I have been staying at an Airbnb in Alameda since April 7th. My original checkout was for July 7, but I requested an extension, it was accepted by the host and I paid a deposit of over $500 to secure the reservation.
On June 9th the host texted me, saying he didn't want to use the Airbnb platform to communicate because it was "faster" to use text messages. He then proceeded to tell me that Airbnb had reached out to him to give him a notice that I had given a host a negative review. I questioned him about it and he basically said, no big deal, none of my business. Then why did he mention it? Screen shots of the texts are attached. I suspected he was up to something so I told him I didn't want to text with him but only communicate on the Airbnb platform.
About a week later, I asked him to send me the email he received. He said he didn't want to get involved. I said, well if Airbnb or a previous host is sending emails to my new host, I need to know about it because it could be an invasion of privacy. He then admitted no one sent him an email. He just saw the review on my profile. WTF? Why did he lie to me and say that Airbnb reached out to him? I'll tell you why... he wants me out because I gave another host a FACTUAL negative review and he's decided to try and harass me now.
A few weeks ago, the host moved another Airbnb guest in who has a dog. My roommate (not an airbnb guest but a renter with a lease) and I each have a cat. When the host informed us that the new guest had a dog, naturally we were concerned. The host informed us that a) the dog gets along with cats, and b) the new guest was taking him to work with him every day.
So, the new guest moves in and the dog promptly attacks our cats. I told the new guest that we were told by the host that the dog got along with cats. The response -- No, he's never seen a cat up close before. (0.0) We had also been told by the host that he would provide barriers so the dog would be cordoned off. No such thing happened before the guest moved in. It took over a week and our saying we would buy them ourselves and bill the host before he dropped the barriers off. They weren't actual dog barriers but baby gates. Fortunately, the dog is not a jumper.
And the guest doesn't take him to work. The poor dog is home alone every day. I sometimes work from home and I have to deal with the dog's barking when I'm doing conference and skype calls for meetings. I didn't complain about it until the other day. More on that later.
Now the other roommate and I have had to completely alter our household to accommodate the dog. It's not the dog's fault. He's a really sweet dog. But he's hyper and nervous and barks all day long whenever he hears anything unfamiliar. And he attacks our cats. So while our cats used to have the run of the house, now they are confined to our bedrooms and a small hallway outside them.
But the above is just a preamble to what's been going on the past two days. On Friday, 6/28 the dog was barking his head off around 7 PM, so I texted the owner and told him his dog was barking and needed to be taken for a walk. He told me he had just left work and asked if I could walk the dog. I said no because the last time I did him the favor of walking HIS DOG he scolded me about how I did it. I also informed him that neighbors have come up to me in the halls and told me to try to calm the dog's barking because some other neighbors are complaining and threatening to call the police. His response -- Don't threaten my dog. I didn't threaten his dog. I warned him about complaints of the dog's barking by other neighbors. He then proceeded to tell Airbnb that I had threatened him. Which is a lie. I just refused to take care of his dog -- his responsibility.
The dog's owner/other guest contacted my host and said I threatened him. A lie. The host contacted Airbnb and told me he was cancelling my reservation and coming here on Sunday (tomorrow, 6/30) to physically remove me from the premises and have my car towed. I contacted Airbnb and spoke with a nice woman named Jhane... during our conversations and chats she assured me that the host could not remove me and that the final decision was that I could stay until my reservation ends and I move into my new place on August 7th.
Then the host called Airbnb, told them he was cancelling my reservation because I was HOSTILE to the other guest and he was uncomfortable renting to me any longer. Hostile? Really? All I did was refuse to walk the other guest's dog and warn him that the neighbors were complaining. That's a far cry from hostile.
Then I get a call from Airbnb informing me that my reservation was being cancelled and I had to move out the next day or get PHYSICALLY REMOVED BY THE HOST!!! I kept probing that "support person" with questions, like "So, can you point me to the place in the terms of service that says without any evidence a host can just evict a guest with no prior notice?" No... "Can you point me to California State Law that says it's ok to evict someone from a residence without a 30-day notice?" No answer, he just kept reading is script. I finally got him so frustrated that he HUNG UP ON ME!!!
Then the host informed me on Airbnb chat that he was coming to physically remove me from the residence and tow my car.
I spent all day trying to get Airbnb to resolve this in my favor. And it finally happened. But you know what else is happening? The host is moving in with ANOTHER DOG!!! So we're going to have 4 adults, two dogs and two cats in this apartment. That's not what I signed up for... and that's not what I'm paying $2500 PER MONTH FOR!!!!
The host showed up, made a show of converting the sunroom into a bedroom, told me that all my dishes and utensils in the kitchen can be used by any guest because they are in the common space, told me he didn't believe that
He left before the new "bedroom" was finished and probably went home. If he doesn't move in, it's further proof that he's harassing me. He doesn't want to move in. He wants to make it as uncomfortable for me to live there as possible.
I went to the Alameda Police Station and filed an incident report about the host's harassment and threats, but there is nothing the police can do so they suggested I go to the Sheriff, who handles civil disputes. I'm going there tonight after work.
Then on Saturday morning, the other Airbnb guest (the owner of the dog) started violently kicking down the barriers we put up to protect our cats (the barriers were provided by the host.) Each time he did it I would put it back up. Once, when I was putting it back up, be pushed through the fence, kicked the fence into me and I ended up on the floor. Because of this fall, I have a bruise on my shin and a pulled muscle in my inner thigh.
The other roommate doesn't want me to call the police during this situation because it's too much "drama." Well, I'm not causing the drama. the host is harassing me and I've been physically assaulted by the other guest. I should have called the police right away.
Last night I taped the barrier he kept kicking down.
I know everyone is going to say I should just move out... but I've moved 5 times over the past 15 months. I can't afford to move twice and still have the money I need for my deposit and rent on the new place. I move into my new, permanent apartment on August 7th. I have anxiety disorder this has been making me physically and emotionally ill.
