Nearly 20 people have died in recent years from carbon monoxide while staying in Airbnb rentals, and heartbroken families say the company hasn’t addressed the issue.
‘And that’s terrible that Airbnb, knowing exactly what’s happening, they haven’t done anything to stop it,’ Rosa Elena Martinez told NBC News.
Her son, Jaime Mejiam, is one of the 19 who died since 2013 from carbon monoxide while staying at short-term rentals through Airbnb across the globe. The gas is known as a silent killer as it’s odorless.
In 2014, Airbnb said that they would ‘require’ all of their hosts to install carbon monoxide detectors. This mandate has yet to take place and more lives have been lost.
But, families say that hasn’t happened and three lawsuits have been filed over the situation. They called for Airbnb to mandate all homes on their site must be equipped with carbon monoxide detectors.
So 19 people have died of carbon monoxide poisoning since 2013. That equals less than two per year, for the ten year span. Out of 330 million people in the United States, I wouldn’t even call that news worthy. That has to be the at the bottom of the list of Ways To Die.
However I know that is no condolence to the grieving families.