(Disclaimer: I don't do STR so this is from what I read and watch online)

Seeing several articles about Airbnb scammers who won't move out, even hosts being arrested for trying to take back their property!

Here's the scam: we know times are tough and people don't have money. As the recession/inflation continues more people are struggling to find housing. Many do not have furniture because they lost it during their eviction last week.

Solution: rent an Airbnb! No background check. Or use a fake name. Only need to scrape up a little money to get inside. It comes with furniture, pots and pans, pillows, and even TP! Utilities included. Instant place to live.

And in many areas, nearly impossible to be kicked out, or at least able to delay eviction hearings and snag a few weeks or months for free. Claim squatter's rights, have mail deliver there to claim long term occupancy.

One STR scammer stayed for 570 days for free and demanded $100,000 relocation money. (Sounds very Cali to me!)

Some hosts are not bothering to report the scammers - they just them out.

How are you STR folks protecting yourself?

BRAD

BRAD

Then just move to another one.

Even easier if the host rents it directly, without Airbnb.

I don't normally do STR but we do have two places at the ready. NC has a vacation rental act but it does not apply to STRs of more than 30 days. So I put a drop-dead date in my lease: lease ends on X date and after this date, if the resident remains on, or returns to the property, they will be considered trespassing and subject to criminal prosecution.

I no longer do STRs, but I did for awhile while owning a small lake front resort. I checked on the process from removing squatters or holdovers with the local police prior to purchasing the place, and they treat them like hotels: if the occupant won't leave, they allow me to lock them out and/or would arrest them for trespassing. The area in question has a thriving tourism business and it wouldn't do them any favors to allow such shenanigans.

The problem is worse when you live in a Blue state where housing in a human right and police have been defunded or told not to interfere. That's when you have to call in the Squatter Hunter.

Btw, this scenario does become a problem once you go past 30 days... something AirBnb kept trying to encourage me to offer. Nope: I never went longer than 2 weeks, tops. That way they could not establish residency.

Just to note it, the "570 day" example given in the story was not typical at all. This was a situation where a person did a SIX MONTH rental to start with through AirBNB. Then, when that came to an end and she wanted to stay longer, the landlord decided to continue with a new lease outside of AirBNB (which violates their terms, but anyhow...)

There was then water damage, but she wouldn't let him in to fix it. But then extended her stay AFTER that anyhow.

She finally stopped paying rent.

He then told her that she could stay for "another 2 weeks at no cost" while she found a new place -- but she took that differently and just stayed.

So, yes, she was a squatter and this was a big issue -- but it was not a "use AirBNB to rent for a day and then just stay forever" scam like is implied here.

STR = Short-term rental MTR = Mid-term rental (executive apartments) and LTR = Long-term rental (the traditional kind.)

I have a STR and the lease says it ends on X date and holding over after that date is trespassing. Also, STR here is also defined by whether or not the person has another residence somewhere and is not moving into your place to LIVE. With the traveling nurses I rented to, they all had homes in other areas.

Marv, it should read "As the recession DEEPENS."

Babylon Bee is running an article (that will probably come true as they all do ) that there's an app for squatters to find the perfect AirBNB.

That's (one of) the problem with air bnb. NO screening. When I did it a while back, I had a couple move in, for a 1 week stay, with all sorts of boxes and rubber made totes - all their worldly possessions.

Clearly local people who weren't "allowed" to stay anywhere else. It very well could have been a completely different person who made the reservation with their credit card. I had no way to get any information on any guests, due to "protecting their privacy".

Thankfully, this couple left after one week when I declined to extend their stay.

At other times, Air bnb was completely behind the guest when they made false claims & demanded a refund. I had proof showing their claim was false (security video), but Air bnb didn't care or even want to see it.

No thanks!

In 1909 Legal American citizens did not need approval to own property, get married, cut hair, play sports on your land, grow food on your land, sell food grown on your land, hunt on your land, build on your land, operate a vehicle, cut wood on your land, renovate your home, go fishing in a lake or stream, eat these fish. You could even operate a lemonade stand on your land.

A while back I coached a LL in our assoc who could not get someone out of their rental.

Basically she found them an Airbnb and helped them move into this "nicer place" by paying for a day. The STR LL was OK taking this non-payer.

Not sure sure what happened later.

BRAD