A single mother from North Carolina has reported that squatters had taken over her Airbnb, posting a crude hand-written “no trespassing” sign and requesting an eviction.
Farzana Rahman, owner of a Durham apartment, said that because “visitors” refuse to leave, she’s lost months’ worth of revenue and is having difficulty paying for her son’s college education.
The anonymous settlers were supposed to vacate by May 24th, 2023, after checking in on October 25th.
In the most recent instance of squatting, the “guests” at her Airbnb put up a notice announcing their intention to remain without paying.
Rahman claims that because these tenants turned into squatters, her efforts to get them removed have resulted in threats to charge her if she continued to try to reclaim her Durham home.
She reported that the settlers instructed her cleaning lady to leave.
Rahman claims to be a single mother who relies on her rental income to make ends meet. She has scheduled a court appearance for this Thursday and filed to start the eviction procedure.
Data aggregator AirDNA estimates that the average daily cost of renting an Airbnb is around $184.
After threatening reprisal if the lawsuit was filed, the squatters promised Rahman and the cops that they would vacate the premises the next day.
However, the following morning, they were still living in the unit and had posted the handmade “no trespassing” sign.
Rahman has attempted to get assistance from Airbnb as well but to no effect. She says that the corporation has just been sending her messages telling her to acquire legal assistance to remove the settlers and get help for her safety.
Visitors who remain in a house or apartment for a month or more—the precise duration varies by state—may establish rights as tenants, according to the Airbnb website, and are thus covered by local tenancy rules.
It also suggests that landlords file for a summary action in order to expel uninvited visitors.
