If you have used Airbnb to book a vacation stay or for another occasion, we suggest you consider carefully before repeating the experience. There is a concerning side to the Airbnb peer-to-peer rental property marketplace. A small number of rentals have resulted in catastrophic injury and death to unsuspecting guests.
The problem with Airbnbs and similar online rentals (like Vrbo or HomeAway) is that you never know for sure what you are getting. Website photos and glowing reviews are meant to be enticing, but you don’t know how old they are or how carefully they were staged. Time and a lack of upkeep can lead to hazardous conditions at an Airbnb property. How the renter is using the property can also cause safety issues.
If you are injured because of conditions at a short-term rental property, who is responsible? You might look to the property owner, Airbnb itself, or the renter to make things right for you and find them pointing the finger at each other.
At Sam & Ash Injury Law in Las Vegas, we will help you sort out who is liable for injuries sustained at an Airbnb and work to recover the compensation you are due for your medical bills and other losses. When someone else is responsible for your accident, they should be responsible for your medical bills and other expenses as well. We will help you demand What’s Right. Call us today to discuss your Airbnb injury case for free.
Hotels Are Very Regulated, But Airbnbs …
In Las Vegas, hotels and motels are highly regulated by the State of Nevada. Nevada regulations for public accommodations address such topics as:
- Cleanliness of rooms used for sleeping
- Facilities for bathing
- Cleanliness of bedding
- Extermination of vermin
Nevada law also requires that state health authorities be allowed access to any hotel at any time to inspect it. The failure to comply with any of the numerous rules for upkeep and cleanliness is punishable with a fine for every day the issue persists.
Airbnb regulations are not anywhere near as detailed. Until this year, Clark County prohibited short-term rentals (less than 31 days) in part because of the lack of safety inspections. In Las Vegas, the city conducts property inspections of short-term rental properties as part of the Conditional Use Verification (CUV) Permit approval process. Inspectors verify the number of bedrooms in the house and check for safety requirement compliance.
But a new state law requires Las Vegas, North Las Vegas, Henderson, and unincorporated Clark County to legalize and regulate short-term rentals. It deals mostly with licensing and taxation.
The text of Nevada’s new Airbnb law allows local governments to conduct “any necessary health, safety or fire inspection of the residential unit” “before granting, denying, or renewing an authorization” to act as a short-term rental.
How Are Airbnbs Inspected?
Airbnb expects its hosts to make sure their rental properties meet cleanliness and safety standards similar to what is found at hotels. For some properties, Airbnb inspectors actually visit to confirm basic amenities, such as toilet paper and towels.
Airbnb Plus properties have been inspected and verified in person against a 100-point checklist covering design, amenities, and hospitality, according to the company. Some of the issues addressed in these inspections are:
- All appliances are in working order
- Bedroom doors in shared spaces all have functional locks
- The property is clean with no clutter and well-maintained
Renting Airbnbs is increasingly popular for parties. Despite a variety of behavioral rules, because there’s no ownership, it’s easy for these events to get out of hand and for partygoers to be injured after partying too much. In at least one incident, students were hospitalized from drug overdoses in an Airbnb rental during spring break in Florida. Elsewhere, a man was shot at an Airbnb allegedly rented for drug sales.
Typical Dangers or Hazards in Airbnbs
You are looking for an Airbnb for a relaxing vacation. For Airbnb renters, injuries from slip and fall accidents are a common concern. They can happen easily when Airbnb property owners and the company allow the occurrence of:
- Uneven or cracked entryways and flooring
- Broken steps or stairs
- Stairways with defective or absent handrails
- Loose or torn carpets or rugs
- Poor lighting in an area with potential hazards
- Spills left behind from the previous guest or housekeeping
- Highly polished or waxed floors
- Wet floors due to leaky appliances, roofs, showers, or bathtubs
- Walkways cluttered with debris
- Potholes in driveways, parking lots, or alleys
- Holes or uneven grading in the yard
In a study of more than 127,000 Airbnb guest complaints, unsafe conditions were the subject of 7,719 complaints. They included:
- Unsanitary conditions
- Pest infestations
- Unsafe, broken amenities
- Hostility from host or others
- Hidden cameras
How Our Las Vegas Airbnb Injury Lawyers Can Help
As your Airbnb injury attorneys, Sam & Ash Injury Law can investigate your accident to determine who should be held accountable and calculate the full compensation you should seek. Airbnb offers hosts up to $1 million in liability insurance for guest injuries with every booking. It covers residential or other property owned or controlled by a host, listed on the Airbnb platform, and booked using the Airbnb platform.
Sam & Ash can handle your claim and negotiate aggressively for full compensation for you. If necessary, we can file a personal injury lawsuit and be ready to present a persuasive case in court. We are committed to the principle that you deserve What’s Right.
At Sam & Ash Injury Law, you and your recovery come first. Let us put our skills and resources to work for you. Contact us today.
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