Electricity Theft and Abuse through Crypto Scam

[Rylan25]

Typically, our electricity bill is around $200. We had a guest that requested we replace the Tesla charger. They then ran up $2600 in electricity bills in a matter of 15 days. After requesting reimbursement from AirBnb, we have received nothing. They said they cannot reimburse any money for excessive utilities. It is very disappointing to have to support from AirBnb, especially as a SuperHost in multiple states and cities. Does anyone have any suggestion on what to do? 

[Helen3]

Hi @Rylan25 

Aircover is limited and it's worth reading through how it works so you know what is and isn't covered.

if you had had a utilities fair usage policy as part of your house rules - likely they would have paid something.

Aircover is no substitute for having your own insurance.

[Joan2709]

@Rylan25 

So sorry this happened...

Was the high electricity bill due to the EV charger or were they doing crypto mining (bitcoin) with extra computer equipment?

We have had to add to our House Rules no crypto mining and excessive utility usage above the usual and customary will be charged to the guest. Some Hosts have had to add smart electrical monitors on their circuit breaker boxes so they can monitor electrical use through an app on their phone. We also add no EV charging for properties that don't have an EV charger. 

[Bhumika]

Hi @Rylan25 , I am so sorry to hear about the issues you've faced with the high electricity bill. It sounds really frustrating.

Have you had a chance to discuss this situation further with Airbnb support?

Hosts Helen and Joan have also shared their comments in this regards. Are you planning to add new house rules for guests as Joan suggested?

[Thore15]

Wow, that’s insane! Sorry you had to deal with this. I’ve heard of people running up crazy bills through crypto mining before—definitely a good idea to add a 'no unauthorized high-energy use' clause in your house rules.

For anyone needing to track their electricity usage or check their bills online, I always use ** to keep an eye on mine. Might be helpful for hosts who want to monitor usage better and catch unusual spikes early!

**[Link removed in line with the Community Center Guidelines] - Please note that it is not allowed to advertise on the Community Center.