Being a guest at someone else’s home can be a challenge, especially if you’re a homebody or like things to be a certain way. Even seeing a sock out of place may cause a person to judge your home. The cleanliness of a home can say a lot about a person. According to a 2021 Ipsos poll, 74% of Americans judge a holiday gathering host based on how clean their home is.
But cleanliness is not the only red flag people can immediately clock. There can be smaller, less noticeable details that, to some folks, scream: “I don’t want to be in this house a second longer.” Under a recent post on Threads, folks started sharing their own picks after user @mskittenk asked everybody: “What’s a red flag when you visit someone’s house?” She then shared hers: “For me it’s the absence of books.” But the commenters didn’t hold back, adding things like interior design choices, certain smells, and even the way some hosts interact with each other.

Anything MAGA.
duck_diva2022 , Natilyn Hicks Photography Report

Dog chained up outside their house and set up as an outdoor pet most of its life.
hat_nancylee , UMUT 🆁🅰🆆 Report

Confining animals to cages (all the time).
moonlit.rabbit.rescue , Pavan Naik Report

Loads of religious stuff. It’s one thing to have a religious book on the coffee table. I went to a house once, they had religious pictures in every room. They literally had a picture of Jesus looking out the front door as if to say he flipping lived there. I guess a burglar might think hmm, maybe I will leave this place alone.
hitchlives , itsmoeyo Report

Stuffed animals on their walls. Fox news on the tv.
laceandbooks , sergunello Report

Overwhelming pet smells. Don’t get me wrong, I love little furry friends, but if it hits me like a brick I can’t stay long.
noi_max , Tom Thai Report

For me it’s the absence of books.
mskittenk , Nadiia Shuran Report

Family members yelling/fighting while I’m there. Like what’s happening when you DON’T have a guest over??
thankyou_forsunshine , stockking Report

If you feel like you are in a lobby. No plants, no art except stock, no family pictures, no books, no shoes by the door. Just perfectly void of life and perfectly clean. That creeps me out.
tnut42 , Go to Dominik’s profile Dominik Report

Nothing wrong with being into anime and having merch. But if I notice a lot of posters and figures of characters that are very young and childish looking particularly ones that are clearly meant to be sexualized I’m gonna ask a lot of questions.
anon , Pascal Report

Not having pillow cases on the bed. You know those sheets and blankets are filthy then.
TemperatureExotic631 , plantsandpoison Report

Filth and clutter. liora_uncensored: Extreme filth. It’s one thing if a bedroom gets a bit messy or dishes pile up… life gets hectic and cleaning gets put on the back burner I get it. it’s another entirely if it’s such filth it’s outright unsanitary.
peacedreamer6 , rawpixel.com Report

Dirty toilet.
tjibbehoek , Karolina Grabowska Report

An American flag in the front yard. I’m sorry but it’s giving unsafe.
therealriex0 , Brett Sayles Report

“live. laugh. love.”
thatdorkpaul , stencilrevolution Report

Looking like a show home. It makes me nervous when I feel like sven just sitting down is going to mess up the place.
ladleshireonsea , Getty Images Report

I find it kind of disconcerting when someone’s children seem afraid to speak, be too loud, walking on eggshells, etc. I understand not all children are loud and that’s not a sign of their happiness one way or the other all the time, but I just feel like kids should feel safe and comfortable enough to hoot and holler in their own home.
v , Richard Stachmann Report

TV blaring in every room.
hslinnyc , Getty Images Report

Big dogs jumping up on me with nobody helping me out. I’m short.
booniekitterpillar , Getty Images Report

Smell of cigarettes. I really don’t like the smell of cigarette smoke. Fresh it’s tolerable but once it gets in the walks it’s gross to me.
rong_er_22 , stockking Report

Dirty washroom and dirty kitchen sink.
anna15liz/ , Jonathan Castañeda Report

Cockroaches.
starry_mist78 , matheus ferreira Report

Children not allowed to make noise.
geoff_boz , Getty Images Report

Porcelain dolls. I had a display in my store with a vintage doll pram. This man said. “Oh this would be perfect for my doll collection..” then looked me in the eyes and said “some people think that’s creepy” It’s me. I’m people.
katiekater220 , Ries Bosch Report

MLM inventory for their “business” or they buy a lot of MLM stuff. Minus a normal amount of Tupperware.
mountcoffee , freepik Report

A complete absence of art.
woodge , Max Vakhtbovych Report

The neighbors at the old house had their basement set up like there was a party. Complete with mannequins posed all over. Some sitting with drinks, some standing “chatting”. Super weird.
good_deel , Teresa Wang Report

Ashtrays (usually full).
lamkin.elaine , SLNC Report

If they collect Teddy Bears and call them their children. Taking a different to holiday each time, just pure madness.
justfifi4u , MChe Lee Report
No hand soap in the bathroom, dishes with old food piled up, taxidermy pets/ relatives (I have seen family have each other as coffee tables & propped up on the couch), no vegetables in the home, If the home is too clean it makes me feel like you’re hiding something (a home with kids and pets should look lived in), Quality towels for you and falling apart towels for guests, too much religious stuff, urine on bathroom floor.
conciergetravelphoto Report
Cat litter tray in the kitchen.
harry49hale/ Report
Single layer toilet paper.
FairyKatsumi Report

Wearing shoes around the house.
4knitsakes , freepik Report
A voodoo doll with a couple pins stuck in it..
danielhanson007 Report
The big light is ON and it’s mid day and sunny outside.
deevaj96 Report
Cats on kitchen counters.
blalock_bob Report
I look at baseboards and around door handles. That tells me a whole lot
desert_carebear_ Report

It’s not even about the inside, it’s about the outside because if that lawn is unkept and that grass is overgrown i don’t even need to see the inside, the outside told the whole story.
itsantpropst , anon Report
Books and animals. If you don’t have them you’re probably dumb and heartless. And if I see a Bible I’m leaving forever.
j.scribbl3 Report
No photos of family.
marycatherineegan Report
Not feeling like they did anything to prep for my visit. Like a a guest room without fresh vacuum lines and sheets that still smell like detergent.
alegnamediasuite Report
No pets.
bratty_swemo69 Report
If they have less than 10 plants.
eighthundredfiftysix Report
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