More on KentOnline
More on KentOnline
The hosts of an Airbnb in Sandwich have been branded 'fatphobic' after their listing banned all people weighing more than 16st from staying in their cottage.
The advert for Bobbits Lair in High Street said guests with eating disorders were not welcome because they could cause 'serious' damage to the property with 'very old oak beams'.
The original write up of the two-bedroom cottage, hosted by Zsu and Marcus, originally said: "No persons with eating disorders may book, we have a maximum weight of 100kg (15.7st) per person."
Angered by the discriminatory comments, body positivity activist Lindsay McGlone shamed the duo on Instagram to her 16.9k followers.
She said: "Please don't stay at Bobbits Lair, Kent. They should be held accountable. How is this acceptable?
She added: "I want you to call out fatphobic language."
After the backlash, the listing was then amended to say: "No persons maximum weight 100kg PP very old oak beams".
Airbnb said 'discrimination has no place in their community' and the property, advertised at £199-a-night, has since been removed.
But defending their views, Zsu and Marcus re-emphasised their position that larger guests were not welcome.
Replying to furious comments online they said: "We had someone ask about the bath size, then how wide the doors were.
"We said "not suitable for disabled guests".
"Then the penny dropped once they booked. We had to cancel as the cottage could have been seriously damaged during their stay.
"Understand the pictures are wide angle, bigger than average people are NOT ALLOWED TO STAY!"
The property, a 15th century cottage with a hot tub in the garden, also came with a long list of other strict conditions.
Children of all ages were also banned and guests discouraged from moving furniture, re-arranging the kitchen, or drinking tap water.
An Airbnb spokesman said: "Airbnb's mission is to create a world where everyone can belong anywhere.
"Discrimination and bias have no place in our community, and we have suspended the listing while we address the matter raised.
"We enforce a strict non-discrimination policy and under our Open Doors initiative, if a guest feels they have been discriminated against, we will provide personalised support to ensure they find a place to stay."
