Ever get a wild animal in your STR?

Question

Just got a call from one of my tenants. He's a boilermaker foreman working night shift. He said that he could hear a creature walking around in the attic above his bedroom. It's not really an attic, it's more like an unfinished 3rd floor. The stairway to the 3rd floor is entered from a doorway in the guys bedroom. He said he could hear a creature walking back and forth while he was trying to sleep. He thought it could be an opossum, cat, squirrel or a really big rat.

I'm collecting rent from there this evening. I told him I'll bring a handgun and a flashlight and will investigate by climbing up the stairs to confront the creature. I told the guy that he'd be walking in front of me.

I'm collecting rent from there this evening.  I told him I'll bring a handgun and a flashlight and will investigate by climbing up the stairs to confront the creature.  I told the guy that he'd be walking in front of me.

Mark Reitman · Answer

Does a bear in a hot tub count?

Julie McCoy · Answer

@Lucas Carl  AHHHH I had wiped that from my memory!

A guest brought PET BIRDS into my house (2 or 3 parakeets) and DID NOT CAGE THEM.  Livid does not begin to describe me; it was more like nuclear.  I found out about it because that was my one and only property with a PM and he saw them through the window or something when he went over to greet the guests.

I got with AirBNB to kick them out; my PM had to do a little detective work to get the birds on video for proof. Then the lady calls me crying and begging to stay (though she did not seem to understand why I was upset about the birds) and she said she'd put them in their cage and keep them outside for the remainder of their stay.  This was summer in central CA so I don't know why on earth she would offer such a thing, It was 100 degrees outside, but that was HER idea so I said they could stay as long as the birds never, ever, EVER go back inside my house.

To their credit, they left the place spotless, but now Lucas has revived the latent horror of wondering how much those birds peed and crapped on my furniture.  *shudder*

I sold that house last month.  It was incredibly hard for me to let it go, it was my first and my favorite, but given how things have shaken out globally, now I'm quite glad I did it!

Luke Carl · Answer

@Julie McCoy her guest brining live birds is the second greatest STR story I’ve ever heard. I guess she decided it didn’t apply here LOL

Julie McCoy · Answer

I get critters in my eaves sometimes.  They keep chewing holes in the hardest-to-reach spot at one of my cabins and living in a pocket between the roof and the loft.  Flying squirrels are the usual culprits around here.

Paul Sandhu · Answer

Negative.  The guy that heard the creature was already at work when I went by for the rent.  If the creature could find its way in, it'll find its way out when it gets hungry.

Frank Borzen · Answer

Iguanas and scorpions are the usual

Crabs, shrimp, fish after Wilma/Irma

Florida Keys

Anand S. · Answer

Had an iguana, turtle and a crab... not at the same time. Had to call animal control on the iguana, it was a big one!

John Underwood · Answer

Had a wasp and a mouse, not at same time.

Ever get a wild animal in your STR?

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