‘This is terrible’: Wisconsin vacation rental trashed by Vrbo guests who let 640 gallons of water flood into the unit — leaving the owner, a mom of 4, with $200K in damages

"It’s awful to see this. It is not okay. This is terrible,” Deutsch told TMJ 4 News, wiping away tears. The property damage totals more than $200,000.

Around 4:00 a.m. one day in early August, Deutsch said she and her husband were woken up by constant notifications from the vacation rental's doorbell camera. The two male renters from Chicago seemed intoxicated, and were stumbling around and slurring their words.

The men then left the water running in a clogged sink, spilling 640 gallons of water all over the upstairs vacation rental and into the business space below.

Zero accountability

According to Deutsch, later camera footage shows the men throwing soaked towels, bedding, and rugs down the stairs while they discussed how to cover up the damage.

One man suggested that they blame the dishwasher. But Deutsch said she confirmed with both an insurance adjuster and a plumber that the damage was not from any major appliances.

“It's so frustrating to hear them come up with lies to excuse their behavior, as he's wringing out a towel with his feet," Deutsch told reporters.

The damage was so bad, in fact, that the floors had to be stripped down to their foundational wood — and the kitchen cabinets were so swollen shut they had to be opened with a crowbar.

The tattoo shop below, which had moved into the business space just months prior, was also damaged when water seeped through the ceiling and walls.

Jamie Prinsen, the owner of Peachy Keen Tattoo Studio, has been forced to reschedule all her appointments and stop taking new ones indefinitely.

"Hundreds of hours of work into making this studio what it was and just seeing all of that just… kind of ripped away,” Prinsen said.

Deutsch and her husband are taking legal action, but the process takes time. To cover the costs of the repairs, they are selling many of their belongings. Despite the challenges, both the Deutsches and Prinsen plan to come back stronger than ever.

“We are going to move forward… and rebuild because we are just that type of people,” Deutsch told TMJ 4. “We are not going to let two people and one bad rental stop us from continuing our business in the future.”

How to protect your vacation rental

Although it's not clear what specific legal action the Deutsch family are taking, there is a good chance many of their damages will be covered.

Vrbo, an online marketplace for vacation rentals, provides hosts with $1 million in liability protection, which covers things like guest injuries and property damages.

The website offers an example scenario of a guest flooding the property via the bathtub. Vrbo used it as an example of the types of damages they cover. The policy covers up to $1 million per property, per year.

Vacation rental owners should also make sure they have adequate coverage from their own insurance policies. Traditional homeowners insurance policies may not cover damages caused by rental guests, so make sure your insurance company knows how you plan to use the property.

It's also a good idea to make sure you can afford the deductible in case something goes wrong.

In recent years, some Americans have debated “going bare” on home insurance in order to avoid soaring costs. However, those who own rental properties may want to avoid this consideration altogether.