Airbnb tenant has spent more than 2 years at home and refuses to leave, host says

LOS ANGELES (KCAL/KCBS) - What started as a short-term Airbnb rental 
has turned into a two-year nightmare, a Los Angeles homeowner said.

He said he can’t get her out of his property.

“It’s just like ... you see the door where she’s in like every 
single day. We just keep all the curtains closed,” said homeowner 
Sascha Jovanovic.

He said he has been living a nightmare with an unwanted house guest 
for more than two years.

Jovanovic had listed his modern studio guest house with stunning 
views on Airbnb when 55-year-old Elizabeth Hirschhorn booked a stay 
in September of 2021.

Jovanovic said it was fine for the first four months until February 
of 2022, when he discovered water damage in the guesthouse and she 
suddenly prevented him from making any repairs.

“And then from one day to the other day, everything changed so, 
like, you know, she didn’t want to allow anybody in anymore,” he 
said.

But he extended her stay through April of 2022.

“I even said to her, like, ‘OK, you can stay another two weeks, you 
know, at no cost, just so you can relocate yourself,’ and she just 
then squatted and ... and has never left.” Jovanovic said, and he 
hasn’t gotten any rent since then.

In one email from that same month, Hirschhorn writes she doesn’t 
feel safe being forced to vacate with a housing disability and the 
high risks of COVID-19 complications.

She also cited the city’s tenant protection policies.

Hirschhorn didn’t respond to a request for comment.

“When we can get to trial, she can stand up and tell a jury all 
these stuff about why she has the right to stay there for free and 
to get paid to leave, which is crazy,” said Sebastian Rucci, 
Jovanovic’s attorney.



Airbnb said that the reservation made on its platform ended in March 
of 2022 and now this is a third-party matter between two 
individuals.

“So I just hope that this story can be stopped as quickly as 
possible, and we can go back to normal life,” Jovanovic said.

https://www.kmov.com/2023/10/06/airbnb-tenant-has-spent-more-than-2
-years-home-refuses-leave-host-says/