Bat infestation turned Airbnb rental into 'house of horrors': suit

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A group of Airbnb guests have claimed that their joyful 50th high school reunion party at a rental property in Michigan turned into a “Halloween horror movie” when they were attacked by a “horde” of bats.

The distressed renters have filed a civil complaint against Airbnb for having “negligently allowed the bat-infested home to be advertised on the platform,” according to a press release from Marko Law representing the plaintiffs.

The lawsuit also names as defendants the owners of the bat-riddled property in the city of Alpena, nicknamed “The Castle,” and maintenance workers, accusing them of failing to ensure the residence was safe before it was put up for rent.

Attorney Jon Marko described the situation as “every renter’s worst nightmare,” reported Detroit Free Press.

“What was supposed to be a fun vacation turned into a house of horror for my clients,” Marko said. “No one expects to be attacked by a horde of bats. This played out like a scene from a Halloween horror movie.”

The plaintiffs rented the house through Airbnb in late July 2023, and for the first three days of their stay everything was fine, according to the lawyers.

But on the third night, which fell on July 26, two of the guests staying in the large turret room were awakened by screeching sounds to find a dark shape flying about the bedroom.

The women fled the room in terror into the hallway and slammed the door shut behind them.

Initially, the renters believed it was just one stray bat that had somehow ended up in their bedroom, and they laughed off the spooky encounter.

But soon they were horrified to discover an entire colony of Michigan Brown Bats filling the hallway, according to the lawsuit.

The women tried to run out of the house but found the stairwell “consumed with bats,” the law firm claimed. 

Having their escape route cut off, the renters ran back into their bedrooms and barricaded inside, using window sashes, pillows and towels to cover the doors — but despite their best efforts the bats were still able to invade their rooms through gaps in the baseboards.

Some of the women were struck by flying bats; others had the airborne mammals entangled in their hair, and at least one of the guests suffered bites, according to the press release.

Unable to escape, the women tried to find refuge from the winged intruders by climbing beneath the covers, but the bats managed to burrow their way into the bedding.

It was not until the sun rose that the nocturnal animals finally retreated back to their hiding place in the attic.

An exterminator who was swiftly called to the house found the attic coated with “inches upon inches” of bat guano and the walls of the basement dripping with bat urine, suggesting that the massive bat colony has called “The Castle” its home for several years.

The unfortunate renters were then instructed to get vaccinated against rabies as a precaution after their close encounter with the bats.

Airbnb didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on the lawsuit Tuesday.

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