Nightmare Airbnb Guest Has Overstayed by More Than a Year Without Paying
A nightmare Airbnb guest who has overstayed by more than a year in a luxury Los Angeles rental refuses to vacate unless she’s paid to do so. As the desperate homeowner tries to evict her, a judge recently ruled that the squatter can stay for as long as she likes.
Sascha Jovanovic, an internationally celebrated periodontist, rented out the guest house on his Brentwood property to Elizabeth Hirschhorn all the way back in September 2021. Now that Hirschhorn won’t leave, Jovanovic is fearful for his and his family’s safety. “I can never go into my home and know that I’m safe when a potentially hostile person is living there,” the landlord told The Los Angeles Times. “I’m thinking about it at all times.”
The reason Jovanovic is having such issues kicking his undesired tenant out is because the guest house was never supposed to be rented in the first place. He rented the luxurious studio, which opens up to panoramic views of Los Angeles, without a certificate of occupancy or proper registration. There was also a shower illegally installed in the unit. A California law prohibiting evictions without a solid reason makes the situation even murkier.
“The landlord broke the law and tried to make money by renting out an illegal bootleg unit,' Hirschhorn’s lawyer, Colin Walshok, told the Times. “After he was caught, instead of doing the right thing, he has resorted to bullying, harassment and the filing of frivolous lawsuits containing elaborate false stories, all in an attempt to cover his tracks.”
According to court filings, Hirschhorn was approved for a six-month occupation from September 2021 until March ‘22. For this she paid nearly $20,000. Things remained copacetic until Jovanovic came around to make some repairs and discovered mold and water damage in the kitchen.
He offered his tenant a hotel until the damage was repaired, but she refused. “I don’t feel safe being forced to vacate with a housing disability and the high risks of COVID-19 complications,” Hirschhorn allegedly said. She likewise refused an offer to temporarily live in the main house, due to her cat allergy. Hirschhorn is counter-suing Jovanovic over this point, alleging that he “inappropriately invited” her into his family’s home.
Now that a judge has thrown out the periodontist’s claims against Hirschhorn, the two are living feet apart as sworn enemies. Because the house isn’t approved for occupancy, Hirschhorn is currently living rent-free. She’s arguing, through her lawyers, that “the maximum allowable rent for the unit [is] $0.00,” and is seeking the return of the full amount she initially paid.
Jovanovic is hanging onto the hope that, one day, his home will belong to him again. “It would be a fantastic day for my family [if Hirschhorn left]. The space will turn back into a happy room.”
Related: 'Nightmare Airbnb Guest' Has Legal Record of Similar Issues
