Woman Claims Her Quiet Neighborhood Is Being 'Terrorized' By An Airbnb
Her once peaceful neighborhood has turned into an Airbnb nightmare.
Andrii Iemelianenko | Shutterstock For many travelers, short-term rentals like Airbnb, have been a blessing, providing flexible accommodations at a reasonable price point. However, rentals that are a blessing to travelers, are often a curse for homeowners and neighbors. It's easy to forget that unlike hotels and motels, Airbnbs are often located in residential neighborhoods. That means all the family reunions, bachelorette weekends, and birthday party getaways that are a fun vacation for renters become a constant source of annoyance for the people that live nearby.
One woman recently shared her experience on Reddit, describing how her peaceful San Diego neighborhood is being “terrorized” by an Airbnb property across the street. Despite multiple attempts to address the issue, it has only escalated, leaving her and her neighbors feeling powerless.
A woman and her neighbors are being "terrorized" by the constant parties at an Airbnb in her once quiet neighborhood.
Everything started when a family bought a foreclosed property across the street from the woman’s home and spent over a year rebuilding it into a luxurious new house. At four times the size of the original home, it featured upscale amenities, including a pool and hot tub.
When the new owners communicated with neighbors, they led them to believe that the house would be a permanent residence. However, things took a turn when, starting in December, the woman noticed people frequently coming and going from the property. Her suspicions were confirmed when she discovered the house was listed on Airbnb as a four bedroom rental, capable of sleeping up to 14 people.
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The transformation from a potential family home to a high-traffic rental property raised concerns for the woman and her neighbors. What was once a quiet, family-friendly neighborhood was suddenly subject to constant turnover, with guests renting the house for bachelor and bachelorette parties, birthdays, and large gatherings.
She wrote, "We are being terrorized by noise and constant activity at all hours of the day and night. There will be as many as a dozen cars, Ubers coming and going around the clock, people congregating in the front yard/street, playing music, talking and yelling. We are woken up in the middle of the night multiple nights a week. Today a party bus was parked in front of our house, blaring music, unloading drunk girls for a bachelorette party."
Living next to a short-term rental property designed for celebrations isn't easy.
While the woman’s frustration with the Airbnb property grew, so did the feeling of powerlessness. Despite multiple conversations with the owner, who apologized and promised to enforce quiet hours, the situation did not improve.
The renters, often intoxicated and noisy, had little regard for the impact of their actions on the surrounding neighborhood. The woman even resorted to confronting the guests, but these attempts were met with dismissal, with many renters simply telling her to “lighten up” and that it was “just one night.” But for the woman and her neighbors, it was one night after another.
The largest problem was the lack of responsibility from both the property owner and Airbnb. The owner claimed that he had established quiet hours and a “no party” policy on the listing, but the reality of a property that can sleep 14 people in bunk beds made it clear that these rules were not being followed.
Airbnb offers a neighborhood support hotline for these instances as well, but it doesn't seem to have made an impact. The woman and her neighbors have even called the police to report noise violations and reported the listing to Airbnb; however, little change has been made. To this day, the property continues to be rented out for large parties week after week.
The owner of the property should do everything they can to keep the neighbors happy.
This woman’s experience sheds light on a larger issue many communities face as short-term rentals grow in popularity. While vacation rentals can bring benefits to property owners, they can also create significant challenges for those living in residential areas. Constant noise, large groups, and a lack of accountability often disrupt the peace that many homeowners expect from their neighborhoods.
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As Airbnb rentals continue to become more common, cities may need to take a harder look at how these properties are regulated. Stricter rules around short-term rentals, such as limiting the number of guests or enforcing more rules, may be necessary to ensure that residential neighborhoods remain places of peace and safety for residents. For homeowners like the woman in San Diego, finding a balance between welcoming guests and maintaining the peace of a community may require legal action to protect their quality of life.
Legal action could ultimately hurt the homeowner's business, which is why they should do everything in their power to prevent that from happening. Hospitable recommends that hosts thoroughly screen guests planning a stay in a quiet neighborhood to ensure that they won't be loud and intrusive. They also recommend investing in noise meters, which can alert property owners if a party gets out of hand, to nip it in the bud before the neighbors complain. Another option is enforcing monetary penalties for any noise complaints — it's more extreme but it's often an effective deterrent.
In general, however, a big question remains: How can residential neighborhoods protect themselves from the negative impact of short-term rentals, and should the regulation of these properties be more strict to safeguard the interests of local residents?
Erika Ryan is a writer working on her bachelor's degree in Journalism. She is based in Florida and covers relationships, psychology, self-help, and human interest topics.