Man’s Fountain Hills luxury home fraudulently posted on Airbnb during WM Phoenix Open
The home was listed for $2,666 a night
PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) — It’s a stunning, luxury home in Fountain Hills complete with eight bedrooms, 10,000 square feet, a negative edge pool and incredible views. And prior to the WM Phoenix Open, the home was posted on Airbnb for rent for almost $2,700 a night.
“Are you renting or have you ever rented out your Fountain Hills home?” On Your Side’s Gary Harper asked the homeowner, Allen Tao. “No, never. Never at all,” he replied.
So, why was Allen’s home listed on Airbnb as available for rent? On Your Side would like to ask that question to Orly Stays, the so-called host who posted it on Airbnb. But all contact information has been removed.
According to Airbnb’s website, Tao says his house was listed as unavailable for Feb. 9-11. Those are the most popular days for out-of-town guests to attend the WM Phoenix Open and it means someone may have paid almost $7,998 for three nights to rent. But Tao’s home was never even available.
“There are two victims. The homeowner, like me, is a victim and those people who are trying to rent the house, they are a victim,” Tao said.
And then, there was the Super Bowl in Las Vegas. Remember Orly Stays who posted Allen’s Fountain Hills house for rent on Airbnb? Well, On Your Side discovered that Orly Stays posted two Las Vegas luxury homes as available for rent as well, one of which was going for more than $7,000 a night. It’s unclear if anyone actually rented the homes, but Allen says it certainly makes you wonder.
“If they show up to the house, the actual owners are living there and they (the guests) have already paid the money and now they wouldn’t be allowed to live in there, so it’s just ridiculous to me,” Tao said
On Your Side has discovered numerous negative reviews regarding Orly Stays. One said, “Airbnb needs to ban this host’s account indefinitely.” Another wrote, “Do not waste your time booking this rental. This rental is a scam.” On Your Side brought the issue to the attention of Airbnb, which is currently investigating.
As for Tao, he’s concerned angry victims could show up at his home demanding their money back—money he never took.
“I ended up having to file a report with the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office because I don’t want any issues,” he explained. “If someone shows up because they are a victim, too. But if someone shows up to my house, some strangers, it can be a real safety concern to me and my family.”
Renters say the one common theme is that Orly Stays has a history of canceling the rental within 24 hours of a guest’s arrival, citing an “unplanned maintenance issue.” But by then, they had already paid.
On Your Side will let you know the results of Airbnb’s investigation in a follow-up report.
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