A hotel manager has shared the checklist she ticks off every time she stays at an Airbnb or a holiday home.
Melissa Hanks is a hospitality worker turned travel blogger who shares her holidays and industry insights on TikTok and Instagram.
Like many people who spend a lot of time travelling the world, the adventure enthusiast regularly finds herself staying in hotels and rental apartments which leave her feeling a little less than comfortable.
Part of the reason why Melissa carries out extensive checks before she settles in and starts enjoying herself is the fear of hidden cameras.
"Because of TikTok I am looking in every crevice for any cameras, I'll check the bathroom vents, the bedroom vents, smoke detectors, check all the mirrors and outlets especially the bathroom ones," she explained in a recent video.
Some holidaymakers have discovered - to their absolute horror - that they were being watched while staying in someone else's flat.
Kennedy Calwell, 26, from Canada, was checked in to an Airbnb at the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia when she found the small spying device.
The 26-year-old had been scouring the home with a friend before they found the camera, which she claimed was pointing towards the shower and toilets, and tucked away in a power socket.
Another thing Melissa is concerned about is the cleanliness of the apartment she is staying at. Rather than pushing any potential horrors at of her mind, the hospitality pro sets about getting everything as clean as possible.
"I check the beds for bedbugs, I switch out the linens especially if there is a washer and drier here, and remake the beds with fresh linen, because unfortunately I do not trust cleaning companies that a lot of Airbnb owners hire," she said. "I even rewash towels before I use them."
Melissa also makes sure to check whether there is a camera attached to the front door.
"I did notice when I arrived that they don't even have ring doorbells cameras, which doesn't really bother me as long as they don't have them inside," she said from the rental flat where she was filming the video.
In response to her request for other people's holiday rental check-lists, many TikTok users spoke of the concerns they have when staying in someone else's home.
"I bring my own pillows to sleep on when I travel by car. Their pillows see blood, drool, food stain and other nasty things," one person wrote.
Another added: "I spray the entire bed, pillows & linens with Clorox free and wipe everything down with Clorox wipes."
One cleanliness-concerned commenter said they "run the dishwasher with all dishes I’ll need" to make sure they are as clean as desired.
Another chimed in: "When I go to hotels I rip the bedding off and ask for new bedding because I don’t trust hotels to switch them out. I asks for new towels also."
