The lawsuit, filed in San Francisco County Superior Court, alleges that The Bot Company booked homeowner Sean Donovan's property under "false pretenses" for an 11-night stay in April, according to The Independent.

According to the complaint, the startup carried out unauthorized commercial activities at the home, including robotic prototype testing and filming promotional content. The suit claims that more than 30 people entered the property during the rental period without permission and that the company caused extensive damage to the house.

A robotic arm assists human in a kitchen. Illustration photo by Pexels

Donovan alleges the guests damaged paint, floors, furniture and appliances, removed personal belongings, and entered a locked closet without authorization. He is seeking some $12,383 for damage to the property and belongings, as well as income he says he lost because the company did not rent the home under its commercial-use rates.

Donovan told local news outlet SFGate that he became suspicious when he visited the property to collect trash and noticed bundles of wires running into the house. Inside, he saw a man working on a laptop next to what appeared to be a robot.

After the guests checked out 11 days later, Donovan said he found the house in disarray. Dishes and glasses had been removed from kitchen cabinets and left around the property. The dishwasher, refrigerator and washing machine were scratched, while dishwasher racks had been bent and removed. Wooden furniture was reportedly scratched and stained, bathroom tiles chipped, and a shoe rack along with several pairs of shoes missing from a locked bedroom closet, he told the San Francisco Standard.

Through his own investigation, Donovan said he learned the guests were employees of The Bot Company. He also found similar complaints from other Airbnb hosts who had rented properties to guests believed to be associated with the startup.

Donovan argued that the company could have legally rented the property for commercial filming or business activities, services for which he typically charges up to $300 per hour.

"The dishonesty is really what upsets me the most," Donovan said. "If they had come straight up, 'Hey, we would like to rent your house for testing of our robot,' then we could have come to an agreement. But it’s the lying and the misrepresentation that makes me feel violated."

Founded by former employees of Tesla and self-driving vehicle company Cruise, The Bot Company has raised hundreds of millions of dollars from investors and is reportedly valued at $2 billion. The startup is developing robots designed to assist with household chores.

The company did not respond to requests for comment from either the San Francisco Standard or The Independent.

"This company is trying to build robots to make Airbnb turnovers more easy," Donovan said. "In the meantime, they are damaging Airbnb hosts’ houses."