A post on a local Hamilton resident’s Facebook page also alleged there had been a spate of robberies in the area at Airbnb residences.
The post claimed there had been more than 10 Airbnb rental properties that had been stripped of belongings.
“Easy access through renting the property, cut the cameras, then they are bringing [a] truck in at night/early morning and [stripping] the house bare. So if you know [your] next door property is an airbnb, or see someone moving house at midnight (keep an eye out) call the cops straight away ... Look after your neighbour and neighbourhood,” the post said.
McRoberts urged hosts or neighbours to let police know as soon as possible of any suspicious activities or behaviour.
“Always ensure you are only letting to people who have verified their identities. Keep payments and guest communications within the Airbnb platform if you can,” he said.
Anyone with information can contact police via their local station or through the 105 reporting line.
In 2018 a survey by AA Insurance found one in seven hosts reported some form of damage to, or theft from, their property from leasing.
But this relatively high incidence, in a small sample size of 77, did not discourage the hosts from continuing to rent their properties.
Of those hosts who experienced damage or theft, four out of five said they planned on having more guests over the next six months.
Jeremy Craw is one such Airbnb host who hit the headlines in June after his Dunedin property was visited by more than 100 young teenagers holding a boozy party.
After one of Craw’s Kaikorai neighbours alerted him, he called police to break it up, and discovered the person who had rented his property was only 14.
Craw said while there was no major damage to his property, the incident was a wake-up call.