You’ve probably heard several nasty Airbnb hosts stories, but this one puts the spotlight onto a ‘tenant from hell’ who got a little too cosy in someone else’s home.
While there are people out there who don’t know where to turn to to find affordable accommodations, one Airbnb tenant renting a luxury home in Brentwood, LA resorted to a questionable solution to put a pretty expensive roof over her head.
Elizabeth Hirschhorn rented a $3.8 million home from dentist Sascha Jovanovic, but has avoided paying rent after her booking was extended.
The tenant, who has since left Jovanovic’s house, originally rented the home for six months in 2021.
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Her occupancy was supposed to end in March 2022, but Jovanovic agreed to prolong her stay until April. But Hirschhorn still didn't leave, sparking the dentist to file an eviction notice.
Apparently the pair agreed a fee of $105 a night when Hirschhorn first moved in - $110 cheaper than what was advertised on Airbnb.
The woman has reportedly paid $20,793 for the first chunk of rent, but has refused to pay since April 2022.
While Jovanovic filed an eviction notice, a judge went on to rule in Hirschhorn's favour.
Local regulations mean landlords must provide resettlement assistance if they don't have a legal reason to evict a tenant.
As well as this, Hirschhorn's lawyers argued the guesthouse is violating a Department of Building and Safety's code after the owner built in a shower that wasn't approved.
With the judge's ruling in mind, Jovanovic sued Hirschhorn in two different cases: a damages complaint to recoup $58,000 in unpaid rent, and an appeal of the judge’s decision to dismiss the eviction case.
Hirschhorn squatted in the property until November 2023 for 575 days. If she were to have paid the original fee of $105 per night, her total she would owe Jovanovic $60,375.
This doesn't include any cleaning or other additional charges that are often added on to the final fee after renting an Airbnb property.
While Jovanovic argued that Hirschhorn owes him money, she wanted an eye-watering $100,000 from him to leave the property.
In Hirschhorn's countersuit, she has accused the Airbnb host of 15 different violations including including negligence, nuisance, intentional infliction of emotional distress.
Jovanovic has now returned to his LA villa, saying he was 'very relieved and also a bit overwhelmed’.
It's unclear if Jovanovic ever managed to recoup any of the unpaid rent he claimed he was owed.
Topics: US News
Stefania Sarrubba