A Melbourne Airbnb has been trashed as teenage gangs clashed when a birthday party was gatecrashed.
One teen ended up in hospital and the stunned property owner was left with a hefty clean-up bill.
The owner says he’s done with short-term rentals and is calling for stricter age verification on booking platforms.
And while sites like Airbnb and Booking.com require guests to be at least 18, it’s as easy as faking your age to get around it.
“I couldn’t sort of figure out if they were teenagers but I knew they were young, they were young,” the owner said.
“I don’t know who came and stayed here. Yhere were no ID checks performed by these platforms to make sure they are held accountable.
“Because currently, their accountability is minimal.”
But the responsibility falls on the landlord, and he’s had enough.
“This is overwhelming. I can’t manage this. It involves too much stress, too many out-of-pocket costs, and I’m now concerned about the neighbors too,” he stated.
In a rush to escape, some of the teens ran across the yard and used a tree stump to jump over the fence and onto the neighbour’s roof.
