WATCH ABOVE: Restoration efforts continue on a northwest Calgary home trashed in April 2015. Amber Schinke has the update.
CALGARY — The pictures were unbelievable. The story made national headlines. A Calgary home trashed by renters.
That was in April, 2015 and there’s still work to be done before the owners can move back in.
The massive cleanup of a northwest home trashed by Airbnb renters continues two months after the senseless vandalism was discovered.
And it’s not clear when the owners will be able to return.
Mark and Star King’s home has since been stripped bare.
The furniture is gone and all the flooring and base boards have been removed – and still, you can see evidence of the extensive damage.
“The house wasn’t our home when we last saw it, “said Star King.
“It was some other place.”
In April, the King’s rented out their house through Airbnb, a home rental service.
It was the second time they had done so.
The couple had no qualms about handing over the keys to a man who told them family was coming to town for a wedding.
But two days later they received a worried text from neighbours. They returned and much to their horror, they discovered the damage.
The King’s called police and soon remediation crews wearing hazmat suits moved in to start the clean-up process.
Fortunately for them, Airbnb’s insurance policy covers damage up to $1 million.
They’ve given the go-ahead for construction crews to tear out the flooring, which was all damaged, repaint and re-texture the ceiling because the chemicals and the smoke and everything was just so permeating,” said Mark King.
“They’ve made it clear that anything that we need, they’re here to help us.”
Meanwhile, police continue to investigate.
They know a stolen credit card was used to rent the property and purchase liquor and groceries for what’s been described as a drug-induced orgy.
The accused is known to police for other fraudulent activity, but so far no fraud charges have been laid.
Police say they are pending.
As for property damage charges, they were dropped due to a lack of evidence.
“We asked the public to come forward to give us information, and we’ve only had one anonymous crime stoppers tip which was unfounded,” said Acting Sergeant Attila Horvath of the Calgary Police Service.
It’s not known when the Kings will be able to return home, and how much of their belongings will be there.
“They’ve given us a list of things that were salvageable, and then a list of things that they had to throw away. And it’s probably three times as thick of a list,” said Mark.
Despite it all, the Kings are optimistic they will be able to make their house a home again.
Airbnb has given the Kings accommodation and even studio space for Star, who is an artist.
They say they consider this case a ‘one in a million’, and would use Airbnb in the future.
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