A woman was left “gobsmacked” after finding an Airbnb listing charging more than £400 – for a night in a tent in someone’s back garden.
The price of staying in Sydney’s Northern Beaches region, with just canvas between you and the stars in a stranger’s garden, increases depending on the number of guests, meaning a one-night stay for three in a tent would cost AU$1,500 (£764).
To make matters worse, there’s an additional “cleaning fee” of AU$200 (£101).
An Airbnb user called Caity found the listing, near Warriewood Beach, was titled “Camping Swag Under The Stars” – with “swag” Australian slang for “portable sleeping unit”, but now also widely referring to a tent.
“At first I thought it was some kind of insane glamping experience for that price,” Caity told Kidspot.
“But no, it was basically a swag and the photos of the property looked unkempt and the backyard looked like it hadn’t been mowed in months.”
The description on the listing said guests could “camp true and cosy under the stars in this waterproof camping bedroll swag”, and the photos show that the tent isn’t assembled – which one could reasonably expect, given the price tag.
When Caity contacted the host to question the “extortionate prices”, the justification was that the “property has a fair amount of land for you to choose where your tent is pitched” and that it’s “in a prime location with ocean and valley views, or by night, very beautiful lights and the ocean can be heard”.
The hosts provide sleeping bags and blankets, which was also given as a reason for the high charges, plus the “large blue pool”.
“I think a reasonable price would have been maybe AU$80 (£41) per night, honestly,” said Caity.
The Independent contact Airbnb, which said the listing has since been removed from the site.
“We thank our community for bringing this issue to our attention,” said Susan Wheeldon, Airbnb’s country manager for Australia and New Zealand
“In addition to behaving in accordance with our Community Standards, Airbnb hosts must ensure they meet our strict Host Reliability Standards, which include commitments around listing accuracy, cleanliness, and communication, among others.
“Our team is focused on ensuring each stay is a positive experience for guests, hosts and the wider community.”
Airbnb confirmed that no bookings were made while the listing was active.
