“Assigning liability…can be far murkier when travelers rent from a third-party host. The big question: What duty – if any – does Airbnb owe its customers to keep them safe?”
Lawsuits test Airbnb’s alleged liability in carbon monoxide deaths | Reuters
“As for where to place the device, (NFPA) offers this guidance: ‘Carbon monoxide is the same composition as air, so placement varies by manufacturer, but does not need to be installed like a smoke alarm. You can place it on a dresser in your sleeping room to provide protection. If you use a plug-in alarm, it would be best to plug it into an outlet that is as close to where you’re sleeping as possible.’”
“Policies differ across hotel chains, but home vacation rental companies Airbnb and VRBO allow guests to search for properties with a carbon monoxide alarm when booking, and both strongly encourage hosts to install the devices.
But this online information isn’t always accurate, said Kris Hauschildt, founder of the Jenkins Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to preventing carbon monoxide poisoning.
Hauschildt, who started the foundation after her parents died from hotel carbon monoxide poisoning in 2013, said she recently booked an Airbnb that advertised a carbon monoxide alarm, only to arrive and find there wasn’t one.
‘This is the fourth rental I’ve stayed in where this has happened,’ Hauschildt told Health. ‘Hosts have all been responsive to immediately address the issue, but it obviously highlights that safety continues to be in the hands of the consumer.’”
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