My wife and I have been living in an apartment inside a six-unit villa for 12 years now. Everyone else that lives here is an owner, except for the couple who bought the unit above us a couple of months ago.
The place was vacant and on the market for almost a year, which was great for us, but in saying that, we were delighted to meet the couple who bought the place, as we’re all friendly neighbours in the villa and look out for one another. Upon introducing myself, I kindly asked if they would be renting it out, or staying there themselves, to which they blatantly lied to my face saying it will be for them or family as they were yet to decide.
A couple of months went by. They frequent the place, often quite late to furnish the apartment, many times around midnight. It is around this time when the COVID-19 outbreak kicks into high gear and our state puts in strict rules and guidelines regarding isolation, interstate travel and social gatherings.
We didn’t even know it was an Airbnb until their very first guests mentioned it whilst on one of many loudspeaker calls on the balcony. The language these guys use would make a sailor weep. Every second word was either f*ck or c*nt.
It was during one of these loud and obnoxious phone calls that we overheard him say he had traveled from interstate and had to self-isolate for 14 days. We found this odd, as we had seen him out visiting the liquor store and take out restaurant around the corner just a few days earlier.
My wife is expecting our first child in under a week and we have been completely cut off from our friends, from our family and from our support network. Yet this asshole strolls about risking everyone in the community, laughing at the threat of a $1000 on the spot fine for breach of quarantine.
To top it off, this prick had two guests over last night, which is also against the rules that are needed to curb the spread of this virus. The blaring of Eminem and System of a Down at 11:00 PM is the least of my worries right now. The fact that this is the first “guest” is a worrying sign of things to come.
It’s not the dream we had when starting a new family. We now feel alienated in our own home. Screw the owner for lying to our face and not providing a phone number to contact her. Screw the asshole guests who aren’t taking this pandemic seriously and screw Airbnb. I shouldn’t have to feel petty about this.
I strongly suspect that AirBnB hasn’t gone public with their stock because the entire company and the so-called short-term rental industry is one big legal hornets nest. What investor would want to buy shares in such a mess of a company?
I feel your pain. I live in a building and right now for the last two nights there have been a****** ghetto trash next door partying and being loud and obnoxious, and they’re doing it as we speak, this all despite the violation of the state order to stay at home. I’ve called the police three times and they’ve come every time but, I guess according to the weird laws the police’s hands are tied and that can’t do anything about it.
Honestly, there has to be a way to shut this company down. There has to be some way that lawyers or something can get together and file a giant lawsuit against Airbnb and f****** shut it down for good. It’s a bane on the existence of people like us. Or, maybe just regulate it a little bit so that the only units that can be rented out our stand alone, like houses, or units that are not connected to other units in buildings, that kind of thing. Because this is ridiculous when enough is enough.
You sound too nice but otherwise the answer is to Hit Back but within the law. The cheapest of music systems delivers a fearful punch if it includes a base bin. You’re an owner, right ? so with suitable motivation (your flat is at stake !) lift a bit of floor, cut out a bit of ceiling or hack a small square out of the wall, wedge the speakers into the space and let rip morning, noon + night. I leave it running whilst I myself go out running. I go to bed at 4 a.m which is when I turn it off. Make sure to hit the nicer occupants as well as the noise nuisances. The weak spot is of course the other neighbours who you respect. And that’s the trouble for decent people like you but apolgise to them first, don’t ask for permission, just let rip ! because asking will only snag you up with niceties + half arsed measures. (If they really are any good then they’d not only sympathise but also join in ! hitting that flat from every angle). Then with a few negative messages on the Airbed comments board and after it gets a few 1 star ratings, they’ll give up + get proper tenants. Or occupy it themselves in which case the same battle of nerves might apply but I doubt it. And your neighbours allied with you ? …… What does the trick is a bit of Totalrock.com recorded using a simple app. I have enough for one week nonstop noise ! Wins every time !! Luckily I like it and am insomiac , which helps. It all goes against your nature but all just depends how much you care. And variants that ensure that that flat does get terrible reviews. Try “accidentally on purpose” letting your bath overflow, for example ! and anything else you can think of. All the best ! expect a win after not too long. Try ‘n think long term .