Menlo Park Woman Says Airbnb Guest Flooded Home, Ran Adult Business
MENLO PARK (KPIX 5) – A Menlo Park woman is unsure if she would use Airbnb again after she said a guest flooded her home and ran an adult business from the room she was renting.
As she related in a Facebook post that has since been removed, the woman - who did not want to be identified - was out of town when she got a phone call from her housemate.
"He told me that I'd better come home quickly and there is an emergency at the house. And where's the circuit breaker?" she told KPIX 5.
The homeowner said the woman she rented her room to on Airbnb had turned on the faucet for the tub and walked away, flooding the upstairs. "It had overflowed from the second floor to the first floor and water was pouring from all the light fixtures," she said.
When she returned to Menlo Park, the homeowner said she noticed that the guest wasn't just sleeping there, but operating an adult business from her room.
"I noticed that there was a handbag with only condoms in it," she said.
The flood caused nearly $25,000 in damage and left the homeowner with serious doubts about whether she'll ever list on Airbnb again.
"It's the house owners and the hosts that are putting all of their assets on the line," she said.
The homeowner's insurance will cover most of the damage caused by the overflowing bathtub.
Airbnb did not respond to a request for comment.