{"id":371,"date":"2026-05-28T16:33:24","date_gmt":"2026-05-28T16:33:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sanfranciscomovingguide.com\/?p=371"},"modified":"2026-05-28T16:33:24","modified_gmt":"2026-05-28T16:33:24","slug":"airbnb-host-alleges-12k-in-damages-after-sf-startup-tested-a-robot-in-his-house","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sanfranciscomovingguide.com\/?p=371","title":{"rendered":"Airbnb host alleges $12k in damages after SF startup tested a robot in his house"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>

Sean Donovan has rented his childhood home in San Francisco on Airbnb for years. Tech workers in town for conferences, and families coming for graduations are common customers, but last month he had a new guest: a robot that he said left a mess.<\/p>

Read more Oakland\u2019s new speed cameras issued 82,000 tickets in just over a month<\/a><\/p><\/div>

\"\"<\/div>

Donovan alleges that a San Francisco startup booked his home on Airbnb last month under \u201cfalse pretenses\u201d to conduct tests on the \u201crobotic prototype,\u201d and left the place in shambles, according to a lawsuit filed Tuesday in San Francisco County Superior Court. He\u2019s seeking more than $12,000 for a laundry list of damages from the Bot Company, (identified in court records as \u201cBotco\u201d) for personal property damage and unauthorized entry into a locked closet.<\/p><\/div>

<\/div>

Donovan told SFGATE that he and his partner had never put more hours into fixing the house after an Airbnb rental.<\/p><\/div>

\u201cWe had a ton of work to do when we got back,\u201d Donovan told SFGATE. \u201cWay more than we\u2019ve ever had before.\u201d<\/p><\/div>

\u2018Everyone has to start somewhere\u2019<\/strong><\/h2><\/div>

Donovan started renting out the four-bedroom, three-bathroom Portola home on Silliman Street in 2022. Workers coming to town for a conference tend to be his favorite customers: They\u2019re typically out all day and just come back to sleep, he said.<\/p><\/div>

<\/div>

Last month, he said a group with little rental history claiming to be remote workers from Thailand inquired about the house. (The lawsuit notes a May date range for the booking, which Donovan said was an error in an interview with SFGATE.) Airbnb allows renters to check rating histories of potential guests to assess any potential risk, but this booker had no reviews.<\/p><\/div>

\u201cHosts are pretty careful about zero,\u201d Donovan said, but \u201ceveryone has to start somewhere.\u201d<\/p><\/div>

Donovan said he realized it wasn\u2019t a normal rental when he came to the house to take care of the guests\u2019 trash. While moving a bin, he said he could see bundles of wires strung along the house\u2019s interior. Following the wires to the dining room table, he said he could see something that looked like \u201cthe\u00a0borg,\u201d a nod to a cyborg-like species from the \u201cStar Trek\u201d franchise. Next to it, he said, a man typed on a laptop.<\/p><\/div>

<\/div>

The lawsuit calls the alleged machine a \u201crobotic prototype,\u201d but in a Wednesday interview, Donovan likened the bot to an estimated six-foot \u201cRoomba with treads,\u201d affixed with \u201csquare-shaped\u201d poles and belts. Donovan didn\u2019t claim in his lawsuit to have seen the device in action, nor are there cameras inside the home in accordance with Airbnb policies, he said.<\/p><\/div>

After reviewing outdoor Ring camera footage and audio, he told SFGATE that he suspected his house was temporarily flipped into a makeshift research-and-development lab. According to the suit, more than 30 individuals came to and from the house during the April 12-25 booking.\u00a0Donavon also told SFGATE that he heard audio from the Ring camera of a woman outside the house talking about shifts, and that she could potentially stay to work through the night, but opted not to.<\/p>

Read more Comments from national park \u2018snitch signs\u2019 have been released. They\u2019re wild.<\/a><\/p><\/div>

\u201cAfter they left, we could hear what is going on,\u201d Donovan said. \u201cYou can hear them talk about catching the BART or going to the East Bay or riding their bike.\u201d<\/p><\/div>

\u2018They completely moved everything\u2019<\/strong><\/h2><\/div>

The Bot Company, which aims to make robots for household chores, is the latest startup of Kyle Vogt, the former CEO and founder of failed robotaxi company Cruise. Last year, the Bot Company reportedly was set to raise $250 million at a more than $4 billion valuation.\u00a0<\/p><\/div>

<\/div>

The alleged property damage includes two heirlooms, a dining room table that had been in his family for 70 years and a Franciscan pottery set that had a piece missing, Donovan said. Other items listed in the complaint include chipped bathroom tile, stained sheets, a damaged coffee table and credenza, a scratched washing machine and even a broken mug with a handle glued on. Donovan also alleges that his shoes and a shoe rack were missing from a locked closet.<\/p><\/div>

\u201cImagine you go into your house, and everything in every drawer is gone and there\u2019s new stuff there,\u201d Donovan said. \u201cThey came in and put everything back in a new place. Silverware in a new drawer or a different room. It was like they completely moved everything.\u201d<\/p><\/div>

The Bot Company did not respond to a request for comment.<\/p><\/div>

\n
\"image\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>

The Bay Area’s best free newsletter.<\/div><\/h2>
Stay informed, and entertained.<\/div><\/div><\/div>