Opinion: These Airbnb horror stories can teach you what to watch for

Bed bugs (pic) and mice are just some of the unexpected and unwelcome fellow guests some Airbnb users have had to deal with at some less-than-stellar accommodations. — Reuters

Many frequent travellers carry tales of delayed flights and disappointing hotel rooms. Yet Airbnb “horror stories” are a genre all their own.

Videos with the tag #AirbnbHorrorStory have more than 63 million views on TikTok, featuring guests venting about unclean properties and last-minute cancellations leaving them stranded. The website Airbnbhell features hundreds of similar accounts, where things do not go as expected for short-term renters.