Airbnb Tenant Refuses To Leave After Being There For 500 Days And Now Refuses To Pay For His Stay
Nobody would have guessed that this man would refuse to leave his Airbnb after 500 days.
A 28-year-old woman refused to leave a Los Angeles mansion that she rented through Airbnb, and it turns out “just staying a bit longer” can turn into a full-blown legal nightmare. Elizabeth Hirschhorn ended up living there for 575 days, long after her original six-month plan, while the homeowner, dentist Sascha Jovanovic, kept getting stuck with the bill.
Jovanovic says she paid about $20,793 up front, then stopped paying in April 2022, leaving him thousands short. He tried eviction, but the judge ruled in her favor, while Hirschhorn’s lawyers claimed the property was breaking building code rules after a shower was added without approval.
Now this isn’t just a tenant refusing to go, it’s a landlord fighting back with lawsuits over damages, and an escalating countersuit that makes the whole thing feel totally unreal.
This story starts off with a pair who decide to stay in an Airbnb.
Elizabeth Hirschhorn rented a $3.8 million home in Los Angeles from a dentist, Sascha Jovanovic. The tenant originally rented the home for six months when she needed a place to stay, but that turned into longer than six months.
draschajovanovicThe woman clearly was happy living in this dentist's home.
The woman paid $20,793 for the first chunk of rent, but she has refused to pay since April 2022, which means she still owes thousands to the dentist for staying there. Jovanovic filed an eviction notice, but the judge ruled in the tenant's favor.
Hirschhorn's lawyers argued that the guesthouse was violating the Department of Building and Safety's code after the dentist built a shower that wasn't approved. Following this, Jovanovic sued the tenant in two different cases: one for damages to recoup almost $60,000 and an appeal to the judge's decision to dismiss the eviction case.
ABC7This is insane to us.
She squatted in his home for 575 days until November 2023. The original fee was $105 per night, and the total she would have owed Jovanovic was $60,375.
The tenant was asking him for $100,000 even though she owed him money for staying in his Airbnb. She accused him of over 15 violations, including negligence and nuisance, in her countersuit.
ABC7
While Hirschhorn was racking up nights in Jovanovic’s $3.8 million home, she also stopped paying after April 2022, leaving the dentist with a growing debt she never addressed.
That’s when the eviction notice hit a wall, because the judge sided with Hirschhorn and her claim about the unapproved shower violating building and safety code.
This is also how it can get tense, like the AITA case where someone said no to their struggling parents moving in.
a relationship researcher from Northwestern University, the dynamics of tenant-landlord relationships can be complex and fraught with misunderstandings. In situations like a tenant overstaying their welcome, it often reflects deeper issues related to communication and expectations. Setting explicit boundaries regarding duration and payment terms can prevent disputes. As he states, 'The more transparent the expectations, the less likely conflicts will arise.'
Next came the two lawsuits from Jovanovic, one demanding nearly $60,000 in damages and another pushing back against the dismissal of the eviction case.
In the realm of short-term rentals, understanding local laws and regulations is crucial.
This story is absolutely wild, and it's hard to believe she actually stayed there for nearly two whole years. It's the kind of tale that sounds more like the plot of a TV drama than a real-life event.
Stories like this don't come around often, and it definitely stands out as one of the most bizarre Airbnb experiences we've ever come across. From unexpected twists to jaw-dropping decisions, it’s a situation that leaves you questioning how and why it all unfolded the way it did.
It’s the kind of scenario that makes you wonder — what would you do if you found yourself in a similar position? Would you have stayed as long as she did, or would you have packed up and left at the first sign of trouble?
Let us know your thoughts because, honestly, this one has us stunned.
Experts repeatedly stress that when both parties understand their roles and responsibilities, the likelihood of disputes decreases significantly.
Nobody wants to pay for a two-year “Airbnb extension” and then deal with it in court.
For another family money fight, read about OP refusing to invest in their brother’s failing business.
