Airbnb hosts advertised their neighbors’ private parking as 'free.' Guests ignored the giant warning signs — then woke up to find their cars missing
The owners had warned guests for over a year, but no one paid attention
Seeing "free parking" while traveling can feel like hitting the jackpot, especially in a busy area. Some Airbnb guests learned the hard way that not every listed amenity is what it seems. An individual who goes by u/Octyss shared why they towed everyone's car from the "free parking" area. In 2025, the author and three neighbors bought the spot next to their summer apartment in France. They marked six parking spots with lines and their plate numbers. But when Airbnb guests ignored the owners' giant signs, they ended up paying more than they bargained for. The post was shared on August 2, 2026, and it had 5,500 upvotes and 430 comments.
Parked in my spot
The author revealed that the apartment was in a gated community, and parking was not an issue. However, when people flocked to the south of France during July and August to vacation, parking became extremely difficult. This was why they bought the space. So they could reserve parking spots for themselves. They explained, "We made 6 large parking spaces for our cars with lines and plate numbers in front of each parking spot."
But the gate was always open for other neighbors to park their cars, given they don't park in the marked spots. Recently, one of the owners complained they could only park one of their cars because the entire space was packed with the Airbnb tenants' cars. He put up a warning sign that said only residents were allowed to park in the designated spots, but nobody listened.
False advertising
After the author and his family came back from vacation at 3 a.m., the parking situation remained the same. He had to park 300 meters away from his house. The following morning, they put up a huge sign that warned anyone who parked in the designated spots would get their cars towed. But to nobody's surprise, the next day was the same. The author and the other owners closed the gate, called the police, and towed every single car that did not belong to the residents.
He justified the decision, "We did put lots of signs on the parking since last year when we bought it. They just didn't see it, and they approved the selling of this parking to us." The Airbnb tenants complained and asked the homeowners to refund their money for advertising "free parking," and then getting their cars towed. The homeowners and tenants threatened to sue for the refunds and towing costs.
Parking brawls
Parking has always been a source of stress for drivers. A 2022 SpotHero survey confirmed it when 48.5% of Americans agreed with the statement. Not only is it stressful, but 43.4% of American drivers have gotten into verbal arguments with strangers over parking. That was exactly what happened after the author decided to do something about the tenants who kept taking his and the other owners' parking spots. Another study from T2 Systems reported on Parking & Mobility also found that one in three (33%) drivers had experienced a confrontation over a parking spot.
Airbnb owners' fault
People assured the author that they did nothing wrong. The spots were marked, and warnings were given beforehand. It was the tenants who refused to acknowledge the signs. u/spilledteacups commented, "So to clarify the spots are clearly marked? I don’t think you are the a*shole here. If your answer is that the spots were clearly marked and it sounds like you gave them plenty of notice. I don’t see the issue. I think this is the fault of the people that are running the Airbnb." u/teresajs added, "NTA. Airbnb owners should not be advertising parking that they don't own. Talk to your co-owners about having other cars towed regularly from your shared lot."
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