(NewsNation) — A single mother in North Carolina is suing after an Airbnb guest overstayed her welcome and claimed her rental home as her own.
Durham resident Farzana Rahman initially agreed to rent her condo to several Airbnb guests from Oct. 25 to May 24.
When the lease ended and housekeepers showed up to tidy the room, they were met with resistance: The guests were still there and refused to leave, the New York Post reported.
The guests allegedly had signs on their doors that read, “We are the lawful residents of this home and will vacate once we file the proper eviction papers with a civil judge.”
Squatter's rights, also known as contraband, is a legal principle that protects a person's right to live somewhere unless evicted by a legal process.
Establishing squatters' rights varies by state, but most states allow squatters to assert occupancy rights after residing at the address for 30 days.
Airbnb's website warns long-term hosts about the possibility of claims of infringement by squatters.
“In most states and localities in the U.S., a guest who stays in a home or apartment for a month or longer (the exact number varies by jurisdiction) can establish tenant rights. Generally, this means that local rental laws may protect the guest, and you may not be able to remove the guest from the property without going through the necessary eviction proceedings in court,” the guidelines read.
Losing Airbnb's profits would be a devastating blow to Rahman.
“This is my home, I mean, I depend on this income,” Rahman told ABC. “My son is in college. I'm a single mom.”
Rahman told multiple media outlets that Airbnb did little to help him through this process, despite the company's host guidelines stating that “these situations are extremely rare, but if they do occur, we will work with you to resolve them.”
According to the Daily Mail, Rahman's home was being rented out for a minimum of 28 days for a total of $2,684.
Now she must wait for the legal process to be completed before she has a chance to rent a home again.