Airbnb nightmare

Aylesbury_Duck

I go back to my original advice.  I can't see you have any liability here, unless you're withholding information from us (and them).  If you're sure you did nothing unreasonable, simply state that to AirBnB and await their response.  If they want to "go legal", come back for advice, but from what you've told us, I can't see how they can possibly hold you even partially liable for the boiler's failure.

stauce_2

Ok cheers 

CKhalvashi

Please do leave an update though, as usually when I have problem, I find the issue from 6 years ago on a forum with Google search, which enables the situation to be dealt with swiftly while not taking the resources of posters on the forum.

Your experience will therefore hopefully help others in the future, but honestly, there is no reasonable way this will end up in court and (subject to you not withholding information from us, not saying that you are lying, but we can only work with information we are given) there is no liability on your end from a common sense standpoint.

stauce_2

Ok cheers
Searching on the web myself, I find that a lot of ppl get scared by Airbnb, but in the end it just goes away, as no one has gone to court or they are not telling us it ended up that way.
Sure I will update. 

missile

A copy of the letter from AirBnB might help us understand why they think you are liable. Delete your name and address.

stauce_2

Update:
More than 5 months later I have still heard nothing, so I’m guessing the ignore and it will go away method is the best. 

unholyangel

I wouldn't get too comfortable yet. A lot of companies suspended collection activities due to covid and courts were closed/running at reduced capacity. 

However, if you have it in writing from the landlord that simply changing the clock could have burnt down the whole house, I'd be saving that. If something so simple was so dangerous
1) it proves boiler was way overdue a replacement

2) they shouldn't have been letting the property. Especially when heat comfort is so personally variable. 

Then if they do get back to you, send them that and ask to see a copy of the gas safety inspection report. Because if what they say is true, I don't see how it could've passed a safety inspection. Assuming this was in the UK of course.

Teapot55

Any news, @stauce_2 ?

Have you heard anything from AirBnB?

Jumblebumble

stauce_2 said:

Update:
More than 5 months later I have still heard nothing, so I’m guessing the ignore and it will go away method is the best. 

I would not worry about this at all unless you get a letter before action
Ignore any debt collectors as you just inform them that FCA rules forbid them to carry on collection until the debt is proved
AirBNB have employed an imbecele who told you you, were liable and must pay for a considerable amount of betterment which is as stupid as someone claiming that moving a valve will cause a motherboard to burn out
( Properly maintained boilers have safety cut outs you know)
Perhaps you tell AirBNB you have reviewed the case and decided that you do not need to pay and that you will  counter claim compensation for the danger you and your family have been put in  by the landlords negligence. This will send a message that you are not going to be messed around
 They may get someone who is not hard of thinking  to review the decision if they have not already done so.

Murphybear

Have you come across the term “betterment”?  It means that if a landlord claims his tenant damaged something he can only get damages for what the item is worth at the time,  not something new that would leave him better off.

in this situation if you were expected to pay for the boiler the most that the owner could claim for would be a percentage of the cost.  The older the boiler, the smaller the percentage.

I imagine in law that this would apply to AirBNB.  The owner would have to prove you damaged it, it is not up to you to prove you didn’t.