A pregnant Airbnb host had her home damaged by guests, leaving her in financial trouble and homeless. Sharing the "horror story" on X, formerly Twitter, the host described how a guest's misuse of her property turned into a sudden disaster, leaving her with an enormous expense of $300,000 (roughly Rs 2.4 crore) and without a place to live.
In a series of posts, Ms Erika began, “I woke up on Friday, April 14th to the sound of dripping water. At first, I thought it was raining, but looking out my bedroom window, the sky was bright blue. I jumped out of bed and ran into the hallway. Waterfalls of water were pouring from the ceiling and light fixtures.”
I woke up on Friday, April 14th to the sound of dripping water.
— ???? Coach Erika (@ErikaCoaches) October 19, 2023
At first, I thought it was raining, but looking out my bedroom window, the sky was bright blue.
I jumped out of bed and ran into the hallway.
Waterfalls of water were pouring from the ceiling and light fixtures. pic.twitter.com/XbUJm82qZW
“As context, I own a two-unit building in SF [San Francisco]. It's two flats stacked on top of one another. I used my life savings to buy the building. I live in the smaller lower unit with my husband, rescue dog, and orange tabby cat. I rent the larger, fancier upper unit,” Ms Erika wrote.
As context, I own a two-unit building in SF. It's two flats stacked on top of one another.
— ???? Coach Erika (@ErikaCoaches) October 19, 2023
I used my life savings to buy the building.
I live in the smaller lower unit with my husband, rescue dog, and orange tabby cat.
I rent the larger, fancier upper unit.
The story took a turn for the worse when she revealed that they had a guest staying for a month. In her own words, “They checked out early, no warning. They had clogged the bathroom toilet with baby wipes and human waste. They also damaged the valve that manages water flow from the tank to the bowl. A perfect storm.”
Fast forward to April 2023.
— ???? Coach Erika (@ErikaCoaches) October 19, 2023
We had an Airbnb guest for a one month stay.
They checked out early, no warning. They had clogged the bathroom toilet with baby wipes and human waste.
They also damaged the valve that manages water flow from the tank to the bowl.
A perfect storm.
She further explained, “So the water kept running from the tank, to the bowl, over the bowl, and into the flat, nonstop for 15+ hours. I went to bed at a normal hour, dealing with ungodly pregnancy nausea and with no idea that the unit above was flooding.”
So the water kept running from the tank, to the bowl, over the bowl, and into the flat, nonstop for 15+ hours.
— ???? Coach Erika (@ErikaCoaches) October 19, 2023
I went to bed at a normal hour, dealing with ungodly pregnancy nausea and with no idea that the unit above was flooding.
She went on to describe her situation, saying, "Then I woke up to a nightmare: a literal sh*tstorm in my own house, flooding all 3 levels of the building that I bought with my life savings. And remember -- it's faecal water. 50% of the building was ruined in 15 hours."
Then I woke up to a nightmare: a literal shitstorm in my own house, flooding all 3 levels of the building that I bought with my life savings.
— ???? Coach Erika (@ErikaCoaches) October 19, 2023
And remember -- it's fecal water.
50% of the building ruined in 15 hours.
Who did I call first? Airbnb.
What did they do? pic.twitter.com/oBfXN5lGPS
Ms Erika said she called Airbnb, but they told her to fix everything first and then file a claim against the guests for the full amount. They said they'd consider Host Damage Protection only if the guests refused to pay. She was shocked because this wasn't just a small issue; it was her building that had suffered extensive damage, she said. She said that the guest's recklessness had led to 50% of her home being ruined.
They told me I needed to get the repairs done first, then file a claim against the guest for the full amount.
— ???? Coach Erika (@ErikaCoaches) October 19, 2023
Only if the guests refused to pay could Airbnb create a case for Host Damage Protection.
I was aghast. This wasn't a broken lamp. It's a building that's 50% destroyed.
Ms Erika explained that the damage amounted to a multi-hundred thousand dollar, months-long home reconstruction project. She expressed doubts about the guest's ability to cover the costs and questioned the $3 million Host AirCover Guarantee. She felt let down by the support she received from Airbnb.
She watched the last drops of water falling from the coffered ceiling, struggling to come to terms with the reality of the situation. She watched the water dripping from her old ceiling and realised the seriousness of the situation. A week after announcing her pregnancy, she was left homeless.
I watched final drips of water coming down the 120-year-old coffered ceiling, and my brain could barely register what had happened.
— ???? Coach Erika (@ErikaCoaches) October 19, 2023
The gravity of the situation hit hard.
I was homeless, one week after I hit the 12-week pregnancy milestone and started to share the good news. pic.twitter.com/Xj15BjfAvI
Through her detailed posts on X, Ms Erika recounted the entire experience, documenting the various cases she had filed and the actions she had taken to seek justice.
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