An Airbnb host named Lee was hit with a huge $1,570 bill for utilities after a Chinese couple who stayed in his rental property left the taps and gas on for 25 days as retaliation for not being able to cancel their reservation. The guests were angry that the property was located in a suburb rather than in the city centre, and they decided to leave the utilities on as a form of punishment.
Lee claims that the couple did not contact him or Airbnb and that they turned on all the lights, taps, electrical appliances, and gas valves when he stated there were no security cameras on the premises. The couple only stayed at the villa for five minutes each time they visited, choosing instead to travel across South Korea.
Lee discovered the problem after the gas supplier informed him of a significant increase in usage. When he inspected the villa, he found the windows open and the gas turned on, leading to a $730 gas charge, a $116 water and power bill, and a $728 miscellaneous expenses bill. During the 25-day stay, the couple consumed over 120,000 litres of water.
The incident led to a drop in Airbnb shares after The Bear Cave released a report detailing unfavourable experiences that clients had when booking stays through the site. Some of the alarming occurrences included unexpected cleaning requests, last-minute cancellations, and visitors discovering hidden cameras in their rooms. The report indicated that the issue had not been adequately addressed by Airbnb, leading to a 6% drop in shares.
However, in 2022, Airbnb had its most profitable year yet, with revenue increasing by 40% from the previous year. In Q4 2022, the San Francisco-based company recorded a 16% increase in active listings compared to the same period in 2021.
The Bear Cave report also revealed that some of the top-tier corporate hosts have abandoned Airbnb in favour of creating their own booking platforms and providing more affordable rates.
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