Returning home after a three-week holiday, 23-year-old model and dancer Laurie Synakowski [above] found her Parisian apartment had turned into a shithole – or rather, a “squat”.

Synakowski, who identified herself as Laura S on a Facebook page she created to highlight the destruction, explained that she had rented out her apartment to make extra cash, as one does.

However, the Canadian male to whom she rented took full advantage and “caused some £10,000 (R167 000) worth of damage,” reports the Daily Mail.

Laura explained how her flat was strewn with excrement, urine and rubbish – or shit, piss and trash if you don’t want to sound fancy. The front door had been jammed, the shower and toilet had been damaged, and the floor left warped out of shape.

It is now infested with insects and a pungent smell, leaving it uninhabitable:

I had the courage to take new pictures despite the smell, insects and impurities that proliferate… it’s getting harder to bear this and “surprises” in plastic bags.

Check the scene:

How disgusting is that? If you let your place out in good faith it doesn’t give anyone the right to trash it.

In response, Airbnb reported that “only 0,009 per cent of some 30 million flats rented on its site last year were seriously damaged”.

Synakowski’s claim is currently in review, and Airbnb does offer an “unmatched level of protection in the travel industry” reimbursing homeowners for damages up to £600,000 (R10 million).

Here at home Airbnb is still outrageously popular,with the site releasing a special report indicting various stats for SA.

In total, South African homeowners welcomed as many as 620 000 guests to their Airbnb listings, reports Business Tech:

South Africa has also seen the strongest growth in guest arrivals from BRICS nations at 380%, earning $1.88 million from these four other countries alone.

For guests travelling to South Africa, the leading countries of origin are the US, the UK and Germany.

According to the report, South Africa is unusual in that 63% of all hosts in the country are women.

On “average”, a host can earn close to R25 900 a year, with “3,6 booking requests per 30 days on the platform”:

More than 60% of women hosts in South Africa are Superhosts—hosts who are specially designated by Airbnb as hosting guests frequently, receiving a high number of five-star reviews, and being exceptionally responsive to guests and committed to reservations.

In addition, 60% of South African women hosts with children (i.e single mothers), who use their Airbnb income to help them stay in their homes.

Earlier this year, Airbnb said that the typical South African host who shares space in their home boosts their yearly income by more than R28,000.

Not too shabby, and even if your apartment is trashed I am sure a makeover wouldn’t hurt.

[source:businesstech&independent&dailymail]