From the outside it looks like an idyllic American home: gabled roof, white picket fence and manicured lawn.

It's an Airbnb – but not just any Airbnb.

Described as a 'romantic and playful escape,' this $600-a-night Florida rental is fitted with floggers, paddles, restraints, spanking benches and rooms draped in purple and black.

The Daily Mail has found dozens just like it on America's most popular home rental site – ordinary suburban houses transformed into fully equipped BDSM dungeons.

While there is nothing illegal about the rentals, neighbors and critics say they are alarmed such properties are operating in residential areas without their knowledge.

And in a finding likely to concern parents, Airbnb does not automatically remove these listings when making a booking request that includes children.

One particularly alarming listing in the historic Florida city of St Augustine features a room styled as a school classroom, complete with a chalkboard, desk and a flogging bench.

An Airbnb spokesman said the San Francisco-based company has a strong safety record, receives few related complaints and enforces strict age requirements.

But the $11billion-a-year company declined to say how many of its listings include BDSM or kink facilities.

The number is thought to have risen in recent years, with hosts openly advertising fetish-themed rooms to a growing clientele.

On online forums, hosts describe adult-themed rentals as among the most lucrative on the market – frequently overbooked and commanding premium prices.

According to realtor Benjamin Locke, these hosts can charge 40 to 65 percent more than standard rates.

Many have invested thousands of dollars outfitting properties with St Andrew's Crosses, bondage beds, sex swings and spanking benches.

Some advertise medical play tables, complete with metal instruments for role-play scenarios.

Standard accessories – masks, canes, whips, hoods, harnesses and handcuffs – are often included.

Locals said they were horrified when they discovered what was happening just outside their doorstep. On neighborhood Facebook forums, residents vent their disbelief.

'Nothing says "safe for strollers and scooters" like handcuffs and harnesses next door,' wrote one.

Another said that while local families struggled to afford housing, visitors were 'living out their Fifty Shades fantasies just down the street.'

Artist Robin Hamman said she has watched her St Augustine neighborhood deteriorate in real time.

Seven years ago, she claimed, a man staying at the Airbnb ran into the street and engaged in a sexual encounter in plain view.

'Not okay for kids or grandkids to witness this right on the street,' she wrote.

Another local complained about the location being 'Right across from the church.' 

Others are located near other religious centers and schools, the Daily Mail found. 

A BDSM parlor in a two-story townhouse in Brooklyn, New York, was hounded out in 2019 by disapproving neighbors who said the business attracted 'sickos' to the residential area.

Still, experts say business is booming as attitudes toward BDSM shift rapidly.

Studies suggest around a third of couples now incorporate some form of kink into their sex lives.

Among younger Americans, the numbers are higher – more than half of Gen Z and millennials report an interest in BDSM, compared with just 12 percent of baby boomers.

But the rise of adult-themed rentals is only the most lurid sign of a deeper problem, said Texas-based attorney David Schwarte, who led a campaign against Airbnb in Arlington.

Use our map (below) to see if one of these sex dungeons is in your neighborhood

Schwarte said the spread of short-term rentals is destabilizing residential communities across the country.

'You're always one click away from a bad rental,' he warned.

He argued the core issue is that Airbnbs operate as 'unstaffed hotels,' with limited oversight of who books them or what happens inside.

'Who is on site to ensure that you don't have the S&M dungeon next to you?' he said.

'What you get is a revolving door of total strangers next door.'

There is some evidence to support him. In 2022, authorities shut down a brothel operating out of a short-term rental home in his part of Texas.

In 2025, investigators dismantled a violent trafficking ring that had used multiple Airbnb properties across Atlanta to conceal and exploit victims, including a child.

Just last month, OnlyFans model Nicolette Keough, 31, of Pensacola, Florida, was arrested for felony criminal mischief after causing over $5,000 in damages to two Airbnb rentals.

She allegedly urinated on furniture while filming sex acts. She was released on bond, and has been banned by Airbnb. 

But critics argue these cases show how easily short-term rentals can be repurposed for all sorts of illicit or extreme behavior, often with little warning to neighbors.

Across the country, Airbnb rentals have been linked to shootings, fraud and rape.

Airbnb's response to such cases has also drawn criticism.

A Bloomberg Businessweek investigation in 2021 reported that the company operates a 'black box' team tasked with handling serious incidents privately.

The company is said to spend around $50million a year on settlements and damage payouts, often requiring non-disclosure agreements.

In one case, Airbnb paid an Australian woman $7million after she was raped at knifepoint in a Manhattan rental by a man who had gained access to keys.

As part of the settlement, she agreed not to imply responsibility on the part of Airbnb or the host.

There is also concern about the risk of hidden cameras in Airbnbs.

Experts say BDSM rentals, which emphasize privacy and discretion, could be especially vulnerable to covert recording devices capturing intimate moments.

An Airbnb spokesman said there was no evidence adult-themed listings posed greater risks than others.

'We receive no concerns relating specifically to Airbnb stays, and any type of safety issue on our platform is rare,' he said.

'We have clear policies for listings with adult themes, including mandatory upfront disclosure to guests and strict age requirements.'

The company also bans 'disruptive parties, nuisance and illegal activity' at its rentals. 

'We work closely with local authorities and have dedicated channels for neighbors and law enforcement to reach us,' the spokesman added.