Airbnb Nightmare: Harrowing tale of guests leaving host homeless with over $300,000 in damages
San Francisco, known on social media as «Coach Erika,» recently shared a harrowing experience she had with an Airbnb guest, which left her home in ruins, costing her over $300,000 in damages and leaving her homeless. Her story serves as a cautionary tale about the potential pitfalls of being an Airbnb host.
The Airbnb Horror Story Unfolds
In her series of posts on X (formerly Twitter), Coach Erika described the nightmare that unfolded on April 14th. She woke up to the sound of water dripping and was horrified to discover water pouring from her ceiling and light fixtures. Coach Erika, who owns a two-unit building in San Francisco, lived in the lower unit and had been renting out the upper unit.
The source of her misfortune was an Airbnb guest who had been staying in the upper flat for a month. The guest's misuse of the property had catastrophic consequences. They had clogged the bathroom toilet with baby wipes and human waste, damaging the valve that controls water flow. As a result, water continuously overflowed for over 15 hours, causing extensive damage to the entire building.
A Devastating Outcome
Coach Erika's narrative was one of heartache and frustration. Her building experienced severe flooding with fecal water, and she estimated that 50% of her home was ruined. What made matters worse was Airbnb's response, or lack thereof. When she contacted Airbnb, they instructed her to fix everything herself and then file a claim against the guest. Airbnb would only consider providing compensation if the guest refused to pay. This was disheartening for Coach Erika, as the damage was extensive, and she was now facing homelessness.
Her interactions with Airbnb support only added to her troubles. Despite exchanging
