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Homeowners faced an Airbnb nightmare as renters left them facing huge fines

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Re: Homeowners faced an Airbnb nightmare as renters left them facing huge fines

#11
post #5

Man, the more I read stories like this about AirBnB the more I want them to fail. People hate regulations until they get screwed, and suddenly they understand that sometimes regulations exist for a reason. Beyond that though, what I despise is that AirBnB seems to reap all the profits and accept none of the blame. They fought to avoid paying taxes and whined when they lost, they refuse to take down listings when pres…

> Beyond that though, what I despise is that AirBnB seems to reap all the profits and accept none of the blame. I dunno; it seems to me that in these cases, the people who are really to blame are the "tenants" who are actually breaking both laws and rental agreements. I'm puzzled as to why the property owners aren't suing them to recover all the money they lost. I mean, yeah, lawsuits cost money, too, but when you're…

I'm puzzled as to why the property owners aren't suing them to recover all the money they lost. I mean, yeah, lawsuits cost money, too, but when you're talking a $20k fine, I would imagine there's at least a good chance of recovering more than you pay...and it didn't sound like any of the mentioned owners were attempting to do anything to the bad-faith tenants.

It sounds like you have never been a landlord. It's a five step process that takes at least two months just to evict someone in my landlord friendly state. I've heard it's worse in many other states. After that, it's possible to sue someone but that costs money and time and even after you do win it can take years to actually get your money and go through garnishment procedures once you track down their income. It's seldom worth the effort.

Yes most of the fault lies with AirBnb but being a distant landlord without a local property manager is crazy anyway. I sold my properties because the expense of getting a property manager or the hassle of managing it myself from across town wasn't worth it.

Re: Homeowners faced an Airbnb nightmare as renters left them facing huge fines

#12
It's not great, and I have no sympathy for tenants who trash properties - but this seems like a result of being an absentee landlord with an inadequate local agent.

I have to say that in this situation I'd probably change the locks immediately and sort it out in court later; it's not clear what it means to "evict" tenants who aren't living at the property but instead are illegally subletting it.

(Also, jurisdictions with good legal drafting should be making Airbnb liable in this situation too)

Re: Homeowners faced an Airbnb nightmare as renters left them facing huge fines

#13

Terrible customer service but this seems like something a competent leasing contract should cover, no? The owner should be directly able to pass on these fines to the tenants, assuming they were sensible with the contract. If not... well, I guess there’s always civil court.

Almost all leasing contracts, including the ones you get for free have a no subleasing clause. Even if you win in civil court if they don't pay, your only recourse is to go back to court and try to garnish wages and bank accounts. That takes even more time and money and it's relatively simple to make your assets judgement proof by just "putting everything in your momma's name". If the judgement is too onerous, just file for bankruptcy.

Re: Homeowners faced an Airbnb nightmare as renters left them facing huge fines

#14

Terrible customer service but this seems like something a competent leasing contract should cover, no? The owner should be directly able to pass on these fines to the tenants, assuming they were sensible with the contract. If not... well, I guess there’s always civil court.

Almost all leasing contracts, including the ones you get for free have a no subleasing clause. Even if you win in civil court if they don't pay, your only recourse is to go back to court and try to garnish wages and bank accounts. That takes even more time and money and it's relatively simple to make your assets judgement proof by just "putting everything in your momma's name". If the judgement is too onerous, just f…

What happened to the legendary importance of the credit score? I'd assume this kind of thing would make it impossible for someone to rent anything larger than a tent ever again.

Re: Homeowners faced an Airbnb nightmare as renters left them facing huge fines

#15

Man, the more I read stories like this about AirBnB the more I want them to fail. People hate regulations until they get screwed, and suddenly they understand that sometimes regulations exist for a reason. Beyond that though, what I despise is that AirBnB seems to reap all the profits and accept none of the blame. They fought to avoid paying taxes and whined when they lost, they refuse to take down listings when pres…

Yep. Doing this five meters away from my front door, where my house and neighbors share a hallway. The carpet outside is covered in barbecue oil from a guest lugging a barbecue to the rooftop. We've had multiple drunk people try and break into the house. We've had a rooftop party with a couple of hundred teenagers. The owner is absentee and doesn't care, Airbnb won't even help you find the listing when you know the address (exactly like the article).

Ultimately it's our time and the police's time that handled things (and the taxpayer), while Airbnb reap the profits.

Re: Homeowners faced an Airbnb nightmare as renters left them facing huge fines

#16
post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Almost all leasing contracts, including the ones you get for free have a no subleasing clause. Even if you win in civil court if they don't pay, your only recourse is to go back to court and try to garnish wages and bank accounts. That takes even more time and money and it's relatively simple to make your assets judgement proof by just "putting everything in your momma's name". If the judgement is too onerous, just f…

What happened to the legendary importance of the credit score? I'd assume this kind of thing would make it impossible for someone to rent anything larger than a tent ever again.

Yes you can do background checks that include previous eviction cases, but if you throw enough up front money at a landlord who has a mortgage to pay, they will take you.

That whole "putting everything in your mom's name" also applied here. You can probably get a cosigner. If you are a couple, one person gets the lease the first time around, the eviction is only in their name and let the other person get it next time.

Re: Homeowners faced an Airbnb nightmare as renters left them facing huge fines

#17

Man, the more I read stories like this about AirBnB the more I want them to fail. People hate regulations until they get screwed, and suddenly they understand that sometimes regulations exist for a reason. Beyond that though, what I despise is that AirBnB seems to reap all the profits and accept none of the blame. They fought to avoid paying taxes and whined when they lost, they refuse to take down listings when pres…

> Man, the more I read stories like this about AirBnB the more I want them to fail. People hate regulations until they get screwed, and suddenly they understand that sometimes regulations exist for a reason.

Frankly, I feel the same about every single one of the prominent "sharing economy" / "gig economy" companies. Uber/Lyft and AirBnB just seem to be the worst of them because they're the most visible of the visible. All of them appear to delight in exploiting the fact that enforcement of codes and rules isn't (and can't be) 100% universal so it's a "go under the radar until caught" model.

Meanwhile, the rest of us get to live with the obnoxiousness with no effective way to push back. Uber/Lyft "drivers" seem to have zero recognition of traffic laws (stopping in a bus lane during rush hour is practically a given these days), AirBnB "hosts" look at property rental rules as an irritating nuisance that impedes their quick buck. Even food companies like DoorDash flout labor laws and "freshly-prepared meals to your door" companies seem to think that commercial food handling rules are just dumb.

I get that lots of people love having the conveniences of life available at the tap of an icon--I do, too, even though I flatly refuse to use any of those services above--but, damn, couldn't we do it while also being considerate of those around us?

Re: Homeowners faced an Airbnb nightmare as renters left them facing huge fines

#18
post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Almost all leasing contracts, including the ones you get for free have a no subleasing clause. Even if you win in civil court if they don't pay, your only recourse is to go back to court and try to garnish wages and bank accounts. That takes even more time and money and it's relatively simple to make your assets judgement proof by just "putting everything in your momma's name". If the judgement is too onerous, just f…

What happened to the legendary importance of the credit score? I'd assume this kind of thing would make it impossible for someone to rent anything larger than a tent ever again.

[deleted]

Re: Homeowners faced an Airbnb nightmare as renters left them facing huge fines

#19

One solution would be to have the city levy the fines against the tenant, not the owner, because it is the tenant breaking the law.

They leave the notice on the door. Tenant will typically take it down and toss it in the trash. And like a speeding parking tickets the fines get sent to the owner on record. Which is public record.

Re: Homeowners faced an Airbnb nightmare as renters left them facing huge fines

#20
post #15

Man, the more I read stories like this about AirBnB the more I want them to fail. People hate regulations until they get screwed, and suddenly they understand that sometimes regulations exist for a reason. Beyond that though, what I despise is that AirBnB seems to reap all the profits and accept none of the blame. They fought to avoid paying taxes and whined when they lost, they refuse to take down listings when pres…

Yep. Doing this five meters away from my front door, where my house and neighbors share a hallway. The carpet outside is covered in barbecue oil from a guest lugging a barbecue to the rooftop. We've had multiple drunk people try and break into the house. We've had a rooftop party with a couple of hundred teenagers. The owner is absentee and doesn't care, Airbnb won't even help you find the listing when you know the a…

Can't report to your HOA or other management org?
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