Update: After our story was published, an Airbnb spokesperson responded. The company spokespersons' comments have been included in this story.
HIGH POINT, NC – Almost two months after a North Carolina mom found out a convicted sex offender was staying in the home she rents out using Airbnb, the company is responding to several requests for updates on the case.
Kimberly rented out a room in the home she stays in with her husband and two children to Phillip Bailey and his wife on February 5, 2018. After overhearing a fight between Bailey and his wife and noticing unusual behavior from the two, Kimberly searched the couple’s name online, and discovered Bradley is a convicted sex offender with outstanding warrants in North Carolina.
Bailey was arrested at the home later the next day. Needles, blood and a broken couch were found inside the room Bailey stayed in with his wife. Kimberly wanted Airbnb held accountable for allowing Bailey to create an account.
Airbnb said background checks are done the first time a person signs up on the platform and then again ever year.
In an email, an Airbnb spokesperson wrote, "Keeping our community safe is our priority. While no background check system is infallible, for all United States residents, we run background checks looking for prior felony convictions, sex offender registrations, and significant misdemeanors. Our original handling of this reservation fell below the high standards we set for ourselves, and we have apologized to the host. Additionally, we are urgently reviewing how this person was able to use the platform in the first place."
2 Wants to Know emailed the company four additional times, requesting updates on the review and requesting the background check the company claimed they ran on Phillip Bailey. After a story was published about the company's lack of response, the company reached out to WFMY, apologizing for the delay.
"Regarding your initial request for a background check, as an organization that is compliant with the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), we cannot publicly provide background check information on a user as it would be a violation of federal law," the email from the company read.
A spokesperson said they could not comment outside of their original statement and added their original comments about the handling of the reservation falling below the high standards they set for themselves, was in reference to their "inadequate customer support we initially offered the host, not the background check."
Kimberly said she also has yet to receive a response from Airbnb about a cleaning fee reimbursement.
Airbnb, however, said ,"We have reached out to the host several times since this incident was reported and have not received a response as to how we can support them with damaged items, etc. I will have our team reach out again to ensure the host is fully aware of the support that has been offered to them by our team and see if there is anything else we can do."
Kimberly stood by her statement, adding she has not received any phone calls from the company. She said she has hired an attorney and the company will now have to deal with them.
We also reached out to NC Attorney General Josh Stein, for advice on what people can do when working with companies such as Airbnb.
Stein responded, "Whenever you let someone into your home, there's a certain risk. And, you hope you work with a company that does the kind of background checks that are necessary. There is a sex offender registry in North Carolina so if anyone is engaged in an Airbnb like business, I would strongly suggest searching that database so that you are not letting a criminal into your home."
Airbnb remained apologetic about the situation and maintains they run background checks looking for prior felony convictions, sex offender registrations and significant misdemeanors. The company adds "safety of our community is our priority."
A quick Google search of Bradley’s first and last name brought up his sex offender registry profile along with warrants for his arrest. Airbnb said multiple times, "no background check is infallible." Since we can't see the background check, we might not know if and how this information failed to pop up on the company's radar.