An Airbnb guest was more than a little surprised when she checked in and saw that a “minor detail” was left out of the photos online. Ashley (@ashsocurvy) shared her discovery in a viral TikTok, which earned over 8 million views as of writing.
‘Quiet neighbors’
The clip starts out with a screen recording of the listing, showing the front of the house, the pristine backyard lawn, and the living room and kitchen photos. Ashley then shares a video of the yard after arriving at the unit. She pans past the expansive lawn–all the way to beyond the backyard.
Lying just beyond the neighboring property is a cemetery.
The camera zooms in to show a pretty packed graveyard, which Ashley does not approve of, writing in the caption, “When the Airbnb host leaves out one minor detail.”
The TikTok is soundtracked by the viral song, “What the Helly,” and that’s exactly the vibe thousands of viewers felt.
“They cut that out the pic real good,” one user wrote.
A top comment joked about a perk the host could’ve added to the listing: “It said ‘quiet neighbors.’”
“‘Ppl dying to get into this neighborhood’ should’ve been in the advertisement,” a user wrote. “I would’ve left so fas,” another added.
Not everyone was as spooked, however. Several viewers thought Ashley was overreacting
Like one person who wrote, “How is this a problem? im confused.” One echoed, “Yeah, an actual minor detail that does not effect your quality of stay what so ever.”
Does Airbnb have to disclose if unit is near cemetery?
The home-sharing platform doesn’t explicitly state that hosts must disclose whether a cemetery is close by. However, the company does encourage hosts to share anything that might impact a guest’s stay. Whether a cemetery would be is up to the discretion of the host. In a post shared to Airbnb’s community forum, one host posed this same question.
“We found a perfect property but it’s located right next to a cemetery,” they wrote. “ I am wondering if anyone has a short term rental right next to a cemetery. Does this impact how much it rents? Do you disclose this in your listing? Do people leave negative reviews related to its proximity to a cemetery.”
Several people replied that they don’t see it as a problem but advised the host to disclose it in the photos so any superstitious folks could be warned.
@ashsocurvy Ain’t nobody told me nothing!! Did you forget something! #fyp
♬ WTHELLY – Rob49
‘Scary’ Airbnb incidents
Ashley’s experience with her Airbnb may have been on the spookier side, but it’s not the first time the platform has been accused of scary incidents. In a viral TikTok from 2023, guests found a secret tunnel inside their short-term rental. Similarly, one woman found a secret door in the floor of her Airbnb.
Sometimes, there are more tangible things that are creepier, like hosts breaking the rules and installing indoor surveillance. When it comes to hidden cameras inside, Airbnb strictly prohibits them, per the rules of the home-sharing site (Correction: A previous edition wrote indoor cameras must be disclosed. Indoor cameras are not allowed, per an Airbnb spokesperson). The other things, however, might warrant a report with customer service or at least a conversation with the host beforehand.
It’s not only Airbnb
While these scenarios may be terrifying, Airbnbs aren’t the only ones suffering from unsafe environments. Several woman have shared horror stories of their stays across hotels over the past few years. So much so that TikToks sharing how to protect yourself at a hotel when traveling alone has racked up millions of views. For example, one woman said an employee used a master key to let himself into her room when she was sleeping. When it comes to traveling alone, especially if you’re a woman, it’s best to take safety measures into your hands like the ones shared by this retired Secret Service agent.
The Mary Sue reached out to Airbnb via and Ashley via email.
Update: In an email to TMS, an Airbnb spokesperson said every listing on the platform has a map pinpointing where it is located.
“In this case, the map displayed on the listing page shows that it is located near a cemetery, the listing has had numerous positive reviews from prior guests, and this guest did not report any concerns to us,” they said.
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