A New York woman says her birthday trip to the Bahamas took a turn for the worse after a burst pipe flooded the Airbnb she was staying in. As if coming back to a waterlogged rental was not bad enough, she claims she was later held responsible for more than $20,000 in damages.
The woman, who goes by @lichac213 on TikTok, shared her dilemma online along with footage of what she says she returned to after going out for her birthday dinner.
In the video, water could be seen steadily dripping from several areas of the ceiling and pooling on the floor below. Some of it appeared to be coming through or around the recessed ceiling lights.
The water had made its way into the living area where the couches were positioned beneath the affected ceiling. The woman also had decorations set up around the property for her birthday, including balloons and a banner, and claimed some of her belongings were damaged in the mess.
According to the woman, the flooding was caused by a pipe that burst while she was away. However, the bigger shock came afterward when she allegedly received a damage claim through Airbnb.
A screenshot she shared showed a notice stating that Airbnb had determined $20,177 was owed for damage to the property. The notice also gave her the option to either pay the amount or submit an appeal.
In her post, the woman strongly disputed being held responsible, arguing that she was being overcharged for damage she did not cause.
Viewers Tell New York Woman to Fight the $20K Charge
The woman’s story certainly got people on TikTok talking. In her comments, several viewers said they were struggling to understand why she would be responsible for damage allegedly caused by the property’s plumbing.
“There’s no way you should be held liable for the damages. that is crazy,” one person wrote. Another agreed, “It is clearly not your fault. you have no control over a pipe bursting.”
Others were far more suspicious of the situation. “Girl they tried to set you up they knew ts [sic] was doing that,” one viewer alleged. Someone else claimed, “They don’t [care] about the couch they want 20K for those plumbing repairs.” Another speculated, “They allowed you to rent that bnb to leave someone liable for damages that they were already aware of.”
Some viewers urged the woman to take legal action rather than simply pay the bill. “Lawyer up IMMEDIATELY. you shouldn’t pay these scammers a penny,” a commenter advised. “Girl countersue for emotional distress and for your things that got damaged,” another added.
Still, not everyone was ready to accept the woman’s version of events. “This makes no sense, we need more details… Did someone leave a faucet running?” one netizen asked. Another questioned, “Yall left the water on? Be honest.” A third pressed, “Yeah girl say what you did.”
For now, exactly what caused the pipe to burst and why the woman was found responsible for the damage remain unclear from what she has shared publicly. She has also not provided any further updates on whether she plans to appeal the charge or how the dispute is progressing.
Meanwhile, her story has taken off on TikTok, racking up millions of views as people continue debating who should ultimately be responsible for the hefty bill.
