An Airbnb host in Florida rented a room to a guest who allegedly wouldn’t pay, refused to leave, then had him arrested on bogus assault charges when he tried to evict her, landing the homeowner in criminal court for nearly a year as he attempted to clear his name.
Eric Weaver, 60, is now suing Airbnb for “gross negligence” in what he says was the platform’s failure to properly vet his renter — who stiffed at least two other landlords in recent years and has an extensive criminal history, according to a lawsuit obtained by The Independent .
Weaver, a civil engineer with patents on, among other things, a rainwater-capture greenhouse and a “continuously moving sidewalk transport system,” says his nightmare began in early 2023, when he accepted an Airbnb reservation from Lauren Dawn Chehouri, 47.
Taking Airbnb at its word, Weaver relied on the company’s apparent promise to screen all guests, according to the suit.
“Specifically, when deciding whether a guest or host is suitable, Defendant performs a background check on the user by submitting identifying information to one of their approved background check providers who checks the person’s identity against public records or publicly available databases,” the lawsuit says.