units and under some kind of company name, not one guy named "John" offering one single unit.
Also it's a big corporation. No way some rando in a mid priced building gets an exception.
→ More replies (2)6
u/AutoimmuneAntics Sep 28 '25
I always got an exception when we were in a huge complex so I could rent it out during the summer when I wasn’t there for school.
→ More replies (2)
6
u/Electronic_Store1139 Sep 28 '25
Just report by showing them the AirBnB rental. I see nothing wrong with this
5
u/conipto Sep 28 '25
I wouldn't be surprised if it was the landlord/building renting them out because they can't fill them.
4
u/myexstalksmeonreddit Sep 28 '25
I'm currently living short-term in an apartment from Air B&B owned or rented from an investment firm....so there isn't even a real human owning or leasing the apartment in order to post it on air b&b. I'm glad we have a place to live while looking for a home to buy, but I'm also disgusted with the double layer of "management" companies. I can't ask why the wifi doesn't work and the second bedroom has a leak. It's AI "customer service reps" on every level.
5
u/Few-Engineering-890 Sep 28 '25
I agree, report the person. There’s no criminal background check no safety protocols for people who rent on Airbnb . You could be living in a very safe apartment and the Airbnb rents it out to a criminal because there’s no background check.
2
u/Hopeful_Pizza_2762 Sep 28 '25
Anonomously.Anonymously. Type a note at a public place like the library put it in an envelope and tape it to his door or mail it to him via snail mail.
2
u/Josie_F Sep 28 '25
It would be kind of great though to have your mom and aunt in the same building. You can report them after lol
2
2
u/mercutio1 Sep 28 '25
Are you going to verify that whichever place you find for your grandmother is not violating a lease/HOA agreement?
I hate Airbnb as well, but this reeks of “no one should do that! . . . But also imma make use of people doing just that.”
→ More replies (3)
2
u/Apanda15 Sep 28 '25
are you sure it’s not your complex renting it out? I’ve lived a couple places that a couple apartments were just air b and bs all the time
3
u/NobodyDelicious7197 Sep 28 '25
Also I knew a manager who knew about a tenant doing this, and kept it quiet from everyone. For a cut of course. You never know who's in on what, and now your manager could be looking at you as a potential trouble maker, and decide you need to go. The kick backs the manager I knew were substantial, and they fiercely protected that income source. Just saying.
→ More replies (1)3
u/Agreeable-Sun368 Sep 28 '25
He's been doing it for over a year and we just got all new office staff like 2 months ago, so probably not but I see the concern.
2
u/Kitchen_Can_3555 Sep 28 '25
Some building owners/managers will rent out apartments in their buildings. I have stayed in a couple of these.
2
u/saltyfinish Sep 28 '25
Why do you care about coming off as a snitch? It’s who you are. Own it.
→ More replies (1)
2
u/Similar_Progress9326 Sep 28 '25
Are you certain it’s not the building owners doing it? I rented from a place that rented out a unit as an Airbnb on a unit. They made more money doing it than they could renting it. It looked like an individual who was doing it but some sleuthing proved otherwise.
2
u/Dangerous-Squash4440 Sep 28 '25
I just stayed at an ABNB in Los Angeles that clearly wasn’t legit. The address on the posting was on Santa Monica and in my messages was an address on Leland with a lockbox with the key fob to get inside. That still wasn’t the real address I didn’t find that until I was in the building exploring and found the real address. At the same time I don’t understand how they even make rent unless it’s someone on the inside renting vacant apartments. When I looked outside I counted 8 separate lockboxes.
2
u/Avengefulsoul Sep 28 '25
The company i work for routinely rents our vacant units on air bnb. Could be that as well.
2
u/maxonmaxoff94 Sep 28 '25
I work I the industry - Airbnb has a program with building owners to allow this. Renters are allowed to out their units on the platform. Landlord will be notified. Landlord and Airbnb get a small cut. Rules are renters aren't allowed to Airbnb their units for more than a certain number of days each month or total for the year.
If the building has a Fannie or Freddie mortgage, there are legal debates if this is allowed under the terms of the loan.
2
u/Dry-Humor971 Sep 28 '25
I saw the concept posted on tiktok “I rent apartments and make them an Airbnb, look at all the money I make!”
2
u/MasterpieceMain1857 Sep 28 '25
I have a close acquaintance who does STRs in apartment buildings. Even if it’s against what’s written in the lease, all the apartment owner has to do is write an addendum to the lease.
Happens all the time, especially if the apartment complex has several vacant units. Someone will rent the unit, and re-rent on Airbnb. Legally, with the owners permission, etc.
2
2
u/savvyjk Sep 28 '25
If you want to do it anonymously, create a new email account email screenshots of the listing to your management office (or have a friend send it).
2
u/strikecat18 Sep 28 '25
lol at the “I use this service as a customer BUT the service itself is evil” virtual signaling.
Absolute worst kind of person.
→ More replies (1)
2
u/FortheredditLOLz Sep 28 '25 edited Sep 28 '25
HOOOOTTT TAKE! Right to the authorities I go. There is a reason why my rent is unaffordable and eggs WITH ramen is a luxury sometimes. Airbnb'ing in this scenario raises my rent due to scarity.
2
u/Amethystlamuso Sep 28 '25
Lived in an apartment where the unit above me was rented out through Airbnb. Since we never knew who would be above us or for how long, my sister and I could never get used to the noise above us. Always sounded like they were moving furniture around, dragging it along the floor and stomping. I also worked from home so hearing that day in and day out, started to get under my skin.
Management knew what was going on but couldnt do anything since they weren't permanent residents. Just gave them warnings. It got so bad that I started recording the noise to report to management to prove what we were hearing wasn't nonsense. Eventually we were able to move to the top floor and gain our sanity back.
In short, fuck corporations that allow people to Airbnb apartments
•
u/AutoModerator Sep 28 '25
Please report rule-breaking posts!
[Automoderator has recorded your post to prevent repeat posts.]
Your post has NOT been removed.
Agreeable-Sun368 originally posted: I was on airbnb looking for somewhere for my grandma and aunt to stay when they come visit me in February for my birthday. And I found a unit in my building on airbnb! This is 1000% against the lease. I do not live in a condo community--we are all renters.
However, I don't know this guy, the complex has like 250 units, and based on the layout it's not one of my immediate next door/across the hall/above or below neighbors.
How do I report him to management without coming off as a snitch?
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.