Airbnb backs down after charging Montreal family $2K for damage they deny causing

Airbnb has backed down after originally charging a Montreal woman$2,000 for damageto a rental property that she says her family didn't cause.

Vanessa Angell rented the home in Halifax, N.S.,for a week-long family holiday in August. It was occupied by Angell, her husband, their one-year-old son, her parents and her in-laws.

Around 45 minutes after checking out, they received a text from the host asking about some damaged floorboards and water outside a basement bathroom.

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The host said his family has spilled water on the boards before and it had the same effect.

"Did water get spilled or did it just appear?" the host texted. "I'd like to know before I start ripping up the floor boards looking for a leak."

Angell said nothing "out of the norm" happened during their stay, but she had noticedsome bubbling on a couple of floorboards in the basement when they checked in.

"It was there the entire week, and it was there when we checked out," she told CBC.

She also denied that any water was spilled.

In the end, AirbnbtoldAngellit woulddropthe $2,000 fee and willcover the repair costs.

In a statement, AirbnbspokespersonLindsey Scully saidnegative incidents are "extremely rare."

"We are fully supporting this host under our $1-million host guarantee and have followed up with our guest regarding this matter. We strive to ensure that every guest has an incredible reservation and work to make things right when things don't go as expected."

Airbnboriginally sidedwith host

Angell was unable to settle the matter with the host. The host took the matter to Airbnb.

"That seemed like the appropriate route to take,"Angellsaid. "We thought this is the way we should proceed."

Within five days of the host's claim being filed, Angell received notice from Airbnb telling hersheowed more than $5,000 for the cost of fixing the basement.

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"They asked us for the total cost of his basement floor remodel, which was to tear up these laminate floors, bring up the padding, remove the drywall from the mouldings, dispose of the laminates and replace the floors," Angell said.

She says Airbnbsent thefamily anitemized list of the work to be done that was preparedby a local contractor.

"We thought it was hilarious that it would come to this, that he's trying to make us pay for his floors," Angell said. "We thought it was crazy."

Angell replied with a four-page letter to Airbnb'sTrust and SafetyDepartmentstating the damage was localized to one or two boards and that it was already present when they checked in.

She also provided a list of deficiencies with the house that they originally thought they would keep to themselves.

Airbnb replied to say Angell was instead on the hook for the $2,000 deductible on the host's household insurance.

The total would be charged to their credit card within 10 days if she didn't pay immediately.

On Thursday, after being contacted by CBC aboutAngell'scase,Airbnbsaid it would get in touch with her. Eventually, the company agreed to drop the fee.

When contacted by CBC News, theAirbnbhost declined to do a recorded interview, but said he was surprised to learn the family had been charged for the damage.

Get your insurance company involved, Angelllearns

Angell said she now realizes she should have got her own homeowner's insurance company involved immediately, a view that was echoed by the Insurance Bureau of Canada.

A spokesperson for the board told CBC that liability coverage is part of your homeowner's or renter's insurance policy.

So if anyone accuses you of damaging their property, contact your provider for advice.

"We would have been able to get them to inspect the property to figure out what exactly happened," Angell said.