By Sara Beth Williams–
A Citrus Heights homeowner says a short-term rental booking made under the profile of an elderly woman led to a large, unauthorized party with hundreds of people over the weekend, resulting in significant damage to the home.
Melaku, the property owner who asked that his last name to be withheld, said he began renting out his former house through Airbnb in March 2026 after moving his family to a larger home.
“This was only my fourth or fifth guest,” he said, adding that previous experiences through renting had gone smoothly.
According to Melaku, the booking for Saturday afternoon was made under the name Susan with a profile photo showing an elderly woman. He said communication before arrival took place through text messaging on the platform, where the guest claimed she was visiting a brother who lived two blocks away.
When Melaku arrived Saturday afternoon to physically hand over the keys, he said the person who met him was not the woman shown in the profile photo, but another middle-aged woman, who said she was the daughter of Susan.
“She said she wanted to make sure the house was right for her mom,” Melaku said.
He said the woman arrived with a younger female, possibly under 21. Before leaving, Melaku reviewed house rules, including no smoking and no parties, and handed over the key around 3 p.m.
Later that evening, his wife noticed the guests were attempting to cover the home’s Ring camera, but Melaku initially did not think much of it, saying many people do that kind of thing.
Around 9 p.m., a neighbor called to alert him that a large party was underway at the house.
“I was shocked. I couldn’t believe it,” Melaku said. “There were about 20 people on my roof and more than 100 people in the backyard.”
He said he called police, but was advised to stay away from the immediate area until people began clearing out.
The Citrus Heights Police Department and the Sacramento County Sheriff’s office responded to the scene jointly, due to the size of the gathering, Citrus Heights Police said this week, after receiving multiple 911 calls. By about midnight, the crowd had dispersed, he said.
Melaku said later he discovered roof damage, cigarette burns on a couch, evidence of marijuana use throughout the house, broken glass in the backyard, pizza boxes, alcohol bottles, and large amounts of trash left behind. His neighbors offered to help him clean up the night of.
This week, he said he is having his roof assessed to determine the amount of damage and will have to have the home deep cleaned. A local news station report Wednesday said the property owner had thousands of dollars in damage.
A damage claim has also been submitted through Airbnb, the property owner said.
“I love the area, I love the park, the neighborhood is nice,” Melaku said. “I’ve never had any disturbance before.”
Citrus Heights Police did not make any arests.
