Theft and prostitution hit Victoria Airbnb owners
Victoria Police are telling Airbnb horror stories as they investigate two local cases.
In one investigation, Vic-PD say they're looking into a suite that was rented and then trashed, with thousands of dollars worth of furnishings stolen.
In the second, a prostitution ring which exploits young women was found to be renting short-term space through Airbnb.
Police aren’t providing any additional detail about the cases, since they’re active investigations. However, they wanted to get the warning out for other Airbnb operators.
They say there were several similar factors and they’re advising the following:
- Do not rent your Airbnb without meeting all renters at check-in
- Verify your renters through government ID or other verification systems in place through Airbnb
- Do not set your rental to be available immediately
- Consider setting a minimum stay at your property
- If you are using a third-party service to rent your space on your behalf, talk with them to ensure that they are verifying renters and not opening you and your property up to risk
- Do not rent without taking payment in advance or via systems in place like those available through Airbnb or other, similar vendors
- Read renters’ reviews and ensure they have a positive history of renting from other hosts
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