Like countless other people out there, Alavia Khawaja was just trying to make a little extra cash on the side with an Airbnb property. She decided to rent out the spare room in the apartment in Richardson, Texas, that she shares with her sister.
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They booked a guest, Leonard Jackson, who said the only thing he required was that no other men live in the apartment. A little odd, but Khawaja agreed, and Jackson moved his stuff in. But then things went south…
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The guest broke into Khawaja’s locked bedroom, ransacked the room, and threw all photos of her male friends into the trash. When Khawaja confronted Jackson, he denied everything, but she still kicked him out of the apartment (good). Then she found out he had stolen money from her.
Khawaja filed a police report, but things kept getting weirder.
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Khawaja’s frustration continued.
Photo Credit: Twitter, EmpressAloeVera
She started texting with Jackson to try to get him to admit he stole her money.
Photo Credit: Twitter, EmpressAloeVera
Eventually, Jackson did indeed come over, and Khawaja called the police, who arrested Jackson for criminal trespassing. Later, Khawaja discovered that only three days before that, Jackson had been arrested in Dallas on weapons and drug charges.
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But even his arrest didn’t stop Jackson from harassing Khawaja – from jail!
Finally, after two weeks of hell, Airbnb took Jackson’s profile down from their site.
Photo Credit: Twitter,EmpressAloeVera
“I am definitely worried. I feel that I shook him hard enough that he won’t come, but I also don’t think he’s in his sound mind,” Khawaja said of the ordeal. “What if he showed up to my place again?”
“I just want [Airbnb] to do better and not let this happen to anyone ever again,” she said.
If you’re renting out a room or your house, let this be your cautionary tale.
