If you became ill with Legionnaires' disease after staying at an Airbnb or Vrbo, you may be able to pursue a claim. The bacteria often grows in poorly maintained hot tubs, showers, or water systems, and inadequate maintenance can support a case.
Key terms
- Premises liability
- The legal rule that a property owner or host must keep guests reasonably safe from hazards they know about, or should know about.
- Statute of limitations
- The deadline for filing a claim. It varies by state and can run out before you realize you have a claim, so do not wait to ask.
Injured at a short-term rental? Talk to our team today, free of charge.
A poorly maintained hot tub can grow dangerous bacteria, and the people responsible for that upkeep may be liable for the serious illness that follows.
Traction Law Group helps people who were sickened by unsafe conditions at short-term rentals. The review is free, and there is no fee unless we win.
Sickened by a rental hot tub or water system? You don't pay unless we win.
Call 833-236-8253 for a free case review, available 24/7.
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What Is Legionnaires' Disease?
Legionnaires' disease is a serious type of pneumonia caused by bacteria called Legionella, according to the CDC. It can be severe, and it can be deadly.
The CDC reports that about 1 in 10 people who get Legionnaires' disease will die from complications. For people who catch it during a stay in a healthcare facility, that rises to about 1 in 4.
You catch it by breathing in tiny water droplets, mist, that contain the bacteria. You cannot get it from a glass of water, and it generally does not spread from person to person.
How Hot Tubs and Rentals Spread Legionnaires' Disease
Legionella thrives in warm water, which is exactly what makes hot tubs a known risk. The CDC explains that Legionella grows best in warm water like that found in hot tubs, and a hot tub that is not properly cleaned and disinfected can expose people to the bacteria. Alarmingly, the CDC notes you can be exposed to the mist from a contaminated hot tub even if you never get in it.
At a vacation rental, common sources include:
- A hot tub or spa that was not cleaned, disinfected, or maintained with proper chlorine and pH levels.
- Hot water heaters and tanks kept at temperatures where bacteria can grow.
- Large or complex plumbing that lets water sit stagnant.
- Decorative fountains and misting systems.
- A home that sat vacant, allowing water to stagnate before guests arrived.
Because many rentals are not used continuously and may receive little professional upkeep, the risk can be higher than at a hotel with trained staff.
Symptoms of Legionnaires' Disease
The CDC lists these common symptoms:
- Cough
- Fever
- Headaches
- Muscle aches
- Shortness of breath
Some people also experience confusion, diarrhea, or nausea. Symptoms usually appear 2 to 14 days after exposure, which is why people often do not connect their illness to a trip they took a week or two earlier. If you were recently at a rental with a hot tub and developed pneumonia-like symptoms, tell your doctor about that exposure.
Recently stayed somewhere with a hot tub and got sick? Tell us what happened.
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Who Is at Higher Risk?
Most healthy people exposed to Legionella do not get sick, but the CDC notes that being 50 or older, being a current or former smoker, having chronic lung disease, or having a weakened immune system raises the risk of getting Legionnaires' disease. For those people, an unsafe hot tub can be especially dangerous.
Who Is Liable for Legionnaires' Disease at a Rental?
A Legionnaires' case usually turns on water maintenance and disinfection. Whoever was responsible for the hot tub or water system generally had a duty to keep chlorine and pH at safe levels, to clean and drain the spa on schedule, and to flush a system that had sat stagnant in a vacant home. Cloudy or foamy water, a chemical log that was never kept, or a spa that was never serviced between guests can each point to a breach. Responsibility often falls first on the host or owner and the pool or spa service company they hired, and may extend to the property manager or, depending on the facts, Airbnb or Vrbo.
See our who is liable page for more on how responsibility is decided.
What to Do If You Suspect Legionnaires' From a Rental
Because symptoms appear days later, the link to a rental is easy to miss. These steps protect both your health and a possible claim:
- See a doctor right away and name the exposure. Tell them you recently stayed somewhere with a hot tub. Ask specifically about a urine antigen test and a sputum culture for Legionella. These confirm the diagnosis and tie it to a source.
- Report it to the local health department. Health officials can investigate and may test the rental's water, which builds powerful evidence.
- Act fast on the water. Legionella evidence disappears once a spa is drained or shock-treated, so the source water and maintenance logs need to be preserved quickly, something a lawyer can help request.
- Save your reservation, the listing, photos of the hot tub, and any messages with the host about the spa.
- Keep all medical records, including the lab results that confirm Legionella.
- Talk to a lawyer before accepting any refund or offer.
For a general checklist, see what to do after a vacation rental injury.
Compensation for a Legionnaires' Disease Claim
Every case is different, and we never promise a result, but if you have a valid claim, you may be able to recover for:
- Medical bills, including hospital and ICU care
- Long-term respiratory or other health damage
- Lost wages and earning ability
- Pain, suffering, and emotional distress
- Wrongful death damages if a loved one died (see our wrongful death page)
See our compensation page for more.
Why Call Traction Law Group
Legionnaires' cases hinge on linking your illness to a specific water source, and that link is built from lab results, water tests, and maintenance logs that disappear fast once a spa is drained or shocked. We move quickly to preserve that proof, coordinate with health-department findings, and connect the diagnosis to the rental.
We take on the large platforms and are available 24/7. There is no fee unless we win.
A getaway should not make you seriously ill. Let's find out what went wrong.
Call 833-236-8253 for a free case review, available 24/7.
Start Your Free Case Review →
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I connect a Legionnaires' diagnosis to a recent rental stay?
Ask your doctor about testing that confirms Legionella, such as a urine antigen test or a sputum culture, and tell the provider you recently stayed at a property with a hot tub or spa. Timing matters, since symptoms often appear days after exposure and many people never link the illness to a trip. Your reservation dates, the listing, and your medical records together help establish that link.
Can I get Legionnaires' disease without getting in the hot tub?
Yes. The bacteria spread through tiny water droplets in the air, so breathing mist from a contaminated spa, fountain, misting system, or plumbing can be enough. Public health agencies note that you do not need to enter the water to be exposed. If you were near a rental's water features and later developed pneumonia-like symptoms, seek medical care and tell the provider about that exposure.
Can I sue Airbnb for Legionnaires' disease?
Yes, if you contracted Legionnaires' disease after exposure to contaminated water at an Airbnb or Vrbo, such as a hot tub or shower system, you may be able to pursue a claim. Legionella bacteria often grows in water systems that are not properly maintained or disinfected. A failure to maintain the water system can support a premises liability claim.
What if the host drained or treated the hot tub after I got sick?
Your claim may still be possible. Draining or shock-treating a spa can destroy the bacteria in the water, but maintenance logs, service schedules, prior guest complaints, and health department findings can still show the system was not kept safe. That is a key reason to act quickly, since a lawyer can ask that remaining evidence be preserved. A free case review can help you understand your options.
Does this apply if I got Legionnaires' disease at a Vrbo?
Yes. Everything on this page applies to Legionnaires' disease traced to a Vrbo or any other short-term rental, not just an Airbnb. Your claim rests on the duty the host and property owner owe to keep the property reasonably safe, and that duty does not change with the booking platform. What changes is the paperwork: report what happened to Vrbo in writing through the app, save your reservation and every message, and let us review the listing and Vrbo's published policies as part of your free case review.