Airbnb, Inc. facing lawsuit after brother and sister die in Mexico City rental

SAN FRANCISCO COUNTY, California (KVIA) - The family of an El Paso brother and sister have filed a wrongful death lawsuit in a California court against the rental property where the two died of carbon monoxide poisoning.

The rental property in Mexico City was rented by the siblings, Hugo Ivan Morales and his sister Laura April Morales, back in Feb. 2025 through Airbnb.

Laura Esperanza Morales filed the wrongful death and negligence lawsuit on Feb. 6, 2026 in the San Francisco County, California Superior Court.

The civil filing alleges Airbnb did not require the property owner to have working carbon monoxide alarms or conduct property inspections of the properties that use fuel-burning appliances.

The lawsuit details that the brother, Hugo, turned on the hot water in the shower which uses a fuel-burning water heater in the dwelling. The heater released carbon monoxide into the apartment and since there were no carbon monoxide detectors in operation the siblings were poisoned, according to the court filing.

An investigation into the death by Mexican authorities determined the heated had been improperly installed with little ventilation. This, according to the Mexican investigation reports, lead to the buildup of carbon monoxide.

The lawsuit sites a separate investigative report that showed at least 19 carbon monoxide deaths at Airbnb properties around the world during the last ten years.

Attorneys who filed the lawsuit claim Airbnb did not disclose the property the siblings rented used a fuel-burning water heater; they were not made aware there was a risk for carbon monoxide poisoning, and the rental company allowed the property to be rented without a properly installed and functioning carbon monoxide alarm. The suit further stated that Airbnb "misrepresented the safety of its listings".

The civil lawsuit seeks personal injury/property damages, compensation for funeral and other costs, and emotional suffering.

The suit was filed by the Dolman Law Group for the victims' mother and a minor daughter.