Paris renters find dead body, covered in tree branches, in garden of their Airbnb

A group of renters discovered a badly decomposed body in the garden of their Airbnb rental in suburban Paris over the weekend. The body of the woman was covered with tree branches.

"Her body was found at the bottom of the property which opens out into woods," a police source said, according to France 24. Authorities are now investigating the death in Palaiseau, in the southern suburbs of Paris. Foul play is suspected.

The people renting the house were only there for a weekend, although they are being questioned. 

The cause of death has not yet been determined, according to police. The woman's body was found "hunched in a dug-out area, her head against the ground, covered in branches and surrounded by wood stumps," France 24 reported. There will be an autopsy.

The listing was removed from Airbnb on Sunday, according to Le Parisien.

"We have offered our assistance to the police and will help them with their investigation in any way we can," an Airbnb spokesperson told Mashable. "In addition, we reached out to the host and guests and will provide all necessary support."

"Over 80 million people have travelled on Airbnb and problems for hosts and guests are extremely rare." 

Additional reporting by the Associated Press. This story has been updated with comment from Airbnb.

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