We often talk about “bad guests” in the hosting community. Usually, that means someone who leaves a mess or makes too much noise.
But what happens when a guest escalates from “disrespectful” to dangerous?
Last week, I found myself in a situation no host should ever face. My guest didn’t just break the House Rules; he began a systematic campaign of tampering with my home’s infrastructure driven by severe paranoia.

The Hallucinations

The behavior started with strange complaints. The guest claimed that “things were coming out of the walls” and floating in the air. He insisted the room was filled with dust.
I inspected the room with my handyman. We wiped our hands across the surfaces—no dust. We checked the HVAC filters—they were brand new. We saw nothing floating in the air and nothing strange coming out of the air vents. I had recently had the air vents cleaned, as I suffer from allergies. When I did so, the technician noted that they barely cleaned anything out of the vents—they found hardly anything in them to clean. So I seriously doubt that in the short amount of time between that HVAC vent cleaning and this guest’s stay, those vents suddenly filled up with dust or things that would end up “floating in the air.” But the guest refused to believe reality.
Instead, he began to seal himself in.

(Above: The guest used duct tape and cereal boxes to seal the HVAC vents because he believed invisible objects were floating out of them.)I was stunned when later the Handyman brought me images he took of everything the guest sealed up inside the room including the HVAC unit and vents, but also light switches, electrical outlets and the electric box. He taped over light switches. He taped over outlets. He taped over the air vents. He was effectively constructing a bunker inside my property.

The Escalation: Cutting the Power

When sealing the room wasn’t enough, he turned his attention to me.
When I refused to comply with his demands to alter the home’s temperature to freezing levels, he escalated to physical intimidation.He began flipping the circuit breakers.I would be sitting in my room, and suddenly—click. Darkness. He would go to the electrical panel and cut the power specifically to the rooms I was occupying. As you can see in the photos, he eventually applied tape to the breaker panel itself.
I was effectively a prisoner in my own home. If I entered a room to work or relax, he cut the power to it.

The Call for Help

I did exactly what Airbnb tells us to do. I contacted Safety Support.
I explained that a guest was hallucinating, sealing off vents, and tampering with the electrical grid. I explained that I was hiding in my closet for safety.
I expected them to say: “Stay safe, we are cancelling the reservation immediately.”

The Response

Instead, I received a lecture.
While I was standing in the dark, wondering what this unstable man would do next, Airbnb Support sent me a message regarding “Privacy Policy” and the “Definition of Trespassing.”
They were more concerned with whether I had used the correct legal terminology than the fact that my electricity was being maliciously cut and my home damaged.

Airbnb Support: “If the same guest comes into your property… that would be considered under trespassing, not which you have mentioned above.”

They debated semantics while I feared for my safety.

Why This Matters

This isn’t just about one bad guest. It is about a systemic failure of Airbnb’s “AirCover” promise.
When a guest crosses the line into utility tampering and delusional behavior, the response cannot be a slow-moving investigation into the host’s vocabulary. It must be immediate action.
I am sharing these photos and transcripts because we need change. We need a Safety Team that recognizes danger, not just keywords.

Hiding in the Closet at 4 AM: How Airbnb Abandoned a Superhost When I Needed Them Most

Part 2: My Guest Cut the Power and Airbnb Sent a Dictionary

He Sealed the Vents, Cut the Power, and Made Me a Prisoner—Airbnb Sent Me a Dictionary

Airbnb Host Nightmare: I called the Police Twice – They Broke Into My Bathroom

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About the Author

F. Jay Hall is an Airbnb Superhost, nonprofit executive recruiter, and the founder of ExecSearches.com. With years of experience hosting guests from around the world, Jay shares insights on the realities of short-term rental hosting—the good, the bad, and the occasionally terrifying. Connect with Jay on LinkedIn to join the conversation about hosting, hospitality, and holding platforms accountable.

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Last updated on March 3rd, 2026 at 05:12 pm