**Warning: Some of the language in the video, above, is offensive**
SEVEN HILLS, Ohio – It took officers from five area police departments to shut down a New Year's party at an Airbnb rental in Seven Hills, Ohio this weekend.
Officers were called to the home on Shelley Drive shortly after 11 p.m. on Saturday for a noise complaint, cars parking in the street and vehicles blocking driveways during the snow ban, according to WJW.
Police say the man who threw the party was renting a room at the house through Airbnb for $40 a night. The 28-year-old homeowner had a few rules for his guest. He couldn't have a party and there were temporary barriers to block certain rooms.
The suspect advertised the "New Year's Banger" on Twitter and charged $5 a person, according to the police report. When the homeowner realized he couldn't control it, he locked himself in his bedroom and eventually called police after five men threatened him.
At first, officers couldn't get into the development because of the snow. When they later walked up to the house, they could hear music from more than 100 yards away, and there were about 30 people coming and going.
“I observed several hundred people packed so tightly in each of the rooms and up the stairwell, it did not appear there was space for anyone to extend their arms," an officer wrote in the police report.
About 250 people were crammed inside. Seven Hills police said they told people to leave and that's when party-goers started shouting anti-police comments.
Those officers, who realized they were outnumbered, left to call in assistance. Seven Hills police had Broadview Heights officers block cars from coming into the neighborhood. They turned away more than 50 cars, while about 50 more vehicles tried to leave.
Seven Hills, Parma, Brooklyn Heights and Independence police entered through the garage, where they were greeted by the smell of marijuana and alcohol.
“I observed several people throwing up where they stood and heavy damage to the home. People broke open the front windows and began pulling out the windows, as police entered the basement several people broke out a basement window and exited through the window,” the police report said.
It took about an hour to get people to clear out of the house and leave the neighborhood. Police waited with some partiers for their Uber rides to arrive.
The homeowner, who was cited for a noise disturbance, told police that his entire house was damaged. He filed a claim through Airbnb. Officers returned the next day to find broken glass and trash scattered across the front lawn. When WJW went to the home on Wednesday, there were not obvious signs of damage, other than window screens in the yard.
One neighbor, whose home was also damaged by party-goers, said she was fearful for the safety of officers and described the scene as a "mob."
As for the man who threw the party, he's facing charges of disorderly conduct for unreasonable noise and hindering movement on public streets, furnishing alcohol to minors, alcohol activities without a permit and criminal damaging. He has not been arrested.
Airbnb sent a statement to WJW about the incident:
There have been over 260 million guest arrivals in Airbnb listings to date, including nearly 3 million on New Year’s Eve, and incidents like this are incredibly rare. We have zero tolerance for this type of behavior and have permanently banned this individual from our platform and are fully supporting our host under the Airbnb Host Guarantee program. Our team is also reaching out to law enforcement to offer them our assistance with their investigation. The safety of our community is the most important thing we work on every day.
Airbnb also sent along a set of tips for hosts:
Set Clear Expectations: Your listing description should let potential guests know about the unique features and amenities of your home. Even small details like the number of flights of stairs to your front door can help make sure guests enjoy their time with you. As a host, you can also outline specific expectations (like quiet hours) in your house rules.
Set Guest Requirements: Every guest is asked to provide their full name, date of birth, photo, phone number, email address, and payment information to Airbnb before booking. Home hosts also have the option to require guests to provide Airbnb with a government ID before booking their listing.
Read Profiles & Reviews: If you want to know more about a guest before accepting their reservation request, check out their profile or read reviews from past hosts. Hosts and guests can only review each other after a reservation is complete, so you know the feedback you’re reading is based on actual experiences.
Get to Know Your Guest in Advance: Our secure messaging tool gives you the chance to get to know guests and answer or ask any questions that come up before or during the trip. Messaging is also a great place to coordinate things like check-in or provide local recommendations.
Keep Safety Info & Equipment Handy: It’s important to equip your home and your guests with the safety essentials they might need during their trip. This includes things like a working smoke and carbon monoxide detector, a fire extinguisher, a first aid kit, and a fully completed online safety card.
If Anything Isn’t Right, Reach Out: In the rare event that an issue should arise, our team is available 24/7 in 11 languages to support you and your guests—all you have to do is reach out. We offer things like rebooking assistance, refunds, reimbursements, our $1 million Host Guarantee, and Host Protection Insurance program to help make things right.
