Dec 22, 2025
Aubrey from Denver called into The Ramsey Show with a nightmare scenario: her Airbnb investment had turned into a financial disaster (1). Yet, the source of the problem was uncomfortably close to home.
Aubrey and her husband own two properties near ski resorts and live in one while renting out the other. They'd been running a successful Airbnb operation from the basement of the second home — until they decided to help family by renting the upstairs to Aubrey's mother and 11-year-old sister at a reduced rate.
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The arrangement seemed perfect at first. They were helping loved ones while still generating income from short-term rentals. But Aubrey's mother is a hoarder, and what started as minor clutter has escalated into a full-blown crisis.
When good intentions meet bad reviews
Aubrey's situation reflects a broader trend. According to the Pew Research Center, 59.7 million Americans — about 18% of the population — now live in multigenerational households, up from under 20 million in 1981 (2). Financial pressures are the primary driver for 40%, plus more saying it's a minor reason they choose to live this way (3).
In Aubrey's case, her mother's accumulation of possessions eventually led to a cockroach infestation that spread throughout the property, including the Airbnb unit. Guest reviews plummeted, and Aubrey had no choice but to shut down the entire short-term rental operation.
For hosts like her, bad Airbnb reviews aren't just embarrassing; they're financially devastating. Hosts have seen their revenue plummet tens of thousands of dollars when review scores drop below 4.5 stars. The problem is, properties with those ratings often get fewer bookings and may not show up prominently in search results.
According to OptimizeMyAirbnb.com, only about 70% of guests leave reviews, meaning even one negative review can significantly impact a rental's visibility and income for months (4).
And the financial toll extends beyond lost bookings. Aubrey mentioned they'd already had to replace the refrigerator due to overstuffing, and cockroach remediation isn't cheap.
According to Angi, homeowners typically pay between $100 and $600 for cockroach extermination, with an average cost of around $200. However, severe infestations like Aubrey described often require multiple treatments at $300 to $700 each, and extreme cases involving fumigation can cost anywhere from $1,000 to $7,500 (5).
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The Ramsey solution: Two clear options
The Ramsey Show hosts Dr. John Delony and Rachel Cruze told Aubrey she needs to head straight toward the uncomfortable conversation. As Delony described it, "The tension is the path."
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According to them, Aubrey has only two viable options:
1. Set firm boundaries with enforcement mechanisms. If her mother wants to stay, the home must be professionally cleaned, the hoarding must stop and regular inspections must be implemented.
Delony suggested putting concrete systems in place, such as hiring a cleaning crew to visit every two weeks, by adding the cost to the rent or covering it themselves. The key is making these requirements non-negotiable with clear consequences.
2. Require professional mental health treatment as a condition of staying. The hosts suggested Audrey offer to pay for six months of counseling for her mother, making it a requirement for continued tenancy. Hoarding is a compulsion that requires professional intervention, and, as Delony noted, "I've never met a hoarder who wants to be in that situation."
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The International OCD Foundation says hoarding disorder affects 2 to 4% of people worldwide and is a recognized mental health condition requiring specialized treatment (6). Cleveland Clinic notes that cognitive behavioral therapy is a common method, often combined with medications like selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) (7).
The clash of side hustles and family obligations
Aubrey's situation highlights a growing tension in American households. As housing costs soar, more people are turning to short-term rentals and "house hacking" strategies to make property ownership work financially. But mixing business with family support, especially when mental health challenges are involved, can create cascading problems.
For example, most homeowner insurance policies don't cover Airbnb damages, and pest infestations are often excluded from host protection insurance. Meanwhile, family members quickly establish tenant rights under state law. For Aubrey, this means she can't simply evict her mother without formal proceedings — even as the property damage destroys her business in real-time.
Aubrey's mother had been "politely kicked out" of previous rentals and was involved in a legal dispute with a former landlord over her security deposit. This history suggested a pattern that Aubrey and her husband chose to overlook when offering help.
In giving advice, Delony emphasized to "choose guilt over resentment." He warned that avoiding the hard conversation now would only breed resentment later. The longer a bad situation continues, the more damage accumulates, both to the property and to relationships.
Read More: Dave Ramsey says this 7-step plan ‘works every single time’ to kill debt, get rich in America — and that ‘anyone’ can do it
What this means for property investors
If you're considering renting to family members or combining short-term rentals with below-market housing for relatives, Aubrey's story offers crucial lessons:
- Put everything in writing. Clear lease terms with specific cleanliness and maintenance standards and consequences for violations protect both parties.
- Recognize mental health red flags. A history of evictions or landlord disputes isn't just bad luck, but a pattern that will likely continue.
- Don't sacrifice your financial security. Helping family is admirable, but not if it destroys your own financial foundation. Property damage and lost income could take years to recover from.
- Get professional help early. If hoarding or other mental health issues are involved, professional treatment is essential.
The hosts made clear that if Aubrey does nothing, the situation will only worsen. Eventually, her mother will leave anyway, but the house will be further damaged, the financial losses will be greater and the family relationship may be beyond repair.
Article sources
We rely only on vetted sources and credible third-party reporting. For details, see our editorial ethics and guidelines.
The Ramsey Show (1); Pew Research Center (2, 3); OptimizeMyAirbnb (4); Angi (5); International OCD Foundation (6); Cleveland Clinic (7)
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With a writing and editing career spanning over 13 years, Emma creates and refines content across a broad spectrum of industries, including personal finance, lifestyle, travel, health & wellness, real estate, beauty & fitness and B2B/SaaS/tech. Her versatility comes through contributions to high-profile clients like Moneywise, Healthline, Narcity and Bob Vila, producing content that informs and engages, along with helping book authors tell their stories.
