Couple evicted by police from Toronto Airbnb in middle of night despite paying $4,500 to stay
A couple from New Zealand who spent more than $4,500 to rent an Airbnb in Toronto were evicted by police in the middle of the night after a man showed up claiming the unit was his.
Syeda Farhana Shariff and Shariff Masudul Haque rented the apartment, advertised as a "luxury two-bedroom condo," which is located next to the CN Tower on Front Street, for one month.
"It was no where near to luxury," Haque told CTV News Toronto on Friday. "It didn't look right and it is a badly maintained property."
The tourists were more than two weeks into their one-month stay in Toronto when on Wednesday around 1 a.m. they got an unexpected knock on the door from a stranger.
"He said we had to leave. I was really taken aback by this," Haque said.
- Download our app to get local alerts to your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
According to Haque, the man claimed he was the rightful lessee of the apartment.
CTV News Toronto has viewed the couple's Airbnb confirmation e-mail, which shows they paid to rent the apartment from July 5 until August 2.
Haque and his wife said they initially refused to leave, but then the man called the police.
"He called the cops, and the cops said they were convinced with the paperwork that he is the lease holder," Haque said. "The police told us to leave the place within 30 minutes before things escalate. They didn't care how we did it, they just wanted us out."
Haque said they decided there was no point arguing with police, packed up their belongings and went to the building's lobby.
Haque said they spent two hours on hold waiting to speak to someone with Airbnb.
“They did nothing, except say will review the situation,” Haque said.
Haque said the couple found another place to stay for the rest of the night, but had to pay $580.
In a statement to CTV News Toronto, police said they responded to a call on Wednesday for an "unwanted guest at an apartment building."
Police said a man arrived at an apartment to find two people who are not known to him.
"The couple retrieved their belongings and left the unit upon police arrival and confirmation that the complainant is the rightful lessee of the unit," police said.
Haque said the couple received a message from Airbnb on Thursday afternoon saying they would be refunded, but still don't have any answers about what actually led to the incident.
In a statement to CTV News Toronto on Friday, a spokesperson for Airbnb said they "take this incredibly seriously."
"After an investigation, the listing has been deactivated, and we have provided the guests a full refund for this experience."
Haque said they are grateful for the refund, but thinks Airbnb could have been "more proactive" in helping them in the moment.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Pilot reported fire onboard plane carrying fuel, attempted to return to Fairbanks just before crash
One of the two pilots aboard an airplane carrying fuel reported there was a fire on the airplane shortly before it crashed and burned outside Fairbanks, killing both people on board, a federal aviation official said Wednesday.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
7 surveillance videos linked to extortions of South Asian home builders in Edmonton released
The Edmonton Police Service has released a number of surveillance videos related to a series of extortion cases in the city now dubbed 'Project Gaslight.'
Ukraine uses long-range missiles secretly provided by U.S. to hit Russian-held areas, officials say
Ukraine for the first time has begun using long-range ballistic missiles provided secretly by the United States, bombing a Russian military airfield in Crimea last week and Russian forces in another occupied area overnight, American officials said Wednesday.
Manitoba government tables bill to end ban on homegrown recreational cannabis
Manitoba is planning to lift its ban on the home growing of recreational cannabis.