Shadija Romero, the owner of nonprofit clothing line “With Love Dija,” is accused of squatting in an Airbnb without paying rent for 10 months.
Rochanne Douglas tells the Daily Mail she rented her Washington, DC home to Shadija for 30 days. Shadija told Rochanne she needed a place to stay while her home was being renovated.
But after the 30 days ended on March 29, Shadija refused to leave the house and stopped paying rent.
According to court filings obtained by the Daily Mail, Rochanne accused Shadija of trying to transfer the utilities to her name and tampering with security cameras.
Shadija (pictured) allegedly removed Rochanne’s personal belongings from the fully furnished house and changed the locks on the doors.
Police say there’s nothing that they can do
Rochanne served Shadija with a 30-day notice to vacate, and called the police, but officers said there was nothing they could do. They said she had to take her case to court, which she did, WJLA reported.
“They say there’s nothing that they can do, so I need to go to court, which I’ve done, and I do not have a court date until December 11th,” she told the news outlet.
Rochanne placed a sign outside the house to notify neighbors and police that an unauthorized squatter was inside. But Shadija and her guests hung a sheet over the sign.
Police helped Rochanne cut the sheet down.
Shadija made her Instagram page private after IG users criticized her for squatting in Rochanne’s home.
Rochanne changed the locks and boarded up the windows
Earlier this week, neighbors told Rochanne that they saw Shadija and her friends leave the house with bags.
“They said verbatim, ‘I think she’s finally gone,'” Rochanne told WJLA.
Rochanne changed the locks and boarded up the windows after police cleared the house.
“They told me I could secure the property. I disable the locks. I had my contractor come over and board up the property,” she said. “There was something going on with electricity, so there’s no electricity in the property, and I secured the property.”
On Wednesday, Shadija and her friends returned to the house and broke in.
“The police allowed her to hire a locksmith and break in,” said Rochanne. “She gave them no documents. She gave them no court orders. She gave them no lease. She just came and said, I’m locked out.”
7News was on the scene when Child Services were called to the property on Thursday because Shadija, who brought her daughter to live with her, complained the power was cut off.
A judge on Thursday ordered Rochanne to turn the electricity back on. The judge is expected to make a ruling on Rochanne’s eviction filing next week.
Until then, Rochanne continues to pay the $4,000 mortgage and utilities for a home she can’t access.
According to court documents reviewed by Daily Mail, Shadija has a history of squatting in properties she doesn’t own. She was evicted from her previous address for owing $50,000 in unpaid rent.
“Her unstable employment and documented eviction history further demonstrate her pattern of manipulating legal protections intended for legitimate tenants, not transient Airbnb guests,” a court filing said.
Rochanne says Shadija has threatened her, and attempted to have her work vehicle towed by falsely claiming ownership of the home.
Rochanne called police to take a report because the truck went missing, 7News reported.
“This is crazy. This is unbelievable,” she said. “This is taking me somewhere where I’m not trying to be. I’m trying to stay on the right. But for somebody to just take and take and do and do. Everybody has a breaking point.”
Shadija disputed Rochanne’s allegations. She said she is the victim and Rochanne is harassing her.
She told WJLA she paid monthly rent and she had an agreement with Rochanne to stay in the home.
She suffers from depression due to the strain of a financial loss and has even contemplated suicide. She intends to vacate the property because the situation is “too much to handle” and has taken an emotional toll on her.
“The sad part is I feel sorry for her, I really do,” Rochanne said. “But your problem, I can’t help you. I do truly feel sorry for her and her child and all of this, and I have a big heart. This is the outcome of me trying to help her, and I do hope someone helps her, but you can’t do it at my expense.”
Watch the video below.
Airbnb laws need to change.
In Washington, D.C., Shadija Romero booked a home on Airbnb for 32 days in February 2025. After the booking ended in March, she refused to leave, claiming tenant rights under D.C. law (which can kick in after 30 days).
She changed the locks and has… pic.twitter.com/wzf9eDo0lV
Contents— Girl patriot ? ?? ? (@Girlpatriot1974) December 5, 2025
