We were staying in an Airbnb in Battersea, London. We went out for the day, and when we returned at 10:30pm in the evening, the door had been kicked in and we had been burgled. The flat is on the second floor in a 4 story block with a heavy entrance door which you need a key to unlock. The flat itself has a dead lock and another door lock. There is only one entrance to the flat. When we returned, the deadlock had been unlocked, but the door had been kicked in and part of the door frame was lying inside the entrance way. The burglars stole my iPad but must have been interrupted as nothing else was missing. We called the Police who attended that evening and also the next morning to finger print. We had to wait until the letting agent and locksmith arrived the next day at 11am, as we couldn't leave our belongings in the flat, as well as having next to no sleep the night of the burglary as the door was unsecured and we had no where else to sleep. I told the Police and also the letting agent, that the break in must be from a past Airbnb customer as they had a key to the flat. I asked the letting agent if they had ever changed the locks, which they hadn't. The flat is on the second floor, and also has two flats right next door. No one else's flat was targeted, just the one we were staying in which leads me to believe that it is either an inside job (the letting agent or owners are involved) or it is a past Airbnb customer who has cut a key to let themselves in. I have two issues, our travel insurance excess is $200 which I feel loathed to pay when I thought I was staying somewhere safe and secure. My other issues is the time cost involved, as we were only staying in London for a short time frame and we lost most of the day waiting around for letting agent and locksmith to change the locks. Plus the stress involved for my husband, two young children and myself having to stay in a place for the night when the door couldn't be locked! I have read the Airbnb insurance terms, but these seem to apply for the host. I feel that the host or Airbnb should compensate me for the replacement of my iPad at the very least.
