Yobs trash Airbnb flat by dumping telly in bath and causing £4,000 worth of damage
A GANG of vandals caused £4,000 worth of damage to an Airbnb flat — amid claims properties are rented out and destroyed as part of a new craze.
The rampaging yobs smashed up mirrors, wardrobes and doors — and even dumped a gel-soaked telly in a bath.
And owners of the wrecked home in Battlefield, , feared walking into a murder scene due to the extent of the damage.
The female Airbnb host, who is 29 but asked not to be named, said: “It was like a horror movie. I’d never seen anything like it.
The people who did this are a disgrace.
“It’s clearly not a party gone wrong. They’ve came here with the purpose of causing as much damage as possible.”
The flat’s student owner told how she and her bank worker fiancé bought the pad in January and had decided to try renting it out on Airbnb before a pal moved in longer term in March.
A user on the site soon agreed to pay £68 plus a cleaning fee and booked in for February 22.
But the owner said she panicked after a girl who looked around the age of 18 turned up at the flat with a boy and claimed they were planning to have a “quiet drink”.
She allowed the pair to stay and went back to her own flat elsewhere in the city before returning to find the carnage the next morning.
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Clothes were dumped all over the bed, bondage gear left hanging from a bedframe and the living room TV dumped in the tub covered in bubble bath and shower gel.
A hacksaw was also used to tear at fittings and a huge mirror ripped from a wall.
The stunned owner said cops believe the spree is part of a new UK craze involving people renting out Airbnb pads just to wreck them.
She added: “I had a bad feeling but I couldn’t believe how bad it was. The flat was unrecognisable.
“I thought we were going to walk in and find someone murdered.
“I’d contacted the girl that morning and panicked when I noticed she’d changed her name and hadn’t replied. It was absolute carnage.”
Airbnb later agreed to pay the couple £500 for a cleaner and £70 for a locksmith.
But the owners face spending another £3,500 on a new carpet, painter, TV and furnishings.
And they claim the site failed to inform them a neighbour had complained to them about loud noise from the flat.
The post-grad student added: “Airbnb should have passed on the message. We’re really angry about that. We’ll never book it out as an Airbnb again after this.”
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Police Scotland confirmed cops were called to the property and added: “Enquiries are ongoing.”
Sources at Airbnb denied being aware of the apparent “craze” or of any noise complaints on the night.
A spokeswoman said: “We have zero tolerance for bad behaviour. We have removed the guest from our platform and are providing the host with our full support.”
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