( CNN ) -- If the old saw about houseguests being like fish is true -- after a few days they begin to stink -- imagine what it must smell like in poor Cory Tschogl 's 600-square-foot condo in Palm Springs , California . Tschogl entered into an agreement through the popular Internet site Airbnb to host a man and his brother for a 44-day period from May 25 through July 8 . ( Airbnb connects travelers looking for low-cost accommodations with locals who in turn rent them rooms in their homes . ) The man , identified in various reports as Maksym Pashanin and whose Airbnb `` verified ID '' says he 's from Austin , Texas , paid for the first 30 days in advance . He and his brother moved in , but after 30 days they refused to pay out the balance of their account . What 's more , upon the July end of their rental agreement , they simply refused to leave the condo . MORE : Pushy guests and porn : Confessions of an Airbnb hostess . Squatters protected under California law . So , if unwanted strangers wo n't leave , just call authorities and have them booted out , right ? That 's where Tschogl 's nightmare really begins . In California , renters who occupy a property for more than 30 consecutive days are considered full-time tenants on a month-to-month lease with rights to occupancy protected under the state 's tenant law . To persuade Pashanin and his brother to leave once the Airbnb reservation contract had expired , Tschogl informed him that she intended to cut off the condo 's electricity . `` The guest texted back saying he was legally occupying the condo and that loss of electricity would threaten the work he does at home that brings in $ 1,000 to $ 7,000 a day , '' reported the San Francisco Chronicle . Pashanin reportedly works as a video game developer . Tschogl says her electricity bills have tripled or even quadrupled since the men moved in . `` The texts threatened to press charges for 'blackmail and damages caused by your negligence and malicious misconduct , including $ 3,800 PID Espresso machine as well as medical bills for my brother 's hospital visit after he got sick here drinking unfiltered tap water , ' '' reported the Chronicle . Time to lawyer up . Realizing her legal options were limited , Tschogl contacted Airbnb for help . According to a Chronicle story on July 19 , Tschogl said her numerous email and telephone appeals to Airbnb met with no success . `` I have professional scammers squatting in my condo , '' an exasperated Tschogl tweeted , while also creating a hashtag # airbnbsquatterswontleave . Tschogl eventually hired a lawyer and the bizarre story has since gained national attention . As well as Airbnb 's . According to a July 22 story in USA Today , an Airbnb spokesman says the company now plans to pay Tschogl `` the full cost of the reservation and is working with her to provide additional legal support . '' Whoever pays , those legal fees may be costly . Eviction procedures in California can be lengthy and complicated , often taking three to six months to evict a tenant .
Airbnb guests at a nearby condo have refused to comply . The now - unwanted guests have tenant rights under California law . The owner 's initial appeals to Airbnb met with no success . Owner has since hired lawyer and received assistance from attorney .