One Woman's Airbnb Home Rental Nightmare

and along with a warning about a growing trend among American families to make extra money by renting out their

home

on a popular website tonight, one

woman

couldn't get those renters to leave, here's ABC's Candace Gibson with what you need to know before opening your

home

to strangers. This is what one California homeowner called a living

nightmare

. Watch as this couple wanders around the Santa Cruz home rummaging through the refrigerator cabinets. The owner is standing to the side, helpless. Does he feel like a prisoner in his own home? I have eight security cameras in my house.

Right now, Poonam, a 33-year-old sound guy, rented her master bedroom to this couple via Airbnb last month, weeks into the contract, agreed to transition to a cash-only payment that doesn't involve Airbnb, and was then when Sandy says the payment stopped coming, so I asked them very clearly. It's time for you guys to leave and you left, the surveillance cameras didn't record while the duo receives legal documents, but you refused to leave the shirtless man seen crawling around the house at night. California law is on your side. California law allows the tenant that 30 day notice because they have to find a new place to live and that is expensive and some tenants have been using that to their advantage.

Sandu finally agreed to pay $1,700 and 50 cents for the couple to leave their own home figuring it was less than a long eviction process

nightmare

absolute nightmare worst thing I have ever experienced in my life most terrifying court documents indicating this same couple has a ongoing claim against them for not paying rent elsewhere now Airbnb tells ABC News we strongly encourage hosts to only book through Airbnb may change policy to financially penalize anyone who overbooks Airbnb other experts encourage those who rent their homes to conduct background checks Candace Gibson ABC News Santa Cruz California you