A couple from Vancouver Island had their downtown Edmonton Airbnb broken into Sunday.
Kat and Rod Gordon told CTV News Edmonton they dropped off their things at the Airbnb, located by Central LRT Station, and went out. When the couple returned, the door was locked but the lights were on, metal music was blaring, and personal belongings were missing. But there was no one there.
"At first, we thought there had been a double booking," Kat said. "But when we had seen our luggage unpacked, it became very disturbing."
The Gordons said the people who broke in also washed their clothes, left a bowl of unsmoked cigarettes and a note that said, “We are here! Today is the best day of the rest of our lives!”
"They left a note to say it was one of the best days of their life, but it was one of our worst," Kat said.
The couple reported the incident to police, their Airbnb hosts, and the building’s security guard, who they say showed them a photo of the possible suspects.
"That image showed a male and a female in it, and from head to toe were wearing our clothes," Kat said. “We were worried they might come back because the other thing that we had seen was that they had washed their own clothes in the washer. And the clothes were still there.”
The Gordon’s hope to find out who was behind the break in and why they returned to the Airbnb after the Gordons packed up their things and left to stay with family. Kat Gordon wonders if the thieves somehow had a key or knew the key code.
“As we understand it, we were told that when they did come back they were addressed by the security guard, but then they went back up to the suite and crawled into bed to go to sleep.”
Erika Berney, the Airbnb host, said she has been renting her suite as an Airbnb for about two years and she’s never had any serious problems before. The suite requires a code or a key to enter and Berney said she changes the door key code every time she has a guest.
“I honestly have no idea how this could have happened," Berney said. "And how it happened … it’s really upsetting."
The Gordons never stayed at the Airbnb they booked and received a full refund. For the rest of their vacation in Edmonton, they’re staying with family.
With files from CTV News Edmonton's Sarah Plowman
