In 2023, Airbnb host Sascha Jovanovic from Los Angeles, USA faced a frustrating situation with a long-term guest.
In September 2021, Jovanovic rented out the guest house of his $3.8 million home on Airbnb to a woman named Elizabeth Hirschhorn for $105 per night over a 6-month period.
However, after Hirschhorn's rental period ended, she refused to leave and demanded that Jovanovic pay her $100,000 before she would vacate the property.
The conflict began when Jovanovic discovered issues with mold and water damage in the guest house 5 months into Hirschhorn's stay.
Jovanovic tried to get the problems fixed, offering to pay for Hirschhorn to stay in a hotel, but she refused, citing concerns about COVID-19 and chemical sensitivities.
However, when Jovanovic offered to move her into his main house instead, she again declined because he owned a cat.
After Hirschhorn's original rental period ended on March 19, 2022, she continued residing in the guest house rent-free.
Jovanovic tried to evict her, but Hirschhorn claimed the guest house violated building codes, preventing Jovanovic from removing her.
She argued she shouldn't have to pay rent since the property was allegedly not approved for occupancy.
Hirschhorn has now been squatting in Jovanovic's guest house for over 500 days, costing him thousands in lost rental income.
She reportedly offered a $100,000 settlement to vacate, but Jovanovic rejected this and is pursuing legal action to evict her and recover unpaid rent.
Jovanovic's lawyer filed a complaint to evict Hirschhorn unlawfully and recover over $50,000 in unpaid rent.
In an interview, Jovanovic expressed surprise at Hirschhorn's behavior, describing their living situation as tense and unsettling.
He lamented the impact on his family, particularly their disrupted sleep due to the proximity of Hirschhorn's room to his daughter's bedroom.
Jason Roth purchased a home in Seattle in 2016 and rented it out to pay for pilot school after a career change.
He initially rented out specific rooms but later decided to rent the entire property to cover his education expenses.
In March this year, Kareem Hunter was allowed to move into Roth's house. They agreed on a monthly rental price of $4,300, but after only paying one month's rent, Hunter stopped paying Roth.
Roth tried to arrange a payment schedule, but Hunter declined and started renting out rooms without settling his debt.
As a result, Roth has had to give up his affordable rental apartment and move into a van parked outside his own house. Roth claims Hunter owes him $47,248, which includes $33,400 in back rent, utilities, and late fees.
Hunter has made counterclaims, accusing Roth of refusing to accept past rent payments and demanding $40,000 to allow him to break the lease. However, Roth denies these allegations.
