Jabberwocky
Frumious Bandersnatch
- Joined
- Nov 3, 1999
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TWO days after Christmas, Dieter Winkler and his family were preparing a barbecue at their holiday home on the Gold Coast when 10 armed police officers smashed in the front door.
The Sydney family of seven, who had rented the three-bedroom house at Burleigh Heads through Airbnb, were not even 24 hours into their stay when armed officers in bulletproof vests kicked the door down.
Mr Winkler, his partner Jacquie Young and their five children were ordered to sit in the lounge room where they were kept for five hours while police questioned them over a sophisticated marijuana setup found in one of the bedrooms, which the female owner had told the Winklers was “off-limits” because of an electricity fault.
“The cops didn’t know we were innocent, so it wasn’t a friendly reception,” Mr Winkler, 48, from Randwick, said yesterday.
He spent $1800 for 11 nights at the Burleigh home, and then had to find alternative accommodation, which left him another $2600 out of pocket.
Airbnb has refunded him the full amount of $4400.
“More than sixty million guests have stayed at an Airbnb property and while incidents like this are incredibly rare, we take them very seriously,” an Airbnb spokesman said.
“There is absolutely no place for this sort of activity on Airbnb and this property has been banned.
“We’ve been in contact with the guest in this situation and will continue to do everything we can to offer our support.”
Source: http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/ne...hydroponic-setup/story-fni0cx12-1227701318306