Angry Tenant Discovers Landlord Rented Out Unit on Airbnb

January 25, 2024

Renting an apartment is generally safe as long as the landlord abides by building codes. However, a security issue that few talk about arises when tenants leave for an extended period. You would think your place is safe because it’s locked and secure. But what if it’s your landlord that breaches your privacy? A victim of this rare case revealed that he came back from vacation to find out that his landlord rented out his unit while he was away. The internet community was quick to give out advice.

Table of Contents

The Scenario

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User u/rickky1000 said that he had a one-year lease for a home in California, and sometime during his lease, he went to Vancouver for a couple of months. While he was gone, he continued to pay rent as usual. When he returned, he noticed some items missing, including “a PlayStation, PC, and even an entire gun safe.” There were no apparent signs of forced entry.

The Evidence

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When he asked his neighbors whether they had seen anything, they said they had seen cars parked in front of the house and people coming and going. The neighbors didn’t even realize the user was gone because they always saw people there.

The Confrontation

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When the user confronted his landlord about whether there were repair people or other people who had access to the house, the landlord admitted that he Airbnb’d the house while the user was gone. He insists that the user should just file a renter insurance claim for the items taken.

Did the Tenant Abandon the Property?

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California and some other West Coast states have interesting leasing laws that consider a rental property abandoned if a tenant is not living on the premises on a regular, continuing, and consistent basis. Some commenters told the original poster to seek a lawyer.

Seeking a Renters’ Insurance Claim

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Other commentators recommended filing a renters’ insurance claim so that the insurance company could sue the landlord on the user’s behalf.

Other Recommendations

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While most of the advice recommended seeing the landlord one or another, other recommendations included filing a police report, and throwing out anything that guests might have contaminated.

If this happened to you, what would you do?

Source: Reddit

Featured Image: Shutterstock