- Kyle Chua
Chinese Couple Leaves Tap Running in Airbnb To Get Back at Host That Refused To Cancel Their Booking
Updated: Dec 19, 2023
Airbnb hosts should probably be wary of who they make enemies of.
One host who owns a rental home in South Korea learned that the hard way after being left with hefty utility bills by an angry Chinese couple. According to the South China Morning Post, the unidentified couple wanted to get back at the host for refusing to cancel their rental by leaving the tap and gas running for 25 days. They reportedly wasted 120 tonnes of water and left a water and electricity bill amounting to US$116, along with a gas bill of US$730.
The standalone villa in Seoul was booked for 25 days by the couple, who paid in full without looking at the price or checking the location of the property. When the couple later realised the villa was located in the outer suburbs of the city, they decided to cancel the booking as it was too inconvenient for where they planned to go. The host declined to cancel since the booking had already been confirmed and paid for, assuming the couple was just going to accept.
The couple asked the host whether there were surveillance cameras in the villa, to which the host said there weren't. They then checked in as normal but were apparently angry at the host's refusal to cancel the booking. In an act of revenge, they turned on all the taps, lights, electrical appliances and gas. They then travelled to other parts of the country, only returning to the house every three to four days for only five minutes or so.
The host didn't notice anything wrong after the couple checked out until the gas company called about the sudden spike in consumption. The host would later learn that the water and electricity consumption also spiked. On top of the aforementioned utility bills, the host also had to pay US$728 in miscellaneous expenses, totalling US$1,570.
Airbnb's customer service declined to cover the expenses, noting that the matter was between the host and the couple.
The host was no longer able to contact the couple, who had since left the country, and had no choice but to pay the bills out of pocket.
The couple's actions went viral on social media and drew the ire of many users. "How bad is this couple," wrote one user. "Somehow they should bear the responsibility."
A Chinese couple wanted to get back at the host of their Airbnb rental for refusing to cancel their booking by leaving the tap and gas running for 25 days.
They reportedly wasted 120 tonnes of water and left a water and electricity bill amounting to US$116, along with a gas bill of US$730.
Airbnb's customer service declined to cover the expenses, noting that the matter was between the host and the couple.