A local Airbnb host says an SF robotics company booked a reservation without telling him that his house would allegedly be used as a testing ground for a robotics prototype, and he claims he was left with an estimated $12,000 in repairs.
San Francisco Airbnb host Sean Donovan alleges in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that robotics startup The Bot Company or “Botco” rented his Portola home without informing him of its intentions, as SFGate reports. The complaint claims the group left the property damaged, including unauthorized entry into a locked closet, with repairs totaling more than $12,000.
As SFist reported previously, after the GM-funded robotaxi company Cruise failed miserably under CEO Kyle Vogt's leadership, he was handed $150 million to launch the Bot Company back in 2024.
Donovan tells SFGate that the reservation was booked by a guest who said remote workers from Thailand would be staying there. Donovan said the guest’s lack of reviews or rental history was a red flag, but he decided to give them a chance.
He says he first suspected something was off after noticing unusual equipment during the stay, later describing a setup involving exposed wiring and a large, machine-like device inside the home that he believed had turned the rental into a temporary research and development workspace.
According to the lawsuit, more than 30 people came through the Portola home during the two-week booking, with Donovan also pointing to Ring camera audio that captured discussions about shifts, possible overnight work, and travel between the East Bay and San Francisco.
Per SFGate, Donovan described returning to extensive damage across the four-bedroom, three-bath home on Silliman Street, including stained linens, chipped bathroom tile, damaged furniture, and scratched appliances.
The complaint also lists two family heirlooms that went missing, along with shoes and a shoe rack allegedly taken from a locked closet. Items were also allegedly moved around the house, with belongings rearranged across drawers and rooms.
Donovan says he believes the actual damages are closer to $22,000, but he lowered the claim to $12,383.50 in “good faith.” He says he may pursue the full amount if the case proceeds.
Top image: Cruise Founder & CEO Kyle Vogt speaks onstage during TechCrunch Disrupt 2023 at Moscone Center on September 20, 2023 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Kimberly White/Getty Images for TechCrunch)
