Body in garden? Cannabis plants inside? Lawyer advises on 'dark underbelly' of sharing economy
Recent news reports of travelers encountering a body in the garden of a home in the Paris suburbs rented on Airbnb have focused attention on what attorney D. Hardison Wood calls “the dark underbelly of the sharing economy.”
So what do you do if a vacation rental made online with a private party goes bad, really bad?
Wood, a personal injury lawyer in North Carolina who focuses his practice on such issues, has answers, the Washington Post (sub. req.) reports.
Those who rent homes that either do not exist, as they discover upon arrival, or are occupied by individuals who did not agree to the rental, should notify their credit card company, Wood says.
If a body is found in the garden, call police first and then call the credit card company to challenge the rental charge.
If marijuana plants are growing in the home, the first call should be to a lawyer, Wood advises. “You need to talk to a lawyer, because God knows, you don’t want to be the person being held responsible for those things.”
A spokesman for Airbnb noted that the experience of finding a body, like renters did at the Paris home, is a rarity, the Washington Post (reg. req.) reported earlier.
“We have offered our assistance to the police and will help them with their investigation in any way we can,” he said in an email to the newspaper. “We have reached out to the host and guests and will provide all necessary support. Over 80 million people have traveled on Airbnb, and problems for hosts and guests are extremely rare.”
See also:
ABAJournal.com: “Lawyer’s tree house, rented online for $195 a night, is legal but may raise property tax bill”
WGN: “Airbnb shuts down New York igloo listing for $200 a night”
