A birthday party at a house rented through accommodation website Airbnb was cut short when the guests discovered a decomposing corpse in the garden of the property.
The group of friends made the discovery on Saturday afternoon. The body was lying face-down in a hole at the edge of the garden, partially covered by trees.
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Police say the body is that of a woman aged between 30 and 50, clothed but with bare feet, and that the corpse could have been in the garden for several weeks. A source told Le Parisien that investigators suspect foul play.
Airbnb has come under fire previously for its marketplace model, which allows holidaymakers and property owners to bypass the traditional booking model. Critics say it allows renters to essentially operate as a business while skirting the insurance requirements and health and safety rules imposed on licensed hotels, leaving both owners and guests vulnerable.
Last year, the family of a man killed when a rope swing broke at an Airbnb rental property in Texas tried to raise awareness about the lack of inspections to ensure listed properties meet safety regulations or fire codes.
An Airbnb spokesman told the Huffington Post that hosts were expected to follow local rules and regulations and that the company issues a long list of advisory safety precautions. "Nothing is more important to us than safety," he said.
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