Group books Airbnb in Dallas. Everything’s fine until they find a secret room: ‘Looks like they removed the ladder or steps intentionally’
Playing detective to unravel mysteries sounds great in theory. But it’s not all fun and games in real life–especially while vacationing in an Airbnb. And discovering hidden components in the rental that are not disclosed in the listing isn’t usually on anyone’s itinerary.
However, this occurrence has become all too common. Guests across the internet have shared their stories of unearthing secret compartments in their Airbnbs. In June, one woman stumbled upon a door under the bed that led through a crawl space. The following month, a group of women residing at a unit in Victoria, Australia, found a door under the kitchen counter connecting a staircase to an empty utility space. Now, a group of friends uncovered a secret room lurking above their heads.
An Airbnb Straight Out Of A Horror Movie
Airbnb guest Mich (@ mich3113.0) paints the scene in eight simple words, “I think I’m gonna die in this house.”
The clip begins with her wandering through the bedroom to the soundbite of Charli xcx’s song, “House.” Initially, nothing appears out of the ordinary: a bed in the center of the room, chairs against the wall, curtains draped over the window, and unpacked belongings sprawled all over the room.
Then, she tilts the camera up to the ceiling to reveal a large gap, indicating a hidden space. Curiosity gets the best of the group, where she records the team effort to lift a friend up to the compartment to solve the conundrum. Afterward, the content creator posts the photo her friend captured: an open door.
Needless to say, Mich isn’t enjoying her stay, expressing in the caption, “WORST/ creepiest [Airbnb] ever.”
The Spooky Airbnb Chronicles Continue
Apparently, this finding left Mich and her friends’ minds paralyzed with fright. In the second clip, she lay in bed, panning the camera to show all of her friends asleep in various parts of the room.
“Sleeping in the same room in an Airbnb with the door locked [because] we [were] not [about to] stay apart at night,” she shared in the overlay. Below, she revealed in a written update, “We were not able [to] get inside but we did in fact sleep all together with the door locked at night.”
The final installment is the same video with the original audio.
“It’s open,” the male friend being lifted said. “Can you see through it?” a female friend asked. “No, and I’m not going through it,” he replied.
A quick flash of his phone camera snaps the same picture. “Take me down,” he requested, followed by a chorus of laughter and the team helping him down.
Before wrapping up, Mich issued a warning to those in the Dallas, Texas area, along with the photos posted on Airbnb, which she believed were misleading.
“Don’t book this Airbnb. The pictures of the house were not the same at all! [There] were stains on the beds! The backyard was not [like] the pictures! It felt old and depressing,” she advises.
@mich3113.0 WORST/ creepiest air bnb ever.. #fyp #foryou #scary #secretroom #airbnb ♬ original sound – mich3113.0
Viewers Are Terrified
Collectively, the series amassed over 13 million views. Many were sending chills down their spines.
“On friday the 13 at that [airbnb,] I would have left the state,” one viewer commented.
“A little [too close] bro. im in dallas tx,” another stated.
Even a third was worried about Mich’s safety. “I’m kinda scared, this is her last post,” they said.
Meanwhile, others brushed off what they believed were fake creepy scenarios.
“Yall freaking out over an attic btw,” one commenter remarked.
“Looks like they removed the ladder or steps intentionally, probably so people wouldn’t go up there, fall down and then sue,” a second suggested.
What Is Airbnb’s Policy on Fake Listings?
The company’s website states this violates their ground rules for home hosts. When a host is reported, Airbnb may give them a warning and a request to delete the content. However, repeated violations will result in suspension, being prohibited from posting new listings, losing a Superhost title or removal on the platform altogether.
But this behavior is more common, where Business Insider reported that Airbnb took down over 59,000 fraudulent listings from their site in 2023. Keep your eyes peeled decitful hosts. If you encounter one, report it and write a candid review under the listing about the experience.
The Mary Sue reached out to Mich via TikTok comment and direct message as well as Airbnb via press email.
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