Utah woman says free Airbnb for nurse being used for parties

MILLCREEK, Utah (KSTU) -- A Utah Airbnb host worries the home she offered to help out a COVID-19 first responder is being used as a party house.

The home near 4500 South and 700 East was donated for a health care worker or law enforcement officer to quarantine safely for two weeks at no cost.

Instead, video from a doorbell camera shows several people at the home, including what appears to be parties that go on until 5 a.m.

During the day, at least two children are seen while the guest and another woman talk about going shopping.

It is not what Melissa expected when she offered up her grandmother's old home to Airbnb's Frontline Stays program last month.

“Well, we do have an empty house and we felt we might as well do something good with it,” Melissa said, who did not want to give her last name.

The four-bedroom home typically rents for $140 a night. Airbnb connected Melissa with the guest who began her free 14-day stay on Friday. Melissa believed the woman to be a nurse.

“We figured it would be fine because they would be screened and it would be one person quarantined, going to work on a COVID unit,” Melissa said.