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> There are databases for convicted felons and molesters, but other than that, how exactly do you ensure someone is not a "sociopath willfully destroying someone's home and stealing their identity"?

Dunno. That's going to be Airbnb's problem to solve if they want to enjoy ongoing business. That's their job if they want to be the "Ebay of spaces."

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Actually, it isn't. Airbnb job isn't to guarantee the sanity of its renters to homeowners. They merely provide the interface for that interaction. I've been burned on ebay deals before (none of this magnitude, of course), but I don't place the responsibility solely on ebay for all of those -- in a few cases it was because I was trading with someone who was in another country, or had a low seller rating, etc. In situations like these, where you are putting your faith in a complete stranger, it is up to you to do your research and protect yourself. Sure, I think that there should be more on airbnb about the risks homeowners are taking on (as in, craigslist style), but to say that recognizing their limited responsibility in this incident would be "villainous" seem overly sentimental to me

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