Tenant Thinks Their Stuff Was Stolen While On Vacation, Learns Their Home Was Airbnb’d By Landlord (2024)

Jul 21, 2023

You’re likely to meet two types of landlords. Wonderful folks who support you, have healthy boundaries and are interested in keeping you on as a long-term tenant. And then you have the landlords from hell who ignore any and all boundaries and common sense, all for the sake of squeezing out every last drop of potential profit. Guess which one redditor u/rickky1000 had to deal with?

The California-based OP turned to the r/legaladvice online community after a particularly nasty situation with their landlord. As it turns out, while the redditor had been away on holiday, the landlord rented their home out to Airbnb guests, some of whom stole the real tenant’s things. Read on for the full story.

When you’re renting a home, the last thing you expect is for someone else to suddenly start living there

Image credits: Patrick Perkins (not the actual photo)

One person shared how their landlord from hell completely disrespected any and all boundaries

Image credits: Antonio Gabola (not the actual photo)

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Image credits: RDNE Stock project (not the actual photo)

Image credits: rickky1000

The landlord opened themselves up to getting sued

It is mind-boggling just how greedy, uncommunicative, and downright rude some landlords can be. Redditor u/rickky1000 pointed out that they’d been paying rent for the two months that they were away on vacation in Vancouver. However, during that time, their landlord used the empty space to host Airbnb guests.

The consequences? Drastic. Stolen items, including the OP’s computer, gun, and console. This is a massively messed up situation. Not only did the landlord break the redditor’s trust, but the OP has lost out financially, had their privacy invaded beyond belief, and now someone has access to their firearm.

And you’d think that the landlord would at least have the decency to apologize. Unfortunately, they stuck their guns and claimed that they were not responsible for anything. Many of the redditors reading the story were completely shocked.

The first steps that someone takes in this disturbing situation are very important. It’s essential that someone in the same situation as the OP should contact the police, immediately seek legal help, and also get in touch with the Airbnb team. There are grounds here to sue the landlord for what they’ve done.

Next, it’s important to get up to speed with one’s rights as a tenant. There are very clear lines that shouldn’t be crossed, and subletting the property without the express permission of the tenant is one of them. A lot will depend on the type of contract you signed when you rented the home, and how everything is phrased.

Image credits: Kindel Media (not the actual photo)

It’s very likely that there won’t be any ridiculous clause about renting out the apartment while the tenant’s away and still paying rent. Especially not without express warning and permission. Just like the landlord can’t turn up to the property without advance warning, they can’t use the place for other purposes while you’re the occupant (even if you’re enjoying summer vacation elsewhere).

As Military.com also points out, if you’re dealing with a difficult landlord, some of your best weapons are being a good tenant. If you always pay your bills on time, act respectfully, communicate clearly, and know your rights in detail, then you’re building trust.

And even if that trust ends up being trampled later on, you’ve still set a strong precedent that you’re the reasonable, logical party in the argument—while your landlord is the one who’s in the wrong. You’re the one who always pays their rent on time (and has the evidence to back it up) and has a good reputation in the local community.

This leads us to the next point: it’s vital that you document everything and anything. That means keeping a copy of the contract you signed, as well as copies of emails, messages, and conversations that you had with your landlord related to the entire drama. All of this is evidence that can be used in court in your favor.

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Storytelling, journalism, and art are a core part of who I am. I've been writing and drawing ever since I could walk—there is nothing else I'd rather do. My formal education, however, is focused on politics, philosophy, and economics because I've always been curious about the gap between the ideal and the real.At work, I'm a Senior Writer and I cover a broad range of topics that I'm passionate about: from psychology and changes in work culture to healthy living, relationships, and design.In my spare time, I'm an avid hiker and reader, enjoy writing short stories, and love to doodle.I thrive when I'm outdoors, going on small adventures in nature. However, you can also find me enjoying a big mug of coffee with a good book (or ten) and entertaining friends with fantasy tabletop games and sci-fi movies.