Short-term rental ransacked at pop-up party advertised on social media
Tampa rental landlord says video shows pop-up party ransacked his home
Dan Matics Reports
TAMPA, Florida. – The owner of a short-term rental home in Tampa has a warning for those who list their properties on sites like Airbnb and VRBO. He says his house was ransacked when a tenant threw a house party for more than 200 people.
Jason Lowman says videos posted to TikTok and Instagram show the massive party, which happened a few weekends ago. He had no idea what was going on at his short-term rental in Ybor City until a neighbor contacted him.
Lowman rushed home and called the police to break up the party. He said some of those present were teenagers.
Video posted to social media shows house party at rental owner’s house
“I said, ‘Wow, you’re going to be in trouble now because you completely trashed the place,'” he recalled.
There were broken tables and chairs, and he saw things we couldn’t mention on TV.
“Trashed,” Lowman told FOX 13 News. “Everything was everywhere.”
He says repairs and replacements will cost him nearly $14,000.
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Rental landlord says house party caused $14,000 in damage
Lowman says the people hosting the party announced the event ahead of time as a pop-up party, but didn’t post the address online until the day of the event.
“He was advertising it days, even weeks in advance,” Lowman said.
Tampa police say they can’t do anything; they broke up the party, but now it’s a civil matter between the owner and the guest.
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Broken chairs and tables were left in a rental after a pop-up house party
Lowman warns other short-term rental hosts to be on the alert. He says the same people have announced another party on social media – where the address will be sent the same day.
“They openly state that they have another one scheduled for the 17th of this month,” Lowman said.
He says Airbnb has assigned someone to work with him on this case and has also hired a lawyer.
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