Rental Full of Wild Signs and Rules Baffles Vacationers: 'Owner's Use Only'

A woman has been left stunned after a recent stay at a vacation let that was covered with notes and instructions.

"It was comical how many signs there were," Becky Levin Navarro told Newsweek.

Staying in a family lake house in Wimberley, Texas, Navarro and another family spent some time in the house with four adults and six children. In a June 28 video on TikTok that has been viewed 3.7 million times, she shared some of the signs in the lake house. From "Antique and fragile. Please do not attempt to open or pull-on knobs," to "Absolutely no jumping on beds. Any breakage of beds will be immediately passed to renters," there was plenty to take in.

"I'm a rule follower, so I definitely didn't look at it the wrong way," said Navarro. "I mainly thought these are nice things and we're normal people, but I understand it's a risk to share your family heirlooms with outside guests."

Many of the objects were out-of-bounds to guests, while others were specifically labeled asking renters to take care. In the dining space, the table had a sign that read: "This was our Grandmother's table. Please be kind to it and use a placemat."

"Do not touch," read one label on a plant pot, while a door handle was finished with a sign that stated: "Do not turn lever."

One sign even read: "These shelves owner's use only."

The property also contained an antique screen with a very stern notice that stated: "Decorative piece only. Do not touch or move for any reason. I am 10,000 years old and will break if you look at me the wrong way."

The vacation lake house was rented for the week through an online platform. It isn't the first time a host's lists of requests and requirements has sparked debate. In 2021, a TikTok user shared how their rental was packed with handwritten, color-coded notes on everything, including which way to pull the shower curtain and how to use storage bins.

With more than 8,000 comments, Navarro's video captured plenty of attention, and viewers were quick to share their thoughts about the label-heavy vacation home.

"I think they are in the wrong business. Maybe they meant to open a museum," read one comment.

Another viewer wrote: "Someone was excited to use their new laminating machine," while one comment read: "I'll just stay in a hotel, thanks."

"So the microwave and the counter ones I understand," commented one viewer. "But the other ones sound like they should probably not rent out their house."

But Navarro said she understood the signs, and enjoyed her stay, too.

"I figured, let's see what the TikTokers think about this—boy, have they been vocal," she said.

"I would like to say that it was a beautiful home and well kept. I'd stay there again even with all the rules."

Correction, 08/18/2023, 6 a.m. ET: This article was updated to remove incorrect references to the home being booked through Airbnb.