Airbnb denies liability after guests plunge two storeys from balcony

Four friends who had to undergo extensive hospital treatment threatening legal action after incident at Brighton flat

Airbnb has refused to admit liability for multiple serious injuries suffered by a group of guests who fell two storeys when the balcony of their holiday rental in Brighton collapsed beneath them.

Four friends had to have hospital treatment, including one impaled on an iron railing, when what was advertised as a "balcony with sea view" sheared off, sending the guests tumbling into the basement footwell. They had rented the 217-a-night flat for a birthday celebration in July through the booming accommodation website, which is at the forefront of the fast-growing sharing economy.