Dunedin house turned into brothel by Airbnb guests, angry homeowner claims

September 20, 2019
Views towards the city from the lookout at the Centennial Memorial on Signal Hill Dunedin Otago South Island New Zealand

A home on a quiet street in Dunedin's North East Valley was allegedly turned into a brothel by Airbnb guests while the owner was away on holiday.

The homeowner, who wished to remain anonymous, said two Chinese nationals, one in her 40s and one in her 20s, stayed in his property for two weeks while he was in Asia between July and August, the Otago Daily Times reports.

When the homeowner returned, he described the property as feeling "icky" and having "stank of cheap perfumes". He added that 50 toilet rolls and several towels were also missing.

Several days after his return, he alleged a man knocked on his door to inquire about the women. He said he was verbally threatened after he told the man the pair had left.

A neighbour said she saw a large number of cars parked outside the property.

"They were all men. They wouldn't stay very long, usually 20 minutes, some for a bit longer," she told the Otago Daily Times. "I first noticed the light on at night and we started getting suspicious."

"I can understand it's like a break-in. It's like a violation."

Airbnb told the newspaper it is considering reimbursement for the incident. 

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