A short-term rental apartment owner was left shocked after discovering her unit in severe disarray, allegedly following a medical emergency involving a male guest during his stay, China Press reported.
The owner said the guest, a man in his late 20s, had booked the unit for six nights from Dec 15 and was scheduled to check out at noon on Dec 21.
Concern arose when the guest failed to respond to checkout messages and did not return the unit’s keys. At around 5pm, the owner entered the apartment with the assistance of building security personnel and a cleaner.
Upon opening the door, they found the man lying unconscious on the sofa, with a strong unpleasant odour filling the unit. There were no signs of alcohol or alcoholic beverages inside the apartment.
As the situation appeared serious, they initially refrained from entering the unit and attempted to call out to the guest from outside, but received no response. After confirming that he was still breathing, the owner contacted the authorities.
Emergency responders arrived about an hour later and found the man still unconscious. He was subsequently taken to hospital by ambulance.
According to the hospital, the man claimed he began feeling unwell after eating bak kut teh earlier. He reportedly suffered continuous vomiting and was said to be in serious condition.
The owner later said the apartment was “almost destroyed”, estimating damage to nearly 80 per cent of the unit. Apart from the television and washing machine, most items were affected.
Furniture including the bed, pillows, sofa, chairs and carpets, as well as the flooring and bathroom, required extensive cleaning, repair or replacement. The owner estimated her losses at around RM4,500 due to cleaning, disinfection and damaged items.
She added that the apartment has since been fully cleaned and disinfected.
The owner also claimed the guest later alleged that money had gone missing and implied she was responsible. She denied the allegation, saying she did not enter the unit alone at any time before emergency responders arrived and was always accompanied by others.
“I hope guests treat rental homes with care and respect the effort owners put into maintaining them,” she said.
