Airbnb horror story: Calgary family's home trashed by renters in a drug-fuelled orgy

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      If you’re thinking of using Airbnb to rent out your home to lodgers to earn some extra money, what happened to this Calgary couple is probably your worst fear come true and a reminder of the potential risks.

      Mark and Star King rented out their Sage Hill–area two-storey house to four adults, who claimed to be in town for a wedding and began their stay on April 25.

      According to concerned neighbours, a bus full of partiers showed up in addition to others arriving in cars, and over 100 people entered the house. The partiers took up residence in the house for a weekend-long, drug-fuelled orgy.

      Police responded to noise complaints over the entire weekend (from Saturday, April 25 to Monday, April 27) but it wasn’t until a fight broke out in front of the house on the Monday morning that the police shut things down.

      On April 27, the owners kicked out 20 people as they entered with the police.

      Damage to the house was originally estimated to be between $50,000 to $75,000 but could hit as high as $150,000.

      Among the damages were:

      • a broken couch and table

      • couch pillows tossed around the house, covered in stains, and torn open

      • ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, and barbecue sauce on the walls as well as dents

      • hardwood floors damaged due to pools of alcohol

      • paintings by Mark King, who is an artist and which he planned to sell, were damaged by paint thrown on them

      • chicken drumsticks left in the owners’ shoes

      • broken glass, bottles, and garbage strewn on the floor

      • cigarette butts and spills on furniture

      • condoms clogging toilets

      • bodily fluids, including urine, semen, and vomit

      Hazmat crews are decontaminating the house, which is deemed uninhabitable due to biohazard concerns.

      "In the 27 years of policing that I've done, I've never seen a home so badly damaged from a weekend party, and of course, with this kind of rental situation," Calgary staff Sgt. Jim Leung told the CBC.

      Airbnb is reportedly helping to find a place for the family to stay and cover the cost of repairs. Airbnb has banned the guest from their website.

      Calgary police have identified a suspect and hope to make an arrest this week.

      Here is a video report from the CBC:

      Here is further footage of the damage done to the house:

      Comments

      10 Comments

      cosmicsync

      May 5, 2015 at 6:57am

      "If you’re thinking of using Airbnb to rent out your home ..."

      That sounds a lot like "if you're thinking of getting in to a vehicle driven by an uninsured, unregulated potential axe murderer ..."

      The answer to both would be "not a fucking chance."

      Umair

      May 5, 2015 at 8:56am

      This is so terrible. I feel badly for the family that is having to go through this nightmare. I've heard plenty of horror stories re: Air BnB renters. I live in a condo building in Vancouver and my building manager allows guests from anywhere but Air BnB!

      SweetPete

      May 5, 2015 at 9:02am

      Whoa! We haven't had a good drug-fuelled orgy in the media since the Reefer Madness days!

      out at night

      May 5, 2015 at 1:23pm

      Assholes!!

      I hope those responsible pay every cost plus a whopping additional cost for being such total shitheads.

      J.M.T.

      May 5, 2015 at 3:34pm

      "Save the planet? We haven't learned how to care for one another yet, and we're gonna save the fucking planet"? - George Carlin

      I just found this fitting.

      Airbnb Host

      May 5, 2015 at 3:44pm

      While this is absolutely unacceptable and a total shame to the owners of this home, this happens with less than 1% of airbnb rentals. I've hosted over 20 groups of guests and the large majority of people are extremely lovely, conscientious and courteous. I wouldn't be able to travel as much as I do without the flexibility of airbnb! Hopefully this doesn't deter people from using the service as it's truly an awesome way to fund adventures and take advantage of when staying in another city.

      J.M.T.

      May 5, 2015 at 3:50pm

      I bet the home owners in this story are having an "awesome adventure". These people are out of their homes, but yet, let's get some more advertising in there.

      @Airbnb Host

      May 5, 2015 at 5:32pm

      Wow! Only one renter out of a hundred will cause $150,000 worth of damage to your home! Where do I sign up?

      Stupid people...

      May 6, 2015 at 12:33pm

      Stupid people renting to other stupid people. What's the end result? this ^

      Annabelle

      May 6, 2015 at 9:06pm

      As a frequent airbnb renter when travelling, I resent that we're all being painted with the same brush. I am responsible and clean and when I travel, I treat the place I'm staying at as my own home. My motto is to leave it in a better condition than when you got there. Airbnb has allowed me to experience living like a local and save money on accommodation to spend more on cultural activities. I have stayed at beautiful apartments in Paris and London. I think airbnb is doing a great service for the tourism industry! The lesson to learn is both parties have to do their due diligence and make sure the person they're renting to/from come with real and reliable references. Do your homework people and good luck!