Complaints are rare, says Airbnb after police raid on house

Most travellers respectful, according to company

House on Mirrle Ave, where the police recovered drugs and a gun.

House on Merrill Ave, where the police recovered drugs and a gun.  (Ali Naqvi/Toronto observer)

Complaints about Airbnb  renters misusing buildings are “incredibly rare,” says a company spokesperson after media reported a police raid on a house in East York.

In September, police raided a house party on Merrill Avenue, recovering weapons and drugs including crack cocaine.

“The overwhelming majority of Airbnb guest are respectful travellers, so complaints and issues are incredibly rare,” Airbnb spokesperson Christopher Nulty said in an email interview. “But we always want to do everything we can to help our community members be good neighbours.”

The company has launched a tool for neighbours to let anyone share concerns they might have about an Airbnb listing in their community, Nulty said. “We also have a global trust and safety team of more than 250 people in every time zone to help and protect our community, also we have your back in the very unusual event that a problem occurs.”

They also offer host protection insurance and a $1-million host guarantee to help protect eligible host and their property, Nulty said.

Despite a few negative stories, one frequent user of the Airbnb app said there are seldom any issues. “The renter I stayed with was very pleasant and would give great tour advice on places to go to, it is very useful,” James Morgan said.

The airbnb app is helpful if you are looking for affordable rent in Toronto,” When I was in the city for a conference I booked an airbnb room, when I finished booking I was really amazed at how cheap the rooms were then the traditional hotels, and on the other hotel sites.”

“The app is an affordable way to stay at a cheaper place in Toronto,” said Jason  Cochrane, another Airbnb app user.

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Posted: Nov 8 2016 6:49 pm
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About the Author

Ali Naqvi
Journalism student at Centennial College, loves to write, photography and Star Bucks addict.