Bonita Springs rental trashed after party, homeowners say booking “disappeared”

BONITA SPRINGS, Fla. (WINK) — A couple from Maine says their Bonita Springs vacation rental was left unrecognizable after a massive party over the weekend — and now, they’re trying to figure out who is responsible.

The homeowners say they flew to Southwest Florida after getting word from neighbors that something had gone wrong. When they walked inside, they say they barely recognized their own home.

“Scenes that seemed unthinkable,” Jeff Davis, the homeowner, said.

Davis, who has been renting properties for over 10 years, sent WINK News video showing what appears to be mud on the walls, furniture damaged or moved throughout the house, and trash everywhere. 

Video also shows the damage made its way outside too.

Davis said the grill had been thrown into the pool and patio furniture was destroyed. Before the party even started, Davis said someone removed all surveillance cameras.

“They had a plan,” Davis said.

Davis estimates the damage will cost thousands of dollars to repair.

The mystery: a booking that changed

The homeowners say the stay was booked through Booking.com as a one-night rental.

At first, nothing seemed unusual.

Davis shared messages with WINK News revealing the guest communicated with the homeowners before check-in — even asking about early arrival.

At 7 PM, the guest sent Davis a message saying they were “loving the house.”

“That was the last I heard from him,” Davis said.

The couple showed WINK News booking records, which include a guest name, contact information, and payment details.

However, Davis said he now questions whether that information was real — and says he has been unable to reach the guest since the party.

The Davis's have not received any money for the stay. Following the party, Davis said something unusual happened.

He claims the name associated with the reservation changed to “anonymous" on Booking.com.

When Davis contacted Booking.com, he says he was told the reservation could not be found. 

"So far, I've not been able to get anything from Booking.com so I'm going to continue trying to reach out to them and just say, 'You got to acknowledge the reservation because once that's done, then we're going to have to go through the insurance,' because they have insurance for their renters on their platform," Davis said. 

WINK News emailed Booking.com for comment and asked for clarity on the matter, but did not receive an immediate response.

Thousands in damage — and no clear answers

Neighbors of the rental say dozens of people showed up at the home Saturday night. 

The Lee County Sheriff's Office (LCSO) confirms deputies responded and says multiple people were at the home when deputies arrived, but no arrests were made.

A spokesperson for LCSO said the 4th Precinct Crime Section is in communication with the homeowners and are following all available leads. The investigation is active and ongoing.

The agency says it understands the concerns incidents like this raise for homeowners.

Davis said the financial impact is significant — not just for repairs, but for their ability to continue renting the property.

"There's a lot of expenses on a nice property like this," Davis said. "We have a pool that gets serviced all the time. We try and keep the yard up and things like that, and you have all of your utilities that you'd have on any home. So, yeah, there's a lot that goes into it."

Davis worries the people responsible could do this again. He says they only have a few days to turn the home around before the next booking.

"If they got away with this once, they'll get away with it again," he said. "I think that the people involved need to be caught and held responsible, and that they don't do this to somebody in the future."

What homeowners can do to protect themselves

LCSO is urging short-term rental owners to take additional precautions to prevent similar situations. They provided WINK News with the following: 

Tighten access control immediately

• Use smart locks that generate time-bound codes (codes that automatically expire at check-out time—or immediately upon cancellation).
• Integrate your lock system with your booking platform so codes are revoked instantly when a reservation is canceled.
• Avoid sending codes too early; ideally, send them a few hours before check-in, not days in advance.

Protect (and hide) your surveillance setup

• Install tamper-resistant or concealed exterior cameras.
• Use cameras that send real-time alerts if they go offline.
• Consider backup monitoring systems (like noise sensors) that aren’t visible or easily removed.

Add noise and occupancy monitoring

These are designed specifically to prevent party situations.

• Install noise monitoring devices (they don’t record conversations but detect decibel spikes).
• Use occupancy sensors or Wi-Fi-based trackers to detect unusually large groups.
• Set alerts so you or a property manager can intervene early.  

Insurance and legal protection

• Get short-term rental insurance that covers vandalism and guest damage.
• Understand your platform’s protection policies—some, like Booking.com, may offer limited coverage depending on the situation.
• Consider requiring guests to purchase damage protection waivers.

LCSO also recommends out-of-state owners have someone local who can quickly respond if issues arise.

Investigators have not released any suspect information at this time.

The couple hopes sharing their story will serve as a warning to other short-term rental owners in Southwest Florida

The couple, who have been renting for a decade, supports short-term rentals and believes there are a small amount of "bad" guests.

As they continue cleaning up, the homeowners say they’re focused on one thing — making sure this doesn’t happen again.

"How do we how do we stop this from happening to other people," Davis said.

If you have information, Davis asks you to reach out to the sheriff's office.