Airbnb guest hit with ridiculous $18,000 bill fights back after realizing the host’s sinister motive
An Illinois mother is fighting back after an Airbnb host sent her an $18,000 bill for damages she says she didn’t cause.
Amy Peto said she stayed in an Airbnb during a girls’ weekend in the beach town of Douglas, Michigan, in June.
When she returned home from vacation, she was stunned to find a scathing review from the host and a bill for more than $18,000 in alleged damages to the home.
“Amy has caused extensive damage to the home which will result in very expensive repairs. Terrible guests,” a copy of the review she received WLS said.
Amy Peto (pictured) said an Airbnb host left her a scathing review and a bill for more than $18,000 in damages she said she didn’t cause.
A photo of the damage shows a large hole in the tub and the bill charges her for plumbing, tile, glass door, painting and more
A photo of the damage shows a large hole in the bathtub. The mother swears that she and her friends did not cause the hole.
“I had absolutely no idea what he was talking about,” Peto told the local news station. “That looks like a sledgehammer to me. And this is not damage that we did.”
‘Not only is he having me fix the tub, but he’s also paying for his plumbing fixtures, his tile, his glass door, painting, management fees, plumbing, trash and demolition, totaling $18,820.
“As soon as I saw this, I knew exactly what he was doing. He’s trying to get some idiot, which I wouldn’t be, to pay for his bathroom remodel because his house was on the market for $1.5 million. You’ve got the wrong girl.”
Peto said she believes the host tried to trick her into paying for home renovations because his Douglas home (pictured) was for sale for $1.5 million
The average home value in Douglas is $639,662, according to ZillowCensus data shows the town on the Lake Michigan coast has a population of 1,405.
Peto said she tried to contact the host but never heard back, so she took the matter to Airbnb. After a few weeks of back and forth, the company eventually closed the case and she wasn’t charged for the damages.
“I’m single. I have two young boys. I could never afford to spend $18,000 on a teacher’s salary,” she said.
“This has really left a scar on me and I don’t think I will ever use or recommend Airbnb again because he is still a Superhost.”
The company defines a Superhost as “a host who goes above and beyond to provide excellent hospitality.”
Peto said she tried to contact the host but never heard back and Airbnb eventually closed the case
AirBnb told the local news station: “The host has provided evidence to support the claim, and our team has found no evidence to indicate this host is committing fraud.”
Peto said the property’s website also refused to remove the bad review the host left on her profile.