A family staying in a Booking.com rental near a family birthday party were terrified when they discovered a man hiding behind a makeshift wall inside the property. Therese, with her partner and two children, had been told the home would be unoccupied for the night, but returned to find the landlord still at the property with his clothes in the dryer. The home was advertised as not owner-occupied, and concerns grew after the downstairs children's bedroom was adjacent to a locked room. After the party, the family returned to find the washing machine running and eventually realized someone was concealed behind the wall. The episodes have been described as horrifying by the family and sparked questions about safety and the accuracy of rental listings. The reports have circulated across RTÉ's Liveline and multiple local outlets in Ireland and the UK.