Couple says home was trashed after they rented it on Airbnb
SAN DIEGO -- A San Diego couple says their decision to rent their home on Airbnb has turned into a "homeowner's worst nightmare."
"I don't know how else to describe it, it's a sickening and helpless feeling," said homeowner Megan Duma.
Her original wish was to rent the home she recently purchased for a weekend on Airbnb.
As she was relaxing on vacation in Canada two weekends ago she got a call from a neighbor.
"You find out while the party is going on that your home is being trashed and you feel so helpless," she said.
She called police but the damage was done. Neighbors heard a loud fight, leaving behind a bloody mess.
"Your mind starts to race, Oh my God, I lost my baby's photos, have I lost my wedding photos," Duma said.
Those weren't damaged, but the same can't be said for a $20,000 print, a wedding gift from her husband, or broken tiles and glasses.
Photos showed the damage -- from a bloodstained mattress pad and a ripped screen door, to an oil-stained cushion and burns in cabinets and lampshades.
Planks on her deck had to be nailed back in place after someone lifted them with a crowbar to retrieve a dropped cellphone.
When Duma contacted Airbnb, she says she was met with confusion.
"They warned me certain things aren't covered so don't get your hopes up," she said.
Duma claims Airbnb's broad exclusion of 'fine art' may not protect her damaged items.
An email informed her cleaning and property management expenses wouldn't be covered.
After a KGTV reporter contacted Airbnb, Duma received an email from the company saying it wll be covering cleaning and property management expenses
"We have zero tolerance for this kind of behavior and our Trust and Safety team is working quickly to make this right. We have permanently removed this guest from Airbnb, and we are working closely with this host to expedite the reimbursement process under our $1 Million Host Guarantee, which covers a host's property in the rare event of damages. Over 50 million guests have stayed on Airbnb, and property damage is extremely rare."
