This Family Escaping A Hurricane Got An Unexpected Request From Their Rental Hosts
When disaster strikes, should guests be expected to prep a rental home they’re fleeing?
Vacations are supposed to be relaxing, but sometimes Mother Nature has other plans.
For this family of four adults and five kids under nine, their week near Disney was cut short by Hurricane Ian.
The county issued a hurricane watch, and after memories of Hurricane Harvey, the parents knew better than to take chances.
With five little ones in tow, staying wasn’t an option. However, leaving brought its own headaches.
The family accepted that the VRBO hosts wouldn’t refund them for the days they couldn’t stay. They weren’t asking for a full refund, just compensation for the time lost to evacuation.
It wasn’t ideal, but they were willing to let it slide. Then came the message that took their frustration to the next level: the hosts asked them to prepare the house for the storm before leaving, including moving patio furniture and otherwise getting the property “storm-ready.”
Suddenly, the family wasn’t just paying to leave early; they were being asked to work during a hurricane evacuation. With kids, luggage, and the stress of driving hundreds of miles from the storm zone, the request felt like an insult…even if technically allowed by the rental agreement.
Now the question is: in extreme circumstances like this, how far should responsibility go for guests versus hosts?
Scroll through the story below and see exactly how the story unfolded.
Let’s dig into the details
Reddit.comA bit of context
Reddit.comThe hosts expect them to get the house storm ready before they leave
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Feels like insult to injury since they are basically fleeing and are not even getting refunded for the days they didn’t stay
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We gathered some of the most interesting comments from Netizens
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“LOL, I would've immediately messaged them back that my efforts would take 2 hours at $300/hour.”
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“Tell them if they are not responsible to refund you due to a hurricane, you are not responsible to get the house ready for a hurricane.”
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“NTA. They weren’t reasonable with their terms and you don’t have to overdo it for them.”
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According to this Redditor, as long as they leave the house in the condition they left it, that’s fine
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“Just get out. This storm is a Mother and the roads are clogged.”
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“NTA If they are not managing the property themselves they have hired someone to do it.”
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“They don’t get free labor, particularly if they’re not refunding.”
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On one hand, the hosts want to protect their property from the hurricane. On the other hand, guests are fleeing a dangerous storm with kids, luggage, and safety on their minds.
From the comments, Redditors are leaning towards the family, as they feel they’ve been unfairly treated.
As one Redditor said, if the family isn’t going to be refunded even with a few days left on their stay, then why should they be expected to provide free labor before leaving?
Another Redditor joked that they would charge the hosts $600 to prep the rental…the exact same amount that the family expected to be refunded.
What would you do if you found yourself in this same position? Share your thoughts in the comments.
