This Woman Forced Her Friend to Stay at a Club by Holding Their Shared Airbnb Hostage

We all know that moment when exhaustion hits and all you want is the comfort of a warm bed. For one young woman, that simple desire turned into a bizarre standoff in the middle of a nightclub line. After draining herself mentally and physically at a new job, she agreed to split an Airbnb with a friend to catch up with a visiting out-of-towner.

But what was supposed to be a low-key weekend quickly escalated into a power struggle when her friend decided to hold the accommodation hostage. Feeling overwhelmed and desperate to rest, she found herself trapped outside a club with no way to enter the room she had paid for. Curious how it all unfolded? The full story is right below.

This Woman Forced Her Friend to Stay at a Club by Holding Their Shared Airbnb Hostage

AITA for getting upset after my friend basically locked me out of the Airbnb I paid for?

Setting the stage for a reunion, the weekend was meant to be a rare escape from her draining work schedule.

Hi, first time posting here.

I genuinely don't know if I'm overreacting or if this is as messed up as it felt in the moment.

I (F25) recently started a new job that's been draining me mentally and physically, so I barely have time or energy to go out anymore.

So my social life has basically been limited to sending memes in a group chat.

But since one of our friends, Kat (F25), was visiting the city, me and another friend, Lauren (F24), decided to split an Airbnb for the weekend so we could all...

I got there late because of work and traffic (about 2 hours), and Lauren had already checked us in.

When I arrived, I realized the place required multiple access codes (building, floor, apartment).

Lauren never shared any of them with me, which I thought was weird, but I let it go.

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The exhaustion was reaching a breaking point, making her simple request for the codes a desperate plea for relief.

The same night, we went out to a club that was literally 5 minutes away.

There was an event, so we ended up stuck in line for TWO HOURS.

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I was exhausted, overwhelmed, and honestly regretting going out in the first place.

I only went because I didn't want to feel left out.

At some point, I told Lauren I was done and just wanted to go back to the Airbnb and sleep.

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That's when things got weird.

She straight up told me I couldn't because she wasn't going to give me the access codes.

She said that if I left, I'd have to sit outside on the street alone until she decided to come back.

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I thought she was joking at first.

She wasn't.

I reminded her that I PAID for the Airbnb too.

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She didn't care.

I spent almost an hour asking her to just send me the codes so I could go rest, and she refused the entire time.

So I was basically forced to stay, exhausted and miserable, because otherwise I'd be locked out of a place I paid for.

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So I was basically forced to stay, upset, and honestly felt humiliated.

I also feel guilty because it was Kat's first night visiting, and I didn't want to ruin the mood but at the same time, I don't think I was asking...

Extra context: I was recently diagnosed with Asperger's, and I've been very open about how I struggle with social situations and how I used to force myself into things just...

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Knowing that, it hurt even more that Lauren basically pressured me into staying by holding something over my head.

Now my other friends are saying I'm overreacting and that it 'wasn't that serious.' But to me, it felt like a huge violation of trust and respect.

So… AITA for being upset about this?

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Community Opinions

Reddit came in hot—nearly unanimous in their outrage, with readers overwhelmingly declaring the friend's behavior as toxic and unacceptable.

u/Different-Airline672
NTA, there is something very, very wrong with Lauren. She is not your friend!

u/MoonLatti NTA. Keeping the access codes from a paying guest to force them to stay out is psychotic. Lauren is a bully, and the friends defending her are enabling her. Find...

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u/Nester1953 If anything, you're under-reacting. What happened to you was serious. Keeping you out of the Air B&B for which you'd paid (and even if you hadn't paid) was completely...

u/akcmommy
NTA.
I would have just gone home instead of to the Airbnb.
And break the friendship.
Her behavior was terrible.

u/Zandor72 I am sorry to tell you this, but these people are not your friends. I dont know why they would do this to another person, but please consider going...

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u/G-reeper66
NTA
A simple, " Give me the codes or I cancel the air BNB"

u/Ditzyshine NTA, I see no reason why Lauren held the access codes when the Airbnb was split. Seems like a power trip thing and just weird. Forcing someone to hang...

u/P4nd0rasJar I got locked out of a hotel room with no shoes, no phone, no ID and just wearing a baggy t shirt in the early hours when someone dragged...

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u/Only_Fig4582
Lauren isn't your friend.
She is self centred and unkind.
You don't need someone like her in your life. 

u/Usual_Violinist_3745 N T A Lauren is being absurd. I think u should have asked her to share the codes previously before the trip.. But then again who would imagine anyone...

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u/DameStorm
That girl is not your friend.
You did not overreact.
It has nothing to do with your diagnosis, it's about respect.
Find better friends.

u/skeeballbob37
NTA, I avoid people like Lauren at all costs.

u/Into-the_Ether NTA not at all! I am sorry OP, but your friend is not your friend. She is a user, a j3rk, and an Ahole. In my opinion you should...

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u/King-Rosiegh
NTA - your feelings are valid, also please continue to prioritize your body’s needs.
Your health is first.
I’m sorry that this happened to you.

u/Selenaxy
You’re not overreacting that’s a serious breach of trust.
You paid for the place and she deliberately withheld access, which isn’t okay.
Feeling upset and disrespected makes complete sense.

A few commenters even shared their own harrowing stories of being stranded, reinforcing just how dangerous this kind of control can be.

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Navigating social expectations is challenging enough without the added stress of a power trip from someone you trust. While some friends might genuinely not realize the severity of trapping someone in an exhausting situation, others clearly use it to maintain control over the group dynamic. Do you think Lauren was intentionally being malicious, or did she simply lack the empathy to understand her friend’s distress? And how would you have handled being locked out of an accommodation you helped pay for? Drop your thoughts in the comments!

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