Man says Airbnb home decorated with ‘devil worship’ decor ‘made the entire family feel unsafe’
Halloween came early for one family who claims they were driven from their Airbnb rental home by symbols of witchcraft and satanism.
New York City author Frederick Joseph detailed the short-lived rental experience in a Tuesday Twitter thread. He paid $1,150 for two nights at the two-bedroom home for himself, his fiancée, his 21-year-old cousin and his 8-year-old brother. But the family encountered “seemingly satanic items and stuff for witchcraft rituals” when they arrived, Joseph tweeted.
The owner had listed the Spring Glen, N.Y. rental as a two-bedroom getaway with a “Scandinavian vibe,” but Joseph says the decor was unexpected.
“I went inside the home alone to check it out and I noticed there were no blinds on any of the windows,” he tells Yahoo Life. “You could see into the home from any angle.”
Joseph said he ventured into the basement only because its staircase greeted him at the front door. There, he discovered “animal skulls and ritualistic floor markings” along with shattered glass. The markings, he said, led to a door that opened to a bathtub outside that was surrounded by unlit candles.
When we walked up to the house we noticed an animal skull hanging on the outside of the house, so I went inside to check it out.
When I walked I went to the basement and found more animal skulls and ritualistic floor markings and then I went up to the rooms to find much more.
— Frederick Joseph (@FredTJoseph) September 7, 2020
As we walked through the two rooms we found a bunch of imagery, candles, books, etc for rituals and what looked like devil worship. My brother was terrified, as were we.
We called @Airbnb and told them we couldn’t stay there and explained the situation. pic.twitter.com/7kIl9ptitt
— Frederick Joseph (@FredTJoseph) September 7, 2020
We were told that we couldn’t receive a refund and they spoke to the owner who said there were just a few small art pieces that they could come remove. This was a lie, it was the whole damn house not a few things.
A BAPHOMET HIDDEN BEHIND A DEAD BIRD IN A BAG pic.twitter.com/VLaRsStIq7
— Frederick Joseph (@FredTJoseph) September 7, 2020
Once upstairs, Joseph found photos, candles and books seemingly dedicated to rituals. The collection, he says, “looked like devil worship” along with demon-like trinkets and a clear bag containing what looked like a headless taxidermy bird.
“At this point, we said f**k this, we are out of here,” Joseph tells Yahoo Life. During multiple correspondences with Airbnb, it was conveyed to Joseph that the owner offered to remove any items that made his family uncomfortable. However, Joseph declined.
“Needless to say, we left because we are Black and not dealing with something that was: 1. advertised completely different 2. Looks like a scene from [the horror film] Hereditary 3. Made the entire family feel unsafe,” he tweeted.
“Black people have been through certain traumas, both historically and currently, [involving situations] that might generate less apprehension