A sorority event that brought attention to issues faced by residents of north London, Ontario, regarding a home rented on Airbnb would not have taken place without the owner’s consent, according to the president of the sorority chapter.
The recruitment event organized by Alpha Omicron Pi over the weekend raised concerns among neighbors near 167 Sunnyside Drive, a street lined with large single-family homes, as busloads of young women started arriving on Saturday morning. While the attendees were respectful, neighbors expressed that using a home in a residential area for such events is inappropriate.
“We always prioritize transparency and respect when selecting venues for our events,” stated Sabina de Crescentiis, the president of the Alpha Omicron Pi chapter at Western University. “If a property owner expresses any reservations about hosting our event, we will honor their wishes and find an alternative location.”
Local bylaw authorities are looking into the property on Sunnyside Drive, which has been operating as a short-term rental for over two years under the ownership of Jithin Das, who holds the necessary short-term rental license from the city.
Airbnb provides guidance to homeowners on how to prevent unauthorized gatherings and allows hosts to set age restrictions for renters, a measure that was reportedly not implemented in this case.
Das admitted that he was unaware of the scale of the sorority event, believing it would involve only a few attendees at a time, not the continuous influx of dozens of women over two days. He expressed regret for any inconvenience caused to the neighborhood and emphasized that he would have declined the reservation if he had known the full extent of the event.
This incident is not the first time the property has faced complaints from neighbors, who have observed large groups frequenting the home, which can accommodate up to 10 people and includes amenities like a pool and home theatre.
“We made sure to communicate our event requirements with the property owner before booking and reiterated them prior to the event,” De Crescentiis clarified in a statement to CBC News. “We informed the owner that multiple groups of 30-45 women would be rotating in and out of the property throughout each day.”
The event aimed to introduce potential new members to Alpha Omicron Pi and did not involve alcohol consumption or use of the pool, with strict adherence to noise regulations to avoid disturbing the neighborhood. All activities were wrapped up by 5 p.m. each day, and the chapter expressed regret for unknowingly contributing to the ongoing tensions in the area.
