Airbnb and other short-term home rental companies like VRBO have had their controversies, but they’ve also garnered their share of fans. From people who want to stay in a larger space (say, for large groups), to those looking to save money if they can, to those who just don’t want to stay in “just another hotel,” the short-term home rental industry has proven it’s not going anywhere.
Owners of short-term rental units are become more “corporate” over time. However, many owners are still private individuals. And when ordinary people own the place, you sometimes get some very ordinary awkwardness.
I mean, remember the Airbnb owner who freaked out about their guest’s showering habits?
Or the one who banned guests based on how much they weighed?
Or back during COVID, when not once, but at least twice, Airbnb hosts specified that their guests had to be unvaccinated?
So is it really surprising that a traveler is raising eyebrows after sharing some extremely specific—and mildly awkward—instructions he found inside his rental?
In a photo posted to Reddit’s r/mildlyinfuriating forum, a plain white piece of paper is taped directly to the bed frame. The message is short, blunt, and leaves very little room for interpretation: “Use only to sleep / no other activities.”
A screenshot from the post
“Came here with my wife,” the original poster wrote in the caption. “Oh well.”
The traveler, a man from Sweden who was visiting Istanbul, later told Newsweek that while the sign caught them off guard, they planned to follow the rules anyway—because apparently even beds have boundaries nowadays.
He did, however, stumble upon a possible explanation.
“There is another note explaining that neighbors are very sensitive to noise,” he said. “So maybe it has something to do with that. That’s my best guess.”
Oh! And because one oddly controlling sign clearly wasn’t enough, the rental came with bonus instructions. In the comments of the Reddit thread, the OP also shared a photo of the TV remote—complete with a sticker stating it should be used “only to turn the TV on/off.”
Screenshot from the same Reddit thread
I guess channel surfing was just too much for the Airbnb owner?
Despite the abundance of, shall we say, laminated authority, the traveler was quick to defend, if not the Airbnb owner, the city itself.
“If I had one message, it’s that the sticker situation shouldn’t reflect on anyone’s perception of Istanbul,” he said. “It’s a lovely city with great people, and we feel very welcome here. This feels more like a neighbor issue—which can happen anywhere.”
Anyway, the post struck a nerve on Reddit, earning more than 87,000 upvotes and over 2,400 comments, many of which leaned heavily into sarcasm (which is pretty typical for Reddit).
“Me laying in bed awake… got ’em,” one user joked.
“No bed rotting in that Airbnb,” another added.
Others offered creative loopholes. “Is there a sign on the couch or kitchen table?” one commenter asked. “If not… well, there’s your opportunity.”
“What about eating and maybe making a little fort?” suggested another.
Naturally, theories about the sign’s real purpose followed.
“I feel like this means they aren’t planning to wash the sheets,” one user speculated.
Another countered, “Or the bed might just not survive any ‘activities.’ Structural integrity matters.”
Upon questioning by social media, Airbnb couldn’t confirm if the unit in question was through their company or not. However, a spokesperson from the company said that their ground rules do require hosts to disclose applicable house rules before booking. That way guests can make an informed decision about a space.
Ah, short-term rentals—gotta love ’em, huh?
Anyway, here’s the thread, if you want to read it. Heads up that it has some language that is NSFW.
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