Airbnb host felt 'violated' after house trashed

Published2 hours ago

An Airbnb host has described being too upset to return to her own home after it was trashed during a party.

Leanne Duff, from Plymouth, Devon, said she felt "violated" after every room in her house was damaged in April, including her 13-year-old son's bedroom.

She said food was smeared over the walls, internal doors were removed and stacked in a room, a TV was smashed and her son's electric guitar had its strings cut and his toys ripped.

Airbnb said it had removed a teenager who booked the property from its platform and reimbursed Duff the cost of damage to the property, while police said they could not prove among those present who caused it.

The minimum age to create an account and book a property on Airbnb is 18 and the firm said hosts and guests must complete an identity verification process.

Airbnb said "no verification system is foolproof" but identity checks across the platform were "designed to help users have greater confidence that people on Airbnb are who they say they are".

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Duff, who rents out her home when she is not there to supplement her income, has been a host for seven years and has 200 positive reviews.

She said she had never had an issue before but knew something was amiss when she returned to the property to notice her window was wide open and her sofa cushions in the street.

Recalling when she stepped inside, she said: "I can only be described it as carnage.

"Doors had been taken off their hinges and carried upstairs, food from my cupboard had been cooked and thrown at and smeared on the walls, the TV was smashed, my clothes were ripped, all the drawers had been opened and my jewellery had been thrown everywhere.

"I was stunned, shocked and heartbroken. They didn't steal anything though."

Duff called police and went to stay with her mother while an investigation was carried out.

Assessors estimated there was £25,000 worth of damage to the property, she said.

Devon and Cornwall Police said a 17-year-old girl who booked the property "was spoken to and given words of advice".

"The matter was filed due to it being impossible to prove out of those present who caused the damage or how it was caused," a spokesperson said.

Duff said she could not fault the way Airbnb handled her case but she now felt nervous about people's intentions.

She has since heightened her vetting and no longer rents her house for just one night.

She said: "I lost my livelihood for months and they wrecked a family home.

"I want to hate the people who did this but I don't because they're just people making stupid decisions and I hope they don't do it to anyone else."

A spokesperson for Airbnb said: "Disruptive parties are banned on Airbnb. We removed this guest from the platform for violating our strict policies and reimbursed the host for the damages.

"Issues on Airbnb are exceptionally rare, and our dedicated 24/7 Neighbour Support line allows anyone with concerns about a listing to contact us at any time, and we investigate all reports received."

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