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It seems like an easy enough way to earn extra cash: rent your home out for a couple of days with the help of a handy online platform.

But some Old South homeowners are learning the hard way that things aren’t always as they appear.

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London police on Tuesday announced charges against seven young people following a raucous high school party in June that left a short-term rental home with $80,000 damage.

The homeowners, police said, thought they were renting to a young couple from out of town.

In reality, their home near Grand Avenue and Ridout Street became the site of a graduation after-party that attracted scores of high schoolers.

The rental horror story – the latest in a growing list – should stand as a cautionary tale to owners considering putting their abode online, advocates say.

“Renting on a short-term basis to strangers is fraught with risk,” said Michael Thiele, an Ottawa-based landlord and tenant lawyer who has handled short-term rental cases.