A woman is devastated after finding out that the tenants of her Vancouver Island condo have left, and many of her belongings are gone.
“It was like walking into somebody else’s home,” Anuschka Steigemann told CTV Vancouver Island.
Steigemann often lists her Mount Washington condo through the popular vacation-home company Airbnb, but she also lists it for short-term rentals. When the latest tenants first reached out to Steigemann, she said they had a “tear-jerking and heartfelt” story.
“I felt really bad for them, I was like ‘wow these people had a really rough go,” she told CTV Vancouver Island.
Although other tenants contacted Steigemann to inquire about renting, she turned them down.
“I wanted to help this family out,” she said.
The renters had already left when Steigemann received a call from the manager of her condo building.
“He just said, ‘I’m so sorry Anuschka, you’ve been robbed. It’s a mess in here, I’m really sorry,’” Steigemann told CTV Vancouver Island.
Among the items missing were electronic devices, photos, mattresses, box springs, kitchen utensils, and even the bottom half of bunk beds.
“I broke down and I had the woman I work with call the cops for me,” she added.
Steigemann is now appealing to social media to help track down the renters.
Leanne Webster, who manages vacation rentals for clients on Mount Washington, says the number of similar incidents in the area is on the rise.
“There was an incident in one of the other buildings with an unfortunate tenant, and they caused a lot of problems, so it is actually starting to happen,” Webster told CTV Vancouver Island.
Though Webster doesn’t manage Steigemann’s condo, she says homeowners and building managers should request a larger damage deposit up front and frequently check in on vacation rentals.
“I talk to every guest that comes through all my units, so I’ve spoken to them and I get a real sense, and sometimes gut actually tells you a lot,” Webster said.
The RCMP have confirmed that an investigation into the alleged robbery is underway.
With a report from CTV Vancouver Island’s Gord Kurbis
