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A couple from China reportedly used 120 tonnes of water and 645 cubic metres of gas at their Airbnb lodging in Seoul after their Korean host refused to cancel the booking.

Speaking to South Korean news outlet, SBS News, the Seoul Waterworks Authority said the amount of water wasted is enough for eight adults to use for two months.

In total, the 20-year-old Airbnb host, surnamed Lee, was slapped with a utility bill of 840,000 won (S$850).

Displayed strange behaviours even before check-in

In an interview with SBS News, Lee explained that the alleged revenge took place at his property in Mapo district in central-west Seoul.

Initially, the couple booked his place for 25 days, which was considered a long-term stay.

However, on Mar. 3, the male guest suddenly asked Lee if he could cancel the reservation, citing that he had contracted Covid-19.

When Lee requested the guest to submit proof of his illness as per Airbnb rules, the latter changed his mind and said he would like to proceed with his booking.

However, the male guest started to behave strangely after the conversation.

Not only did he change his account name and nationality on Airbnb, but he also started to ask unusual questions, such as whether there was a CCTV camera installed inside Lee's property.

Nevertheless, the couple eventually checked into Lee's place on Mar. 6.

Used unusually large amount of utilities

The 20-year-old only noticed that something was amiss when he received a call from a gas meter inspector on Mar. 27, four days before the couple's check-out date.

In the call, the inspector told Lee that the company suspected gas was leaking inside his property and advised him to conduct a check.

After seeking his guests' permission, Lee headed down to his property.

To his astonishment, he found out that the windows were kept wide open, lights were switched on, and the heater was still running.

In total, the couple used 645 cubic metres of gas, which was more than five times the normal amount used by two adults, and 120 tonnes of water.

As a result, Lee was handed a utility bill of 840,000 won (S$850), including 640,000 won (S$648) for gas, as well as 200,000 won (S$202) for water and electricity.

Lee believed the couple was retaliating

After watching the footage from the CCTV camera in front of his property, Lee was convinced that the couple were deliberately taking revenge on him for not letting them cancel their reservation.

According to the footage, five days after the couple checked in, they were filmed leaving the house with all their belongings.

Over the next few days, they were seen stopping by the property for only around five minutes every three to four days.

By using the unusually large amount of utilities over their short stay, the couple effectively forced Lee to foot the bill as the cost of utilities is not automatically included under accommodation fees for long-term bookings under Airbnb.

In those cases, the host and the guest would need to come to a separate agreement on the amount, otherwise known as the management fee, to be paid to the host.

However, Lee did not bring this matter up with the couple when they made the booking.

Airbnb unable to help, couple denied responsibility

In an attempt to resolve the matter, Lee contacted the couple, who only informed him they had already left Korea.

Lee subsequently asked Airbnb for help, but the company told him that he could only force his guests to pay for property damage as per Airbnb's terms and conditions.

In the case of utility bills, Lee could not do anything without the guests' consent.

However, when the 20-year-old reached out to the couple again, they replied that there was no problem with their use and threatened to escalate the issue to the Chinese embassy if Lee continued contacting them about it.

Slim chance of recovering the damages

According to SBS News, the chances for Lee to recover the damages from the couple are extremely slim.

Legal sources told the Korean news outlet that even if he brought a civil lawsuit against the pair and won the case in Korea, it would be extremely difficult to enforce the country's law in another jurisdiction.

It is even less likely for Airbnb to compensate Lee, as the company stated in its terms and conditions that hosts would need to "bear all risks arising from accessing and using the Airbnb platform ... to the fullest extent permitted by law", reported SBS News.

Top image via SBS News