Airbnb renters who trashed Calgary home left biohazards

A Calgary couple whose home was trashed by Airbnb renters say their house is full of biohazardous material and could take months to repair.

"Before I walked in the door, I was overwhelmed by the smell," said Star King.

"It literally looked like a huge garbage can."

She says insurance claim adjusters have estimated repairs will cost $50,000 to $75,000 and a restoration company has already inspected their house.

"They're going to send in crews in full masks, taped up in order to deal with the contents," said Star King's husband, Mark.

He was also told that any garbage leaving the home must be treated for biohazardous material before it can be sent to the landfill.

The Kings have also met with a hazmat specialist, who be will tossing "everything soft" — couches, bedding, towels and sheets — because there is no way to identify the various bodily fluids the renters left behind. 

King says when Calgary police entered the house for the first time on Monday, they said, '"This wasn't a party, this was a drug-induced orgy.' And there's evidence of that throughout the whole house."

The Kings rented their home through the popular accommodation website Airbnb to four adults who claimed they were in Calgary for a wedding.

"I couldn't believe that somebody could do that in three days to another person's home," said Calgary police Const. Attila Horvath.

Police are searching for the man who originally rented the house and could charge him with mischief to property over $5,000.

In the meantime, Airbnb has offered the King family a free place to stay.

"Another Airbnb property," said friend and media spokeswoman, Jessica Conlin, who is not sure if the Kings will take the offer. 

"They are currently staying with family, just out of comfort," she said.

"Our trust and safety team is working quickly to make this right and provide these hosts with our full support," wrote Airbnb spokesman Jakob Kerr in an email.

Airbnb will also cover the costs of repair and restoration of the house under its Host Guarantee insurance, which provides up to $1 million "to eligible properties in the rare event of guest damages which are not resolved directly with the guest."

"It's looking like there's some light at the end of the tunnel, with Airbnb's help for sure. They've really put themselves out there to help us," said Star King.

Since CBC News first reported the story on Wednesday, social media have been inundated with comments about the incident.