"How Did You Turn On the Boiler?" Dispute Over the Charred Floor Mat Left Blackened

Burnt Black Floor Covering... "Owner Demands 150,000 Won Compensation"
"Lodging App Sides with Owner... I Tremble with Frustration"

A story has been circulating about a customer who was asked for compensation by a lodging owner after turning the boiler up high and burning the floor mat at the accommodation, sparking controversy.

The floor of the accommodation burned black.
[Photo by Online Community]

On the 8th, a post titled "Please judge the unfairness I experienced at a lodging facility" was uploaded to an online community. Guest A, who stayed for one night and two days at a lodging facility in Gyeongsan through a lodging app on December 23 last year, said that after receiving a call from the owner asking, "Why did you lay out the mattress on the first floor meant for four guests?" they replied, "It was just lying there on the first floor, and it was so cold that I laid it out. If it was not to be used, shouldn't you have told me in advance or removed it?"

The owner also asked, "Why did you sleep on the first floor when there is a bed on the second floor?" to which A responded, "The second floor has a low ceiling in the loft, and I couldn't do anything there, so I just laid the mattress on the first floor, watched TV, and spent time there, but I slept on the second floor." He added, "Whether I slept in the bathroom or the shoe rack is the guest's choice."

The owner then said to A, "The floor is all burnt," and asked, "What setting did you put the boiler on? Didn't I ask you to set the boiler to 1 when you sleep?" A expressed frustration, saying, "I never heard any mention about the boiler beforehand, and I never touched the boiler temperature. In fact, I turned off the first-floor boiler, where the floor was burnt, while sleeping."

The owner claimed, "There is a notice about the boiler next to the refrigerator," but A said, "I was not even aware of the notice next to the refrigerator and received no prior guidance."

Furthermore, A said, "After that, I was contacted via text message saying the repair cost was 300,000 won and was asked to compensate 150,000 won," adding, "Despite such a dangerous situation, the owner never asked if I was okay, got angry, shouted, and sent me their bank account number. I did not compensate."

He continued, "The owner sent a compensation claim of 659,000 won through the app, stating that when they visited the lodging for cleaning, the smell of burning was overwhelming in the room, that we left without notifying them, and that despite asking us to set the boiler to 1, we disobeyed and raised the boiler temperature arbitrarily, causing the floor to burn."

He said, "If it was such a dangerous matter, they should have given direct guidance about the boiler in advance. If we had smelled burning, we would have left the room immediately for our safety."

Finally, he wrote, "The lodging owner was aware that setting the boiler above 1 was dangerous. We just turned the boiler on because it was cold and turned it off because it was hot, then checked out. But right after checking out, I got a call with shouting and anger, and now a ridiculous compensation claim. I really don't understand and am angry."

He added, "We are actually scared, thinking we almost died. The lodging app sided with the host and contacted us saying 'It is our fault' and 'You must compensate,' but I am so unfairly treated that my hands tremble and I cannot live normally."

Netizens who read the story responded with comments such as, "It feels like a prison, not a lodging facility. I don't know why there are so many restrictions," "It seems like an electric panel, and if so, the installation was faulty. It looks quite dangerous," "The owner’s negligence seems serious as they failed to provide sufficient prior notice or warning," and "Can the floor really get burnt just by turning up the boiler? This could be fatal if done wrong."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.