Video destroys Airbnb host’s wild $5000 demand

A group of teenage girls claim they were wrongly accused of damages to an Airbnb apartment during schoolies, with a vlog to prove it.

A group of teenage girls claim they were wrongly accused of damages to an Airbnb apartment on the Gold Coast during schoolies – with the host now “removed” from the booking platform.

Samiya, Charlize and their friends copped an almost $5000 damages bill from their Airbnb host, who claimed the girls ruined a TV, couch and shower head.

But the teens immediately hit back, saying they have the evidence to prove they did nothing wrong, with a vlog they recorded helping prove their case.

Samiya (left) and Charlize (right) were shocked when they got slapped with a $5000 damages bill during their stay at an Airbnb in the Gold Coast during schoolies. Picture: A Current Affair

“The first thing I did was, I whipped out my phone, I recorded. I made a whole vlog of the apartment,” Charlize told A Current Affair (ACA).

“When I tell you – we vacuumed every morning,” Samiya said. “Like, I think that’s the most cleaning I’ve ever done in my life … because I knew it was all in my name.”

Samiya said she wasn’t going to take any chances and said they all “kept the apartment spotless”.

However, after their stay they were shocked to learn their host Amanda had slapped them with a hefty damages bill, despite also leaving them a positive review.

They took a vlog of the apartment, documenting everything which helped form evidence against the host’s claim. Picture: A Current Affair

According to the girls, the review described them as “amazing guests” and “neat and tidy” and also recommended the girls to other hosts.

But it was followed with a bill for more than $4800 over apartment damages, including $1395 for the TV, $3000 for the couch, $325 for the shower head and $93.29 for three coffee canisters.

ACA contacted the host, who told the program she didn’t have the wrong apartment and hadn’t mixed up the guests when submitting the damages claim.

“[Because] that is my apartment and that’s my furniture,” the host told the ACA reporter.

“There is a few different TVs in the apartment.”

The reporter explained that the girls said there was two TVs but the second one in the photo was mounted to the wall.

“Well, I got the photos from my cleaner and stuff so, you know, that’s what I’ve got,” the host responded.

The host claimed the girls ruined a TV with damages amounting to $1395, a lounge ($3000), a shower head ($325) and three tea and coffee canisters ($93.29). Picture: A Current Affair

Samiya told the program that if we they had kept everything in good condition, per the host’s review, “why send a reimbursement claim?”

“It’s a lot of money for young girls to cough up.”

Charlize told ACA, as young girls, “we love to vlog” and excitedly filmed the entire apartment, showing off the rooms and everything in it.

But the girls claim the TV she alleged was completely different to the photo she shared and there was only one tea and coffee canister – not three. And they left it in the sink upon check out. Picture: A Current Affair

“I read through the claims that she’s saying we damaged, I noticed the TV was completely different, the couch already had that hole in it, the canisters, we didn’t have those canisters, and the shower head, I couldn’t even tell you what was wrong with the showerhead,” Samiya said.

“The TV that was in our apartment, there was a black stand, it was just completely black,” Charlize explained. “But with the photo that she had sent, that she claims we had damaged, it was a silver stand.”

The TV in the apartment had a black stand but the TV the host claimed the girls damaged had a silver stand. Picture: A Current Affair

An Airbnb spokesperson told news.com.au that, following an investigation, the host has been removed from Airbnb, “in line with our commitment to take action when serious breaches of our policies occur”.

“Airbnb is designed to build trust between people and to promote their safety as they live, work, travel and host on the platform,” the spokesperson said.

“Our team works diligently so that our community has positive experiences on every part of every trip, and we take claims like these very seriously.”

The girls guest were not charged for the reported issues. They have also been refunded for their entire one-week stay and host has since been ‘removed from Airbnb’. Picture: A Current Affair

However, initially, Airbnb rejected the girls’ claim.

“After carefully reviewing the evidence, we still have reason to believe that you’re responsible for the damage,” Airbnb wrote in the appeal, according to ACA.

The girls provided all their evidence including timestamps on photos, but had no success until ACA contacted the company.

“Based on all the evidence and facts, it is clear that you are not responsible for the damages hence we have cancelled the card on file recovery that was initiated earlier”, an email from Airbnb issued to Samiya, read.

News.com.au understands Airbnb has notified Samiya that no compensation payments are being sought for the alleged damages.

Airbnb will also be issuing the six girls a refund for the cost of their stay, which amounts to $4100.

The spokesperson said where a violation of their policies is identified, the action taken depends on the policy violated and the severity of that violation.

Meanwhile, the company enforces strict policies governing who can have an Airbnb account, and anyone who declines or fails to adhere to those requirements may be prohibited from using the platform.