"They're just debiting my card $1000" — Entrepreneur Luke Burgis accuses Airbnb of trying to pull an insurance fraud with him

Entrepreneur and bestselling author Luke Burgis has recently accused Airbnb of trying to commit insurance fraud with him during his stay at one of its properties. The 43-year-old is an Assistant Clinical Professor of Business at the Busch School and an Entrepreneur-in-Residence and Director of Programs & Projects at the Ciocca Center.

Burgis is the award-winning author of the book Wanting: The Power of Mimetic Desire in Everyday Life. His next book, The One and the Ninety-Nine: Coercion, Conformity, and the Courage for Truth, will be released in 2026. He has also co-authored Unrepeatable: Cultivating the Unique Calling of Every Person with Joshua Miller.

On Saturday, January 17, Burgis took to X to narrate the incident at an Airbnb in New York City last November. According to him, the property owner wrongfully blamed him for a stain in a floorboard and is currently trying to extort $7,500.

Luke Burgis further claimed that Airbnb sided with the property owner and implored him to pay the entire amount. Burgis followed up with a tweet informing that Airbnb warned that they would deduct $1000 from Luke Burgis' card and that someone from the company would reach out to claim the remaining amount.

"AirBNB is saying that if we don't pay the claim by Jan. 31, they're just debiting my card $1000 and then someone from AirBNB will reach "about the rest"," he wrote on X.

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Exploring what happened between Luke Burgis and Airbnb based on the former's tweets

Airbnb Photo Illustrations - Source: Getty

Luke Burgis posted a lengthy tweet describing what happened between him and the New York City property owner in November 2024. According to him, the Airbnb owner complained that a "small stain" on the floor couldn't be removed while Luke Burgis was checking out with his wife and daughter.

The owner asked for $7,500, explaining that he needed to replace the entire floorboard. For perspective, Burgis revealed in the latter tweets that the cost of his entire stay was a little over $1,400.

"We know nothing about this, saw nothing, looks totally unfamiliar. Feels like insurance fraud, or something?" wrote Burgis.

When he reached out to Airbnb, he claimed the company sided with the owner because Burgis couldn't provide evidence of the floor's condition when they walked out of the room.

"Are you kidding me? Has anyone else had an experience with AirBNB like this? Any attorneys who know how to deal with this sort of absurd claim?" he wrote on X.

Several users on X sided with the entrepreneur. One user, @kgreenhall, highlighted that the burden of proof lies with the property owner. He alleged that the owner should have demonstrated that the damage was done during Burgis' stay before asking for compensation.

In response, Burgis revealed that cleaners had visited the room after he and his family had checked out.

"Of course. We know, for a fact, that cleaners came into the home after we left while the landlord was not present. If anything could have caused the kind of damage that would require replacing floorboards, it's cleaning chemicals—not baby food," wrote Burgis.

Describing the situation as "fraud at the highest level," Luke Burgis pledged to fight his case till the end.

Another user, @Cruisediva11, implored Luke Burgis to demand video or photo evidence of the spot on the floor before they had checked in. In response, Luke claimed that no proof was shown.

"I asked for any degree of evidence whatsoever, none was produced. AirBNB sided with the owner. It makes absolutely no sense. I've been using the platform for 12 years with no incidents," replied Luke Burgis.

Burgis ended the thread by assuring his followers that he would make everything about his future interactions with the company and the property owner public to expose the "absurdity."

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As of this writing, Airbnb hasn't responded to the accusations in any public forum.