A sorority event that highlighted problems north London, Ont., residents are having with a home rented on Airbnb never would have gone ahead if the home’s owner didn’t agree to it, the sorority’s chapter president says.
The recruitment event by Alpha Omicron Pi last weekend drew the ire of residents close to 167 Sunnyside Dr., a street with large single-family homes, after busloads of young females began showing up on Saturday morning. While they were respectful, the home in a residential neighbourhood shouldn’t be used for such events, neighbours say.
“When reserving spaces for events, our chapter has been, and will continue to be, transparent about our needs for a venue and will be respectful of that space,” said Sabina de Crescentiis, president of the Alpha Omicron Pi chapter whose students attend Western University.
“Should the owner or manager of a property indicate that the use of the property is not a good match for any reason, our chapter will not host an event at that property.”
London bylaw officials are investigating the Sunnyside Drive property, which has operated as a short-term rental for over two years. Its owner, Jithin Das, has a short-term rental licence as required by the city.
Airbnb offers homeowners tips on how to prevent parties and allows hosts to limit the ages of people who are allowed to rent properties, something that has not been done in this case.
“Airbnb bans parties and we are in touch with both the host and the guest about the reported behaviour,” the company said in a statement.
Airbnb-listed home has pool, home theatre
Das previously told CBC News he thought the sorority event would include a few young women at a time, not dozens of women every few hours over the course of two days.
“I was not told,” he said. “They said 30 to 40 girls would be coming in turns, in four or five groups. So, I thought 30 or 40 divided by five, that’s seven or eight people at a time. That was my calculation.
“I’m extremely sorry to the whole neighbourhood and the community. I don’t want to have any further issues. I wouldn’t have taken their reservations if I knew what it would be like.”
Last weekend’s problems were only the latest with the home, neighbours told CBC News. They said large groups of people show up on weekends at the property, which sleeps 10 and includes a pool and home theatre.
“Understanding this was a residential property, our chapter communicated the need for the space before booking as well as prior to the event with the owner,” De Crescentiis wrote to CBC News. “Before booking this residence, we shared with the owner that there would be multiple groups of 30-45 women at a time rotating in and out of the property over the course of each day.
“This was reiterated prior to the start of the event as well. If the owner had shared concerns about the use of the space, our chapter would have understood and would not have proceeded with the reservation.”
The event was an opportunity for women interested in joining Alpha Omicron Pi to meet members, De Crescentiis said. The chapter doesn’t have its own residence in London.
“Our event was planned to not serve any alcohol. We did not use the pool and we were very conscious of noise ordinances so as to not disturb the neighbours. Our events were concluded by 5 p.m. each day,” she said. “We are sorry to have been an unknowing party in this ongoing dispute.”