Airbnb and Goa host fined ₹10,000 by consumer court over accident involving toddler

The Chandigarh Consumer Disputes Commission has fined homestay marketplace Airbnb and one of its hosts ₹10,000 after a six-month-old child was accidentally injured while cleaning the property. Commission President Pawanjit Singh and members Surjeet Kaur and Suresh Kumar Sardana noted an email exchange between the complainants and Airbnb in which Airbnb and the caretaker acknowledged the incident and apologized.

The defendant’s emails clearly indicate the incident of March 6, 2022, when the complainant’s six-month-old daughter, wrapped in a blanket, fell while the caretaker was cleaning the room, and the defendant also apologized on May 2nd order stated.

The commission directed both Airbnb and the property manager to pay ₹5,000 as compensation to the complainant, along with another ₹5,000 towards legal costs. The development came after the bank received a complaint from the child’s mother.

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She and her husband had booked a room through Airbnb for their vacation in Goa. According to her, when she checked out, the property manager pulled the blankets and pillows from the bed where her six-month-old daughter was sleeping, causing her to fall and injure herself.

Since Airbnb did not appear, the case was pursued ex parte. The property manager disputed the complaint, saying his actions were not intentional and that he had already apologized. However, the commission found that the incident was due to the caretaker’s negligence and therefore constituted a lack of service. The commission also found that Airbnb had offered a refund, but it was never processed.

Since Airbnb did not accept the claim for damages, it turned to the Consumer Commission.

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