Left flat broke by party guests

DAMAGE Cindy at her flat If you rent a property to holidaymakers and they trash it, you’ve at least got their damage deposit to help cover the cost of repairs.

Or not, as Cindy Varga discovered after guests held a party and caused damage she said would cost £700 to put right.

She had let her West London flat in Maida Vale for a weekend through HomeAway for £400, plus £250 damage deposit.

But after the guests were kicked out she heard from the HomeAway payment processor that the whole £650 was being reclaimed through chargeback as an unauthorised deduction.

So either a stolen credit card had been used, or the guest was lying about payment authorisation. Either way, Cindy was down by well over £1,000.

When she complained, Cindy says the payment processor told her to take it up with HomeAway, while HomeAway ducked the issue and told her to check the payment processor’s terms and conditions.

“I was so irate I emailed the chief executive of HomeAway via LinkedIn but I’ve had no response,” she said.

HomeAway told me that it is an online marketplace, and any disputes are a matter for owners and guests.

Its spokesman said: “HomeAway acts as a venue for travellers and property owners or managers to interact and is not, and does not, become party to any contractual relationship between the traveller and the owner or property manager.”