Terrible news of a Pittsburgh Airbnb

Nina204
Level 6
Pittsburgh, PA

Terrible news of a Pittsburgh Airbnb

24 Replies 24
Julie10
Level 6
Pittsburgh, PA

As a host, there were numerous ways this could have been avoided.  First, never rent to a guest that is under 21, due to liability issues surrounding alcohol.  Second, you really need to vet people who live in your city and want to rent a property in your city, especially if it's for one night.  That kind of reservation strongly indicates a party, particularly on a weekend.  Third, it's my understanding the person who made the reservation had no reviews.  Again, another reason to vet.  And I cannot believe Airbnb publically said they run background checks on guests--they absolutely do not.  I can't believe they said that to a newspaper when it's so blatently not true.  I'm from Pittsburgh and the local scuttlebut is that this was rented for a high school graduation party.  I cannot confirm this, but considering the ages of the victims and the time of year, this could very well have been the case.

@Julie10  While I agree that teenagers renting an Airbnb can spell trouble, you can't actually decline a guest based on them being under 21, unless the listing is in an HOA or building which forbids under 21. It's considered discrimination and a guest could report it and Airbnb could delist you. An Airbnb account can be set up as long as the user is 18 or over. 

I have in my house rules that the minimum age is 21 and have actually called AIrbnb in the past when someone inquired about my property and they were a college student.  Airbnb was forthcoming about telling me whether or not they were 21.  Personally, I think the minimum age should be 21, my main concern is about he liability about having underage drinking take place in a property I own.  When I called Airnb, no one told me that I was being discriminatory, and in fact I told them why I won't book to underage guests.  

@Julie10  I agree that the minimum age should be 21. You were lucky to get an Airbnb rep who didn't tell you it was against the TOS (it is) and who disclosed the guest's age. That's very unusual, and not something you should take as gospel because a different agent might have told you something completely different and flagged your account for discrimination.

@Julie10  you're safe.  age discrimination does not really apply under 40.  if that were true, car rental companies would not be widely permitted to restrict rental drivers to 25 (that's what i use for comparison in my listing) or they would be getting sued left and right and their policy makers would know doing so illegally would be risky and potentially litigious.  i also apply a moderate surcharge (fully refundable with no issues) to renters if i think age is gonna be an issue

https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/1405/airbnbs-nondiscrimination-policy-our-commitment-to-inclusio...

Age and Familial Status

  • Airbnb hosts may not:
    • Impose any different terms or conditions or decline a reservation based on the guest’s age or familial status, where prohibited by law.
  • Airbnb hosts may:
    • Provide factually accurate information about their listing’s features (or lack of them) that could make the listing unsafe or unsuitable for guests of a certain age or families with children or infants.
    • Note in their listing applicable community restrictions (e.g. senior housing) that prohibit guests under a particular age or families with children or infants.
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like nikey: just do it

100% agree idc what's in writing here...i'm sure there's some small disclaimer print in TC somehwhere

https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/1308/does-airbnb-perform-background-checks-on-members

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like nikey: just do it
Paul1848
Level 2
Pittsburgh, PA

So this host is losing income since AirBNB removed the listing while they “investigate”.

 

AirBNB acknowledges the host prohibited parties or events in the listing. If AirBNB clears this host of wrongdoing, will they be compensating this host for loss of income based the average income this unit generated per week times the amount of weeks the listing was removed?

 

Doesn’t seem fair to me. I live walking distance from where this happened. This neighborhood is still very much a transitional neighborhood in Pittsburgh, and a triple-shooting could have happened anywhere on that block—with or without that unit’s apparent party.

Airbnb plans to sue renter of Pittsburgh property where party was held before mass shooting

Airbnb announced Monday that it intends to file a civil suit against the person who rented the East Allegheny unit where two teenagers died and eight others were shot at an underage party early Sunday.

The company had said Sunday that the renter would be banned for life from renting through Airbnb, which has strict policies against guests holding parties.

"We will pursue legal claims and damages based on violation of Airbnb’s Community Standards and Terms of Service, nuisance, and that the guest booked the listing under false pretenses," the company said in a statement.

Under its agreement with property owners, Airbnb insures them against damages by renters.

Airbnb has taken down the rental listing for the property at 900 Madison Ave., which is owned by 900 North Group LLC. The owners could not be reached for comment.

The property continues to be listed through another rental service, Vrbo. Under that listing, the second and third floor of the building, plus a rooftop deck, rents for $599 a night.

https://www.post-gazette.com/news/crime-courts/2022/04/18/airbnb-lawsuit-pittsburgh-mass-shooting-no...

 

As an added thought: 

Parents may be liable for the negligent or criminal acts of their children, beginning when children are eight to ten and ending at the age of majority. This means parents can be subject to lawsuits or criminal sanctions if their children commit crimes or cause injuries or property damage to a third party.

This section covers the basics of parental liability, including criminal and civil liability and the implications of parental liability on insurance coverage. Also included is a summary of parental liability laws in select states.

For PA:  9344, otherwise known as the "Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act of2006." "Parental liability" is the term used to refer to a parent's obligation to pay for damage done by negligent, intentional, or criminal acts of that parent's child.