Fresher’s mum rents her room out on Airbnb

A Van Mildert fresher has her room rented out on Airbnb and earned a bonus because it was rented out while she was home at Christmas

Hannah Speed, a Politics fresher and debating queen at the Durham Union Society, discovered her mum had put her room on Airbnb during her first week at uni when she FaceTimed her.

The fresher’s bed is now available for customers at a price of £39 a night claiming to sleep two. Her Sri Lankan mask has been replaced with a generic picture of Salisbury Cathedral and guests are warned: “No shoes upstairs please.”

Hannah told The Tab: “My mum had joked about doing it before, but I didn’t think it was serious. It was only when she sent me the link to renting my bedroom out on Airbnb that it was more than just mum-banter.

“She wasted no time and took the photos for the ad the day I left for university.”

Her mum is now so popular with customers that she’s been awarded with a medal of Super Host Status.

Hannah continued: “All my stuff was put in boxes in the loft. I had some sleepless nights thinking about the weird people sleeping in my bed and using my shower.

“The décor of my room has changed to accommodate strangers. Some left a review saying how much they love the Nordic style. Not only this, but a drawing of me used to hang right outside my bedroom, but it’s now been replaced with a painting of Stonehenge, because apparently that’s of more interest to these people.”

“All my happy memories are packed up in boxes.”

Hannah had to move into the spare bedroom’s single bed for the last four days of the holiday so her room could be rented out. She said: “One time I was really tired and tried to go up to my flight of stairs and realised that it wasn’t my place to. I also left my hairspray up there and I was too scared to go and get it, so I had to listen and wait until they went out.”

Pat Speed, her mum, is clearly a doting host. When French guests misunderstood that breakfast wasn’t included, to save language barrier complications Pat just made it for them anyway.

Hannah said: “She also did some people’s laundry at the beginning when she was really keen, and she doesn’t even do my laundry.

“When my mum did the kitchen tour for some guests she said that they could use my Nutribullet. It is my one prized possession and was the only thing that brought me through those dark four days without my room at the end of the holidays.”

Despite awkwardly avoiding decanting vodka in front of her mum’s guests, Hannah is making the most of it.

When asked whether her mum preferred the guests to Hannah she replied: “At least with me she didn’t have to put a lock on her bedroom door for security.”

You can also rent Hannah’s room out on Airbnb.