A New Zealand visiting couple Toronto was launched from a downtown Airbnb rental by police in the middle of the night after a man claimed the accommodation belonged to him, despite the couple having paid in full for a month’s rental and having already been staying there for several days.
Syeda Farhana Shariff and Shariff Masudul Haque had rented a Front Street West apartment listed on the Airbnb website and paid the rental company over $4,000.
“It was amazing until last night,” Farhana told Global News describing the couple’s visit to Toronto, praising the city and the location of the apartment about a block from Rogers Centre.
But on Wednesday night the couple received an unexpected knock on the door as they settled in for the night. A man told them that he lived there and that they had to leave.
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“He said we fraudulently stayed there because the property belongs to him and we’re not supposed to be there,” said Shariff, her husband.
“Initially we thought… is someone playing a prank on us? Or is it fraudulent,” Farhana said.
The couple provided proof that they had rented the apartment legally until August 2 and had made full payment.
Two Toronto police officers were called to the apartment by the man at the door.
“We showed everything to the police…they weren’t interested,” Shariff said.
“We just want you out before things get out of hand,” police reportedly told the couple.
Contacted by Global News, Toronto police acknowledged that they attended the apartment and the couple agreed to leave.
“The couple retrieved their belongings and left the unit upon police arrival and confirmation that the complainant is the rightful tenant of the unit,” Const. Laura Brabant, Toronto Police Media Relations Officer.
The couple said they did not want to challenge the police because they were not Canadian residents.
They moved into the lobby of the apartment before returning to claim their RV, which was being repaired in Vaughan, north of the city.
Global News reached out to Airbnb to find out why a guest might be forced out of a rented apartment under these circumstances.
Airbnb spokesperson Matt McNama told Global News via email that they are looking into the matter. “We take this incredibly seriously,” he said.
However, on Thursday afternoon, the rental listing was still active.
“We have taken steps to disable the listing and are in the process of suspending the host while we investigate further,” McNama said.
He added that due to the circumstances, the couple will get all their money back.
“We are working to provide our guest with a full refund for this experience,” McNama said in the email.
Contacted by Global News about the company’s decision, the couple – en route to Niagara Falls – expressed their gratitude.
“We therefore greatly appreciate your assistance in resolving this issue,” they emailed.
“We’re going to pretend we had a bad dream and leave Canada with a good feeling!”
© 2022 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
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