Austin TX Airbnb and Short-Term Rental Injuries: What Happens If the Property Wasn’t Safe

An Airbnb is the perfect way to experience Austin, from the rolling vineyards to the bustling downtown scene. However, the pristine photos of Austin properties may not tell the whole story. Some of these accommodations may pose serious risks to visitors, including non-functional safety equipment and broken railings and guardrails.

The Austin Airbnb injury lawyers at Carabin Shaw have worked with clients injured in Airbnb for many years. We have seen the types of injuries that can occur and the complexities involved with holding responsible parties accountable for dangerous conditions on their properties. We help injured Airbnb visitors pursue all the compensation they deserve for their injuries and related losses under Texas law.

If you are injured in an Airbnb, you may be eligible for compensation. Our experienced attorneys help accident victims like you protect their rights and pursue appropriate damages, as our law firm’s client reviews attest. We are available 24/7 to provide free consultations in English or Spanish. Call us toll-free now at 1-800-862-1260.

Airbnb hosts are subject to Airbnb policies and local laws and regulations. Unfortunately, the guidelines for short-term rentals like Airbnbs are less well-defined than those for other rental properties in Texas. The lack of oversight can create potential risks for unknowing guests that they may not realize until it’s too late. Some of those hazards might include:

• Wet, uneven, or broken flooring can lead to slip and fall accidents
• Broken steps or stairway railing can cause visitors to fall from heights
• Dimly lit hallways and staircases increase the trip risk
• Defective appliances that emit dangerous fumes like carbon monoxide
• Faulty wiring can increase the risk of electrocution or fire
• Missing or non-functioning smoke alarms or carbon monoxide detectors

Some hazards that may seem minor could cause serious injuries in an accident. For example, a loose floorboard can lead to sprains or fractures if they cause an unaware visitor to trip and fall.

The steps you take after an injury in your Airbnb can impact the strength of your case:

• Seek medical treatment to protect your health and document your injury
• Report the incident to the host and keep a record of all your communications
• Take photos of the property conditions, the hazard, and your injuries
• Gather contact information for any witnesses to the accident
• Keep all receipts and records of your injuries and medical treatment
• Contact an Airbnb injury lawyer in Austin TX

Although following these steps doesn’t guarantee a positive outcome from your case, your lawyer can use all the evidence gathered to demonstrate that the host’s negligence in maintaining a safe property led directly to your injuries and related losses.

Multiple parties may be responsible for your short-term rental injury, such as:

• The property owner who fails to maintain safe premises
• Airbnb, if it were aware of the hazard and failed to warn guests
• Maintenance providers who neglected necessary inspections or repairs

Your attorney will investigate your accident to determine who was at fault for the condition that caused your injury. Under Texas’s proportionate responsibility rule, multiple parties may be held liable according to their percentage of fault. Your lawyer will identify all at-fault parties and pursue damages from each of them accordingly.

Damages for your injuries might include:

• Medical expenses
• Lost wages
• Lost future earnings
• Pain and suffering
• Disability or disfigurement
• Loss of enjoyment of life

Your legal team will calculate your damages based on your current financial losses and a prediction of what future losses might look like. Damages also aim to reimburse victims for the impact of the accident on their lives and to restore their quality of life to what it was before the accident as closely as possible.

If you are injured in an Airbnb due to circumstances or conditions beyond your control, our compassionate team at Carabin Shaw can help. We offer our services on a contingency-fee basis, so you don’t pay anything until we win your case. Call us today at 1-800-862-1260.

For more information:

• Texas Constitution and Statutes 41
• Airbnb: Ground rules for home hosts
• Short-Term Rentals | AustinTexas.gov
• Texas Constitution and Statutes 33