San Francisco Couple Reportedly Found House Sitter Renting Out Their Apartment On Airbnb
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) – A San Francisco couple who entrusted their apartment to a house sitter while they were at Burning Man reportedly found out the sitter rented out their unit.
The Guardian newspaper told the story of John and his husband Ed, who said they found the sitter on the website TrustedHousesitters.com. John and Ed said the sitter rented out their apartment on Airbnb, charging $2,000 for a five night stay while they were in the Nevada desert.
The couple found out when the person who rented the room, coincidentally a friend of the victims, sent an email thanking them for offering their place.
"He told our friends that there was a 'misunderstanding' between us, but there's no way I told him he could go ahead and make $2,000 for himself," Ed told the newspaper.
The couple has filed suit against the sitter. Police said they couldn't help John and Ed because they gave their keys to the sitter willingly.
The incident comes a month after a woman renting a home in San Francisco's Richmond District on the site allegedly stole $35,000 in valuables belonging to the homeowner.
Airbnb and other short-term rental websites have become a hot topic amid San Francisco's housing crisis. This Fall, San Francisco residents will vote on a ballot measure that would limit home sharing to 75 nights a year and require rental websites to only list units registered with the city.