STR Hosts Sued For Baby's Fentanyl Death

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STR Hosts Sued For Baby's Fentanyl Death

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Investor · Scottsdale Austin Tuktoyaktuk · Member since 2021 · 4k+ posts · 4k+ votes

Family sues Airbnb after 19-month-old daughter dies from fentanyl overdose while taking a nap at Miami rental - after previous tenants held cocaine-fueled party

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/ne...

Lydie and Boris Lavenir, of Guadeloupe - a French island - never imagined they would lay their 19-month-old daughter Enora down for a nap and not have her wake up.

Prior to her nap, the little girl was playing in the kitchen with the pots and pans before her parents laid her down for a two-hour nap.

Unfortunately for the family, when Lydie went to wake up Enora, she found her daughter foaming at the mouth and blue in the face inside their rented Wellington, Florida, lake house in August 2021.

'Enora’s dead,' the frantic mother screamed, according to the Washington Post.

The family of seven rushed to call 911, but it was too late for little Enora, whose death has since been ruled an accidental overdose of fentanyl.



The only thing investigators and the family knows for sure: The drug came from inside the Airbnb.


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Bruce WoodruffPro Member
Contractor/Investor/Consultant · San Diego / Phoenix · Member since 2021 · 12k+ posts · 15k+ votes
3y

If anyone is to blame it is the prior guests. Even a small amount of coke could kill a small child. So go after these people.

Oh, and close the damn border, keep the deadly fentanyl in China.....

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  • Jennifer J. Schilling
    Rental Property Investor · Spokane, WA · Member since 2022 · 15 posts · 35 votes
    3y

    I am confused. If they could not find the source in the house, how do the investigators know it came from the house? This is a tragedy for sure. But I think it will be hard to prove airbnb negligent. As long as they did a cleaning between clients (which I assume they did since the family took possession of it), airbnb and the owner will be in the clear. Fentanyl is so strong, it would take a very small amount to OD a child that size. This is a tragedy, but I'm not sure anyone is to blame. 

    5Reply
  • Theresa HarrisPro Member
    Member since 2019 · 15k+ posts · 11k+ votes
    3y

    The article says "investigators couldn't find a trace of fentanyl in the home." and later "The only thing investigators and the family knows for sure: The drug came from inside the Airbnb."  So if they found no traces in the home, how do they know it had to come from inside the home?  

    Regardless, it is very sad.

    3Reply
  • Nathan GesnerBusiness Member
    Moderator
    Real Estate Broker · Cody, WY · Member since 2010 · 28k+ posts · 41k+ votes
    3y

    I read the article and there are some interesting statements that make me think this going nowhere.

    "...investigators also looked into Enora's sleeping position and medical history to see if they could find any connection."

    Why would they do this if fentanyl was found in the child's system?

    How can you find fentanyl in the child, but not a source of fentanyl in the house? Did she magically inhale the only residue?

    Would any court expect an AirBnB host to clean after every guest as if fentanyl were present, meth were cooked in the kitchen, etc?

    I think it will be settled out of court for a small amount.

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  • Robin SimonBusiness Member
    Lender · Austin, TX · Member since 2022 · 5k+ posts · 4k+ votes
    3y
    Quote from @Jennifer J. Schilling:

    I am confused. If they could not find the source in the house, how do the investigators know it came from the house? This is a tragedy for sure. But I think it will be hard to prove airbnb negligent. As long as they did a cleaning between clients (which I assume they did since the family took possession of it), airbnb and the owner will be in the clear. Fentanyl is so strong, it would take a very small amount to OD a child that size. This is a tragedy, but I'm not sure anyone is to blame. 


     Um "not sure anyone to blame" - how about the previous guests that had the party and left the fentanyl residue ?!?

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  • Jennifer J. Schilling
    Rental Property Investor · Spokane, WA · Member since 2022 · 15 posts · 35 votes
    3y

    They admitted it was a cocaine party. They didn't admit to using fentanyl. If they brought the fentanyl to the house, then yes, they are to blame. But the investigation did not find any fentanyl in the house. Who is to say that the baby did not pick it up while traveling (on her clothes ect.)? If the baby died of a cocaine OD, then absolutely. But since they can't pinpoint where she got or came into contact with the fentanyl, I don't think automatically blaming people who brought other drugs into the house is appropriate. 

    2Reply
  • Bruce WoodruffPro Member
    Contractor/Investor/Consultant · San Diego / Phoenix · Member since 2021 · 12k+ posts · 15k+ votes
    3y

    If anyone is to blame it is the prior guests. Even a small amount of coke could kill a small child. So go after these people.

    Oh, and close the damn border, keep the deadly fentanyl in China.....

    14Reply
  • Henry T.
    Member since 2022 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    3y

    Plaintiff claims improper cleaning. If no residue was found, doesn't that mean Airbnb did a good job cleaning?  ??

    1Reply
  • Account Closed
    OP
    Investor · Scottsdale Austin Tuktoyaktuk · Member since 2021 · 4k+ posts · 4k+ votes
    3y
    Quote from @Henry T.:

    Plaintiff claims improper cleaning. If no residue was found, doesn't that mean Airbnb did a good job cleaning?  ??

    @Theresa Harris: @Nathan Gesner: @Henry T.:

    Scottsdale AZ STR had $5.4 million in Illegal Drugs On Site - Sure Hope They Clean It

    https://www.biggerpockets.com/...

    The amount of fentanyl it takes to kill a person

    How can a house cleaner be sure they got it all? The key is to be very sure of who you rent to.

    0Reply
  • Leslie Anne Morris
    Real Estate Agent · Smoky Mountains, TN · Member since 2022 · 1k+ posts · 984 votes
    3y

    Ouch!  Insurance is key.  I had a drunk driver hit one of my personally owned cabins recently.  Could've been a lot worse then it ended up being for sure.

    0Reply
  • Michael BaumPro Member
    Olympia, WA · Member since 2016 · 8k+ posts · 7k+ votes
    3y

    It is a real problem that no one in the federal government seems to take seriously.

    Regarding the original topic, this is going to be a tough case. Emotion on one side and facts on the other.

    2Reply
  • Greg M.
    Rental Property Investor · Los Angeles, CA · Member since 2017 · 2k+ posts · 5k+ votes
    3y

    What's really sad about all this is what passes for journalism today. Clickbait titles, articles written with the writers conclusion presented as fact, contradictory facts glossed over/intentionally ignored, throwing suspicion and blame on others without any proof, nothing really investigated, etc.

    Were there actually no guests in those weeks between renters? Did the cleaning crew get sick? Did any of the cocaine renters get sick? How long were they in the unit before this happened - a day or month? Did they go anywhere outside the unit? It's a family of 7, so I'm assuming 5 children. Did any of the other children go anywhere and potentially come in contact with the drug? Why did no one else in the family test positive? They were all in the same place and likely touched the baby.

    It's a garbage story around a sad death, with heartbroken parents looking for a money grab. 

    Anyone remember the days when journalists were actually objective and researched things? 

    5Reply
  • Colleen F.Pro Member
    Investor · Narragansett, RI · Member since 2013 · 8k+ posts · 4k+ votes
    3y

    It takes about 1-5 minutes for fentanyl to kill a child and it takes only a small amount. The child likely ingested it by mouthing something with fentanyl on it.  It could have come from improper cleaning, it could have come from something the parents touched or got on their clothes in or outside the property. There is no way to know. It is very sad for the child and family.  

    One thing I can agree with is that it is very poor journalism. Lets hope the investigation was better.  It will likely be settled because that is what they do. 

    2Reply
  • Jim K.
    Handyman · Pittsburgh, PA · Member since 2018 · 5k+ posts · 13k+ votes
    3y

    It takes two milligrams of fentanyl to kill an adult. Carfentanil is so strong that we don't even have data on what constitutes a potentially lethal dose. And I'm sure there are more synthetic opioids coming: we've only known about fentanyl since the 1950s and carfentanil since 1974.

    We're talking about tiny, tiny amounts of the target substance here. The reason fentanyl is such a massive problem is that it's pretty much impossible using crude methods like stirring, shaking, grinding, and blending to distribute fentanyl so evenly within a powder or liquid that you can be sure of avoiding a lethal dosage in even a small part of that mixed powder or liquid. You can't mix up and produce drug cocktails that involve fentanyl in a residential kitchen with cheap equipment, which is all that most black market "labs" are here in the States.


    So how is an Airbnb owner supposed to clean an entire apartment to the point of eliminating all foreign substances to the 1-2 milligram range? That's what you would have to do to completely eliminate this threat.

    It's not humanly possibly, let alone economically feasible. What we're left with is with what we had during COVID, hygiene theater, a big show of cleanliness that will really do nothing about the threat.

    2Reply
  • Nathan GesnerBusiness Member
    Moderator
    Real Estate Broker · Cody, WY · Member since 2010 · 28k+ posts · 41k+ votes
    3y

    I had a Tenant commit suicide last month with a fentanyl overdose. I knew it was fentanyl, so I sent professional cleaners in with full warning and a demand that they use PPE. Just a trace amount can kill someone.

    Here's news video of a police officer that was barely exposed to fentanyl and nearly died. If you know it's been in your rental, you should take the appropriate steps to remove all traces.

    Our world sucks sometimes.

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  • Melissa McGinnis
    Rental Property Investor · Knoxville, TN · Member since 2018 · 24 posts · 28 votes
    3y

    @Mike Hern

    There are SO many social media outlets for you to vent your political views on. BP is usually a refreshing reprieve from this stuff. Let's keep it that way

    0Reply
  • Bruce WoodruffPro Member
    Contractor/Investor/Consultant · San Diego / Phoenix · Member since 2021 · 12k+ posts · 15k+ votes
    3y
    Quote from @Melissa McGinnis:

    @Mike Hern

    There are SO many social media outlets for you to vent your political views on. BP is usually a refreshing reprieve from this stuff. Let's keep it that way


    His initial post had nothing to do with politics. Zero. And it is a needed wake-up call to those of us in the STR business that could possibly come into contact with this horrendous issue that is crippling our country.

    More adults between 18 and 45 died of Fentanyl overdoses in 2020 than Covid/Vehicle accidents/cancer/suicide. Think about that.....

    This needs to be brought to America's attention, I think a lot of people who are not in border states do not realize the critical importance of this issue.

    Yes, this forum is pleasantly (generally) apolitical, yet politics is a huge part of our (RE) business, and can't/shouldn't always be avoided. I, for one. do not like sticking my head in the sand.


    2Reply
  • Scott Mac
    Austin, TX · Member since 2019 · 5k+ posts · 5k+ votes
    3y

    You would think if there was this killer drug present at the previous night's party, the Dope Fiends would have been taken out on stretchers to the morgue the night before.

    No previous night deceased Dope Fiends--probably not from the night before....could have been from any night.

    Maybe the Mother could have watched the child better--but maybe not, who knows.

    Poor kid.

    1Reply
  • Melissa McGinnis
    Rental Property Investor · Knoxville, TN · Member since 2018 · 24 posts · 28 votes
    3y

    I wasn't referring to the original post. I was replying to a comment that was a border rant. Apparently, I just replied to the post. Thanks!

    0Reply
  • Bruce WoodruffPro Member
    Contractor/Investor/Consultant · San Diego / Phoenix · Member since 2021 · 12k+ posts · 15k+ votes
    3y
    Quote from @Melissa McGinnis:

    I wasn't referring to the original post. I was replying to a comment that was a border rant. Apparently, I just replied to the post. Thanks!


    No problem....! But for those of us who live in border states, this wide open border is creating nightmare situations. Unfortunately they will reach you soon enough and you may be doing 'border rants' yourself :-)

    2Reply
  • Melissa McGinnis
    Rental Property Investor · Knoxville, TN · Member since 2018 · 24 posts · 28 votes
    3y

    I hear enough from my mother to cover all of it:)

    Happy investing!

    2Reply
  • Account Closed
    OP
    Investor · Scottsdale Austin Tuktoyaktuk · Member since 2021 · 4k+ posts · 4k+ votes
    3y
    Quote from @Scott Mac:

    You would think if there was this killer drug present at the previous night's party, the Dope Fiends would have been taken out on stretchers to the morgue the night before.

    No previous night deceased Dope Fiends--probably not from the night before....could have been from any night.

    Maybe the Mother could have watched the child better--but maybe not, who knows.

    Poor kid.

    Many are killed in their first usage, those who go into partying and selling the stuff usually are not new to the drug(s) and have built up a slight resistance.

    Those who have never been exposed or are without a history of drug usage are very much at risk.

    I don't know how house cleaners can be so good as to get everything that drops into a rug, which is where I would guess the baby got exposed.

    It's very sad and affects us all by association. 
    And anybody that thinks this is a political thing is so full of themselves that I'd be very careful staying at their STR since they can't recognize that it's a problem. 
    It's drugs and not everybody wants to stay at an STR that allows drugs.

    2Reply
  • Account Closed
    OP
    Investor · Scottsdale Austin Tuktoyaktuk · Member since 2021 · 4k+ posts · 4k+ votes
    3y
    Quote from @Greg M.:

    What's really sad about all this is what passes for journalism today. Clickbait titles, articles written with the writers conclusion presented as fact, contradictory facts glossed over/intentionally ignored, throwing suspicion and blame on others without any proof, nothing really investigated, etc.

    Were there actually no guests in those weeks between renters? Did the cleaning crew get sick? Did any of the cocaine renters get sick? How long were they in the unit before this happened - a day or month? Did they go anywhere outside the unit? It's a family of 7, so I'm assuming 5 children. Did any of the other children go anywhere and potentially come in contact with the drug? Why did no one else in the family test positive? They were all in the same place and likely touched the baby.

    It's a garbage story around a sad death, with heartbroken parents looking for a money grab. 

    Anyone remember the days when journalists were actually objective and researched things? 

    The problem isn't click bait journalism, the problem is people won't read longer articles. If it isn't simple, it isn't read. 

    There are far more lenghly articles and studies available, and if you read them, would you understand the probem better and do something to protect yourself and your guests?

    Or is it enough to know that fentanyl is hard to detect, very small amounts kill and we have to be diligent in who we allow to stay at our STRs?

    0Reply
  • JD MartinBusiness Member
    Moderator
    Rock Star Extraordinaire · Northeast, TN · Member since 2015 · 10k+ posts · 16k+ votes
    3y

    No politics. You can discuss border control without naming names or pointing fingers, and there are other forums not on BP if you feel the need.

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  • Jay ThomasPro Member
    Real Estate Agent · Houston, TX · Member since 2021 · 1k+ posts · 715 votes
    3y

    The recent Coke contamination scandal in Real Estate has opened the eyes of many to the potential risks associated with holiday rentals. It is an incredibly concerning incident, and if anyone is to blame it should be those prior guests who left behind such a dangerous substance. Even a small amount of coke could have had devastating consequences on any young children that may have been staying there. Companies should be taking steps to ensure their properties are safe by looking more closely into the people they allow to stay. Holiday rental companies need to take responsibility for the safety of their customers, and go after these irresponsible guests who leave behind potentially deadly items. It's time for Real Estate companies to draw a line and do what's right for everyone involved. Safety must always come first.

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  • James Hamling
    Real Estate Broker · Minneapolis, MN · Member since 2011 · 5k+ posts · 6k+ votes
    3y

    @Bruce Woodruff 

    I thought this pertinent: 

    The dictionary definition of Chemical Warfare is: tactical warfare using substances with irritant, burning, poisonous, or asphyxiating properties. 

    This IS Chemical Warfare. Notice definition speaks nothing of deployment mechanism. It may not be coming from laser guided bombs, mortars or other conventional means, but it IS tactical, deadly, and the collective outrage is more than justified as any populous finding itself the target of such feels the powerlessness, fear, horror, rage. 

    The answers as to how to deal with such would most likely fit into that "political" basket, so I refrain from such mentions, but I can share the simplistic historical fact that no war has ever been "won" with complacency. Wars have only ever been won 1-way and 1-way only. 

    As for this case, I understand the actions of the family. No child should ever die in such a way, the parents NEED a villain, they need one for there own sanity, and how can that be fentanyl itself? So no matter how illogical it is, they must blame someone, they need someone to point at, the horror of holding a dead child demands retribution. I feel for them, but it will not bring any peace, they will be haunted by this forever. The police are clearly clueless of source, grasping at a villain themselves. The actions to name STR host the villain only exemplifies the level of desperation to name a villain, not actual belief of such.

    2Reply
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