A picturesque beachfront getaway in Northern California was supposed to be the perfect remote-work escape for San Diego resident Kim Coutts. Instead, it turned into a frustrating ordeal.

Coutts, an experienced Airbnb user with over 40 bookings under her belt, splurged about $1,200 for two nights in September 2024 at a cliffside Airstream in Half Moon Bay, San Mateo County.

She was road-tripping up the coast with her new puppy, Wigbert, looking forward to stunning ocean views while working remotely.

“I decided to take a road trip,” Coutts said. "I was working remotely, I just got my new dog, and I thought we would go up the coast."

On check-in day, Coutts logged into her Airbnb account to read the host's instructions, and that's when she saw a detail she said surprised her:“The power sy

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