Airbnb evictions

Inna22
Level 10
Chicago, IL

Airbnb evictions

Interesting fact- I spoke to a friend who has an eviction law firm in Chicago. She says she now has a steady pipe line of cases coming though. Basically guests who move in and never leave. She says what makes it most difficult that it is often not the person who made the original reservation. Nothing much we can do to prevent this but should collect information from each and every person that checks in.

23 Replies 23
Danielle385
Level 2
Durham, NC

Can you explain how this is possible when the agreement is for a limited amount of time

@Danielle385 they simply refuse to leave and pay

I would think that is trespassing and the police can help remove rentors.  Thanks for tip.

David126
Level 10
Como, CO

Once you go beyond 30 days in most jurisdictions you have a tenant, not a guest.

David
Chris232
Level 10
Petersfield, United Kingdom

The loop hole is when a 3rd party booking  is made and accepted by the host, in effect you are allowing squatters to use your home and therefore very difficult to remove.

Airbnb will not be of any help in these circumstances.

@Chris232 not only third party booking. This could be for example a booking for 4 and you do not know who the other three are. By law you have to serve everyone.

@Inna22Guests like these are always personally served by my husband.

Please say it ain’t so 

Rebecca160
Level 10
Albuquerque, NM

Well, don't they leave the house or apartment at some point? Maybe to go out for coffee or food? I would just switch the locks and then gather their stuff up and put it at the curb. Of course, I would video this part, as well as me asking them to leave and them refusing.

Lacking that, I would call in my big, Amazonian friends to escort them out and then change the locks.

It would be truly awful, if a guest stayed more than 30 days and refused to leave, because at that point, tenant rights take over and there is not much to do, except get a legal eviction, which can take months to do.

@Rebecca160 I have thought of that- just changing the door code. However, if there are two people they can always leave one at a time. I am not sure I would be generous enough to take their stuff out

Isn't it illegal in the US to change locks or turn off utilities.  Could get you into a lot of legal and liability troubles.  You have to go through the multi=month eviction process....and end up with a trashed place.

Do your own due diligence on guests or tenants before they get access.   

Barry-and-Lera0
Level 10
Sarasota, FL

Our guesthouse is attached to our house via a soundproofed vestibule. If this was the case I would do my best to make their lives so unbearable. I have control over most of the functions in the guesthouse (thermostats, internet, digital keypad) so turning the heater up to 90 degrees at 3am then killing the electric would be fun. Sweaty sleeping is the worst.  

It is always good if You can control heating, water supply and electricity from the outside of the guest area. Installation does cost a little bit of money, but it's fun if You need it, especially the electric.

I also know how to control the utilities at my place. Would certainly not continue to provide amenities to a trespasser.  If you haven’t dropped into tenancy regs then I’d say you have more right to be in your house than a trespassing abb-er. Someone would have to barricade 3 different doors to keep me out of the space. This is a scenario all of us should consider Before it happens. One of many unlikely but possible situations needing a creative contingency plan.