LOWER EAST SIDE — A bad house guest ransacked his Airbnb lodgings during the month of July, making off with more than $5,000 in property, police said.
A couple who on July 8 rented out their apartment at 237 Henry St. to a guest via Airbnb returned on July 30 to find several of their pricey belongings missing, according to a police report.
The guest ran off with a Louis Vuitton purse, an Xbox, a Chi hair straightener, an iPad and several items of clothing, authorities said, with the total value of the stolen property coming up to $5,059.
The hosts immediately reached out to Airbnb as well as police, according to an Airbnb spokesman, who said the company is working with the victims under its insurance policy guaranteeing protection for up to $1 million in damages.
“Negative experiences are extremely rare as more than 100 million guest arrivals have had safe and positive experiences on Airbnb,” Airbnb spokesman Nick Shapiro said. “We have zero tolerance for this kind of behavior and have removed this guest from our platform.”
“We are working with the police on this matter and are supporting the host under our $1 million most guarantee.”
This isn't the first time an Airbnb guest has ransacked a host's home — a guest in February stole nearly $5,000 in jewelry, electronics and household items from a Williamsburg apartment, while in June another thief swiped $1,525 in home goods from a Williamsburg guesthouse.
The suspect in the latest incident is described by police as a 19-year-old man with dreadlocks standing 5-foot-9 and weighing 128 pounds. So far, no arrests have been made, police said.
