Bed bugs turned stay at Airbnb into nightmare, traveller says – Toronto Observer

A road trip from Toronto turned into a nightmare for Geoff Mosherafter hechecked into an Airbnb in Cleveland.

Im pretty familiar with bed bugs and, when we walked in, the apartment had that musty bed bug smell, Mosher said.

Riddled in bites, he had to cut his trip short and spent his shortstay at a laundromat, Mosher said.

I started getting bites on the first nightI had probably 35 bites by the end of the second day, he said.We just got out of there.

Airbnb apartmentsareinexpensive, easy to book and can be done from the palm of your hand. Airbnb is an online hospitality service that letsusers rent or list an apartment. Last year subscribers on the highly used app skyrocketed in centralToronto and, while it may be great for users, some condo tenants are not impressed.

In an interview earlier this year, Airbnb spokesperson Nick Shapiro said the majority of Airbnb guests are respectful and problems among the millions of listings are rare. He said the company also offers an online tool called Neighbours. Neighbours is a forum where anyone can share concerns about a listing in their community. A team at Airbnb reviews every concern and addresses them accordingly.

Mosher said his bad experience with Airbnb also comes closer to home. He lives in a condo in Regent Park, an Airbnb hot spot. He said his biggest concern is with the companys accountability.

Toronto city council began drafting Airbnb regulations late last year to address concerns from the public. Meanwhile, some condo buildings in the city have revamped their tenant contracts to keeproom-sharing services out.

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Bed bugs turned stay at Airbnb into nightmare, traveller says - Toronto Observer