Consumer Reports offers safety tips for renters, homeowners following Sullivan County Airbnb tragedy

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News 12 is sharing some safety tips for guests and homeowners as summer winds down and residents turn to peer-to-peer sites like Airbnb to vacation. “While Airbnb does have some policies to promote safety, you have to understand that you are staying in a private person’s house,” says Chuck Bell, with Consumer Reports. A recent lawsuit against a Sullivan County lakefront Airbnb owner is highlighting some of the risks associated with these types of stays after three family members of the same family drowned in 2022. “We came here for a family vacation. I didn’t know what to do,” said the victims’ relative, Faruque Amin, in an emotional YouTube video he shared to GoFundMe shortly following the tragedy. “The next thing I see, they are all drowning.” Amin, who’s from Queens, says the Bethel property on White Lake was a “death trap.” The family claims in court papers that the owners failed to warn them that the water had a sudden change in depth, which allegedly contributed to the tragedy . Amin says his relatives didn’t know how to swim and were wading in shallow water when the depth dropped to roughly 25-feet. “There may be a variety of safety risks that you may not have necessarily thought of, and unfortunately, in this case, there was a very tragic outcome,” says Bell. Bell says renters should always ask property owners about any risks on-site and make sure the listing has safety devices like working smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and a fire extinguisher. He says owners are obligated to follow platform safety rules and make sure their listing meets local regulations. News 12 reached out to Airbnb and Evolve, two of the defendants listed on the Amin lawsuit, but didn’t hear back. The Amin family declined to be interviewed for our report. The lakefront property the family rented was listed for sale in 2023 for nearly $1.2 million, according to online records. More Consumer Reports safety tips: Here's How to Take the Anxiety Out of Your Airbnb or Hotel Stay 5 Home Safety Questions to Ask Your Airbnb Host Before You Book "