Summary: Airbnb is still recovering from bad press after a Calgary incident when new reports of trashed homes surfaced after New Year’s Eve.
Reports of trashed homes by Airbnb users are surfacing after New Year’s Eve. The company states that over one million guests stayed at Airbnb locations on New Year’s Eve, so the percentage of circumstances that end up like these is very small. But the percentage is a big deal for those homeowners who are left with their possessions ruined.
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One Oakland, California, couple is regretting their decision to rent their home out on New Year’s Eve. They were under the impression that the renter was from Chicago and would be staying at the house with his sister for the holiday. The renter ended up being an 18-year-old wanting to have the coolest birthday party possible. There were 50-60 kids partying in the house. Their sofas were outside, TVs were in the bathrooms, personal photos trampled on the floors and beer cans and glass were everywhere.
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Another incident happened in London. The owner rented her flat out for one night on New Year’s Eve. When she arrived on scene, there were hundreds of people in the street. When she asked the renter to shut down the party, they were laughed at. Eventually, the owner had to call the police after being assaulted.
In both instances, neighbors alerted the homeowners to the situation before things could get worse. Airbnb is working with the homeowners the repair the damages, but there are always some things that can’t be replaced.
Airbnb received a lot of attention last April when a Calgary home was trashed by what many called a “drug-induced orgy” that had to be cleaned by a biohazard team. The company placed the homeowners in another property for free for the three months it took to repair the home. The only protocol for dealing with renters that trash homes is to remove them from the site. The kid that rented the Oakland home ended up being arrested when he returned to property the next day. However, Airbnb may want to look into stricter punishments for renters that intentionally break their contracts.
Source: http://www.wdrb.com/story/30882367/oakland-couple-says-home-was-trashed-after-rental-on-airbnb
Photo 1: abc7news.com
Photo 2: thesun.co.uk
Photo 3: ici.radio-canada.ca