Airbnb Reviews

I am completely done with it and terminated my account. They do not vet their hosts properly and are not able to handle situations. This is very important when travelling, for health and safety. I urge everyone not to use this site and use another platform that will actually protect the travelers and are actually safe, professional and competent.

During my stay, the host’s handyman sent me completely inappropriate and sexually suggestive messages. He called me “sexy,” told me he was coming over, and told me that if I happened to be “lying around in a towel, or wearing nothing,” that would be okay with him. This was not some random person on the internet. This was a man associated with the property who knew exactly where I was staying and had access to the home. I know he had access because I have video from my doggy camera showing him entering the property while I was not there.

Think about that situation from the perspective of a woman traveling alone: a man associated with the property is sending sexually inappropriate messages, knows exactly where you are staying, has access to the property, and you have video showing him entering the home while you are away. I immediately told the host what was happening and specifically told her that I did not feel safe. Her response was that she would tell him. That did not make me feel safer. It made me feel more unsafe. Now I had to worry that a man who had already sent me sexually inappropriate messages, knew I was staying there alone, and had access to the property would know that I had reported him. I became frightened enough that I slept with a knife beside my bed.

I ultimately left the Airbnb early. I was already dealing with a family emergency involving my mother, but the fact that I no longer felt safe at the property was also a reason I left. I filed a police report the following day. What was particularly disturbing to me was that when I explained who I was referring to, the police knew exactly who I meant. After all of this, however, the narrative somehow became that I had supposedly “trashed” the property. That accusation is simply not true. I have photographs documenting exactly how I left the home, including photographs of the refrigerator. I also paid for a professional cleaner to clean the property three days before I left.

When I left, I followed the checkout requirements. I cleaned the home and, in fact, went above and beyond by having it professionally cleaned. I turned off the air conditioning, fans, and lights as instructed. The primary thing I could not do was empty the refrigerator and freezer. There was a very simple reason: the property has a large commercial/industrial-sized outdoor garbage container. Guests have to go outside, unlock it, put their garbage inside, and lock it again. That container was completely full. There was literally nowhere for me to put additional garbage. What exactly was I supposed to do with an entire refrigerator and freezer full of food when the property's garbage container was full and had not been emptied? I was certainly not going to put perishable food into garbage bags and leave those bags sitting inside a closed house in the Alabama heat. That would have created an even bigger sanitation problem.

So portraying me as someone who “trashed” the property because food remained in the refrigerator, while leaving out the fact that I had professionally cleaned the home and had no available place to dispose of the food, is extremely misleading. The backyard was also in terrible condition and was a stark contrast to the otherwise pleasant interior. What I find most disturbing is that after I reported sexually inappropriate messages from the handyman, documented him entering the property while I was away, told the host that I felt unsafe, left early, and filed a police report, the response seemed to shift toward making ME look like the problem.

Then there is Airbnb. Airbnb repeatedly says that guest safety is a priority. That was absolutely NOT my experience. I paid more than $2,500 for this reservation. After reporting what happened and leaving early because I no longer felt safe, I received only a very small refund compared with what I had paid. Because I could no longer remain at the property, I also had to pay for a hotel for an entire week. So I paid more than $2,500 for the Airbnb, reported a serious safety concern, left the property, filed a police report, paid for a hotel for a week, and was still left carrying the overwhelming majority of the financial loss.

Based entirely on my experience, Airbnb’s handling of this situation did not make me feel that my safety was their priority. It made me feel that the money was. I also specifically asked Airbnb to allow me to leave a review so that future guests, particularly women traveling alone, could make an informed decision about this property. I was told that the review period was 14 days. The problem is that Airbnb was still actively handling my case during that period. I was waiting for the situation to be resolved before leaving my review. Instead, Airbnb ultimately closed the case and marked it “resolved,” even though, from my perspective, the matter was absolutely NOT resolved.

I was then unable to leave the review. That is extremely troubling. If Airbnb is going to tell guests that safety is a priority, then guests who report serious safety concerns should have an opportunity to document their experience and warn future guests—especially when the concern involves a person associated with the property who allegedly sent sexually inappropriate messages and had access to the property.

If you are a woman traveling alone and this handyman is still associated with this property, please take my experience seriously and ask questions before booking. If you encounter inappropriate behavior and feel unsafe, do not assume that Airbnb will automatically step in, protect you, or financially make things right simply because safety is part of their messaging. That was not what happened to me.

The inside of the house may be quaint. It may be comfortable. It may photograph beautifully. None of that matters when you are afraid to go to sleep. No Airbnb is worth sleeping with a knife beside your bed because you are frightened of a man associated with the property who knows where you are staying and has access to the home. For women, particularly women traveling alone, I absolutely cannot recommend this property based on my experience. For men, take your chances.

After I repeatedly explained the error and provided documentation establishing my identity, Airbnb sent me a second link purportedly associating me with a registered sex offender. Again, the individual was not me. For more than a week, I repeatedly contacted Airbnb seeking an explanation and escalation. I was transferred between departments, given little meaningful information, and disconnected while trying to resolve the matter. After I escalated to Airbnb’s corporate executive my account was quietly restored. However, Airbnb provided no meaningful explanation, leadership apology, or documentation explaining how these records were matched to me.

Restoring my account does not resolve the underlying issue. I was presented with extremely serious criminal allegations that did not pertain to me after Airbnb had received documentation verifying my identity. I lost professional time and experienced significant administrative burden and distress. I seek a meaningful explanation of how this occurred, confirmation that inaccurate criminal information was corrected. I am also concerned inaccurate information could remain in internal or third-party systems and affect me and that this can happen to another customer.

Despite my efforts, Airbnb continued sending me the same article and refused to provide any meaningful proof or conduct what I consider a meaningful review. As a result, my account was permanently suspended, my reservations were canceled, and I lost access to Airbnb services, disrupting my travel plans. I believe this action was unfair and based solely on a name match rather than verified identity. I respectfully request that your office review this matter and assist in obtaining a full explanation from Airbnb along with appropriate relief. I advise people to boycott this business. Do not book, do not buy their insurance, just know customer service absolutely sucks! If there’s no issues your stay will be smooth. There are morons working for this company and not doing thier job. I can’t believe they did this to me from a name match.

My history is nonviolent and more than 30 years old. I have never rented an Airbnb, and I have never had an incident involving an Airbnb host, guest or property. I understand Airbnb’s responsibility to protect its community. But there is a difference between addressing a current safety concern and continuing to define someone by nonviolent mistakes made more than three decades ago. At some point, rehabilitation has to mean something. I became a mother. I raised my daughter. I changed my life. I pursued education, maintained housing and employment, built a career and progressed into positions of leadership and responsibility.

Airbnb has made its decision, and I can make mine. There are other companies I can rent from and other places where I can spend my money. I don’t need Airbnb to travel or enjoy my life. My past is part of my story. It is not my entire story. Airbnb has chosen not to have me as a customer. I can live with that. What I cannot agree with is the idea that more than 30 years of demonstrated change should count for so little.

Original review: My experience with Airbnb has been extremely frustrating and disappointing. I have never rented an Airbnb in my life. My sister booked an Airbnb for our family vacation, and while trying to access information related to that trip, I discovered that Airbnb had restricted my account based on nonviolent criminal history from more than 30 years ago. I take responsibility for my past. I was young, I made poor decisions, and I changed my life.

One of the greatest turning points in my life was becoming a mother. My daughter changed the direction of my life. Becoming responsible for another human being changed my priorities, my choices, and the woman I wanted to become. She is now 22 years old, and the life I have built since becoming her mother is something I am incredibly proud of. I don’t believe I need to publicly disclose the details of mistakes I made more than three decades ago to make this point: 30+ years of demonstrated change should matter. Airbnb offered me an appeal process, and I have now gone through that process TWICE. I cooperated and provided substantial documentation showing my post-conviction stability, including employment offer letters, pay stubs, a W-2, my résumé documenting my employment history, and previous and current leases showing stable housing.

Airbnb acknowledged receiving my documents and specifically told me they had reviewed them. Yet I continued receiving generic requests for additional information without anyone telling me specifically what was supposedly missing. I was also asked to obtain things such as third-party letters while being given only 24–48 hours to respond. My first appeal was closed approximately 24 hours after I had originally been given 48 hours. So I started over and appealed again.

My second appeal was also closed, with Airbnb telling me: “Because we didn’t hear back from you within the requested time frame, we’re closing this appeal.” That was incredibly frustrating considering the amount of information I had submitted and Airbnb’s own acknowledgment that my documentation had been received and reviewed. I called Airbnb hoping I could finally speak directly with someone who could resolve the situation. I couldn’t. The representative told me she could not transfer me to the department responsible for my appeal. She could only send them a message and wait for someone to contact me. I asked for a supervisor and was told I could not be transferred directly to one either. A request could be sent asking a supervisor to call me back. I was then told I had to choose between having my issue sent to the department responsible for the appeal or requesting a supervisor. I could not do both. I chose the supervisor.

Shortly afterward, I received another message saying my case had been forwarded and someone would contact me. So after two appeals, multiple document submissions, repeated emails and a phone call, I am still waiting to speak with someone who actually has the authority to address my situation. I understand Airbnb’s responsibility to protect its community. But context, rehabilitation and the passage of time should matter. My history is nonviolent. It is more than 30 years old. I have never rented an Airbnb, and I have never had an incident involving an Airbnb host, guest or property. I am not asking Airbnb to erase my past. I am asking Airbnb to acknowledge my present and the more than three decades of my life that came after those mistakes.

I became a mother. I raised my daughter. I pursued education. I maintained stable housing and employment. I built a career. I progressed into positions of leadership and responsibility. I became a completely different woman from the young person who made those mistakes decades ago. I followed Airbnb’s appeal process—twice. I provided documentation. I responded. I called. I asked for clarification. I asked for escalation. At this point, I don’t need another generic response or another cycle through the same process. I need someone at Airbnb with the authority to actually review my case and provide the fair, individualized review that Airbnb’s appeal process is supposed to offer. People can make mistakes. People can change. People can build entirely different lives. I did. More than 30 years later, that should matter.

Instead of raising it with me, the host used undisclosed security cameras to catch my friend entering, then demanded $200 with no warning or conversation. Then came the review: “THIS PERSON DOES NOT RESPECT RULES!! He brought an unknown person into my property, thereby exposing it to risk and himself to danger…” That wasn’t accurate. My friend wasn’t unknown to me — I’d known him for years. The same cameras would show a greeting kiss on the cheek and a hug goodbye, nothing resembling a threat.

Airbnb agreed I didn’t owe the $200 and paid the host directly. They even acknowledged the host appeared to have a pattern of this behavior. They still wouldn’t remove the review. I cited Airbnb’s own Review Policy, which prohibits false statements or claims not grounded in firsthand experience. The response shifted every time I pushed:

Round one: you technically broke a rule, so the review stands. But I wasn’t disputing that a rule existed — I was disputing what he chose to say about me because of it. Round two, on appeal: hosts are entitled to their opinions. Also beside the point. “This guest does not respect rules” is a sweeping judgment built on one disputed incident. “He brought an unknown person into my property, exposing it to risk” isn’t opinion — it’s a false factual claim. Round three, after I escalated to Airbnb’s executive team: now the applicable standard was supposedly the Content Policy, not the Review Policy I’d been citing all along.

Three rationales, same outcome. An accurate review would have said: “This guest had a friend visit for about two hours. I considered that a violation of my no-visitor rule and tried to charge $200. Airbnb determined the guest didn’t owe it and paid me instead.” I couldn’t have argued with that — it’s true. I never asked Airbnb to punish the host or rule his policy unreasonable. I asked them to apply their own review standard to claims they already knew were false. They declined, three different ways. This isn’t really about one host. It’s about hidden surveillance, punitive fine structures, and a support process built to defend outcomes rather than apply rules. A platform earns trust by applying its policies the same way every time. Here, they didn’t.

Multiple undisclosed security cameras. I invited my local friend to stop by for an hour or two. Was shocked by a message demanding $200 (I refused to pay; Airbnb paid him instead) for having "no respect for rules!" and allowing a "stranger" in who posed a "risk and danger". (He conveniently supplied Airbnb with security cam images of two professional people who were obviously friends walking IN but not of them leaving). Airbnb's own review policy states that statements that "reviews are irrelevant if they don't provide...first-hand experience... Reviews may not be used to mislead or deceive..." and yet this generalized condemnation about not following the rules (plural) and lack of first hand observation about the friend who visited, which in combination painted a broad, false moral judgement was allowed to stand.

And that in contrast to nearly 100 prior 5-star reviews. The hot-headed little princess was allowed to say what he wished because "technically a rule was broken" and "hosts are allowed to express their opinion." You can't make this stuff up. The poorly trained offshored agents who manage these appeals are obviously disallowed critical reading of thinking. But ultimate responsibility rests with executive management allowing this kind of nonsense. I'd been a user of the platform for 15 years. I've had to contact Care 3 or 4 times; each time it was infuriating, humiliating and an utter waste of time. Each time I was "this close" to closing my account because I was so needlessly aggravated by the surreal experience. NO RESPONSE from a human other than low end guys in the off shore care centers sending apologetic sycophantic form letters.

NO RESPONSE from their legal or trust & safety or executive teams to requests that someone explain why clear policy standards were ignored. And meanwhile some nut job was allowed to write a nasty review because he was cranky Argentina lost the World Cup the day before or because he isn't renting his barbed wire enclosed apartment often enough these days or... whatever arbitrary thing. These guys don't know how to recognize or treat a valued customer. Anyway, the quality of the listings has gone down so dramatically, the hosts are more often unlikable people and the costs have risen too much. The pain to gain ratio is severely tilted in the wrong direction. Bye Felicia.

I documented all of it with photos and filed a claim, confident Airbnb would stand behind me given how heavily they market host protection. After a lengthy investigation, they dismissed the photo evidence and offered me $300. The actual damage ran into the thousands. Support was useless. Every response read like it was either AI-generated or pulled from a script. Apology after apology, and nothing behind it. The guest who caused the damage then left a retaliatory negative review, and Airbnb refused to remove that too. Then a few weeks ago, a different guest reported a hair on the sheets. There were clean sheets sitting right next to the bed. No evidence requested, no questions asked. Airbnb comped an entire night.

That is the policy in a nutshell. A guest claims a hair and gets a free night. A host submits photo evidence of thousands in damage and gets $300. VRBO and Booking.com are clunkier to use, but they actually back their hosts. If you are considering hosting on Airbnb, look elsewhere. As someone who built something here early on, it is disheartening to write this.

Despite promptly reporting the issue, following the instructions given by their representative, and providing the requested recordings, I was later told the evidence was insufficient because the audio files did not contain verifiable time and location data. This requirement was never explained when I first reported the problem. It felt as though the burden kept changing after the fact. I understand that Airbnb needs to verify claims, but I believe there should be reasonable consideration for guests who report problems immediately, follow the guidance they are given, and act in good faith. Customer service should focus on resolving legitimate issues rather than creating additional obstacles. I hope Airbnb reviews its evidence requirements and complaint process so future guests receive clearer guidance and more consistent support.

Could not sleep. No one helped, so we went home the following day. Airbnb were of no help when we send videos of the problems. They just kept passing me on to one after another so called Ambassador then finally said we are not entitled to a refund. Terrible service. All our friends and contacts will certainly not use airbnb ever again.

Bad: 100% host advocate. Despite us providing photos of 10 bedbug, host alleging to have fumigated, Airbnb refusing to provide us proof of fumigation AND host cancelling reservation so that we couldn’t leave a negative review, Airbnb still sided with the host. Why? Because Airbnb will make far more $ siding with the host whom rents their unit 300+ days/yr vs a guest whom may only book 2 weeks out of the year. Will absolutely utilize alternative sites in the future.

After we returned home, we were repeatedly asked to provide additional photos because we were told the original images were not clear enough. Since we were no longer at the property, it was impossible to take more pictures. For more than a week, we continued to receive the same questions, such as asking for additional photos and where the bugs were located, despite having already provided the information we had while we were there.

The handling of this situation was frustrating and unprofessional. Instead of addressing our concerns promptly, we felt we were given the runaround after leaving the property. Based on our experience, I cannot recommend staying here. I encourage future guests to carefully inspect the property and consider our experience before booking.

We saw that the following statement was still active in the records: "PARTIAL VACATE EXISTS ON THIS PROPERTY". It didn't stop there. We also discovered records of inspections and enforcement actions indicating that the 3rd floor was being re-occupied despite the Vacate Order. At this point, we contacted Airbnb. And that is where the real scandal began. We reported this situation to Airbnb right from the start. We reported it repeatedly. We sent documents. We sent photos. We sent screenshots. We sent official records. We gave the same explanations over and over again. Despite this, no solution was offered for days. The case was constantly passed on to different representatives. Every new representative acted as if they were seeing the case for the first time. Every new representative asked the same questions.

Every new representative sent us back to square one. And every time, we were forced to explain the same thing all over again. This was not a complaint about cleanliness. This wasn't a case of missing towels. This wasn't an air conditioning malfunction. This wasn't a dispute with the host. This was a safety and legal compliance issue. Yet, Airbnb refused to acknowledge this. They stalled us for days. And throughout this entire process, they kept us in a building that was under a Vacate Order. Later, Airbnb representatives gave us the following assurances in writing: "We will definitely issue compensation for this matter." "The refund might be more than the other reservation, the coupon should cover the difference still." "I make sure that we will cover everything here for you." "We'll review the price difference." "Once you've confirmed the new reservation, we'll issue the difference for the rebooking process."

All of these statements are documented in writing. Relying on these promises and following Airbnb's guidance, we found new accommodations. We submitted alternative listings. We provided the pricing details. We communicated with the hosts. We did everything Airbnb asked of us. We were repeatedly told that a solution was being worked on. We were repeatedly told that the price difference was being evaluated. We were repeatedly told that Airbnb would take responsibility for the situation. What was the outcome? They kept us in a building under a Vacate Order for 9 days.

They forced us to recount the same story dozens of times over those 9 days. They failed to produce any concrete solution for 9 days. And in the end, this is what they told us: Approximately 555 dollars. That’s it. This is the final resolution Airbnb offered us. In a case where Airbnb’s own representatives stated in writing: "we will cover everything here for you," where Airbnb’s own representatives stated: "the coupon should cover the difference," where Airbnb’s own representatives stated: "we'll issue the difference for the rebooking process," Airbnb’s final resolution amounted to approximately $555. Far from covering the price difference for a new stay, this figure does not even compensate for the damages caused by the conditions we were effectively forced to endure due to a process Airbnb failed to resolve for days.

At this point, Airbnb is still contradicting its own promises. It is contradicting its own written commitments. It is contradicting the statements made by its own representatives. And despite these contradictions, it is attempting to evade responsibility. We trusted Airbnb. We booked through Airbnb. We reported the issue on the very first day. We cooperated fully. We provided every requested document. We complied with every request. In return, we were met with days of stalling, contradictory statements, broken promises, and attempts to dodge responsibility. We possess all the correspondence, screenshots, Vacate Order documents, and official NYC records related to this incident. Therefore, we intend to share our experience with the public. Everyone will see the situation Airbnb put us in, how they stalled us, how they made promises, and how they subsequently backtracked.

In short, Airbnb continued facilitating our reservation in a building displaying an official Vacate Order even after we repeatedly reported the issue and provided supporting documentation. Despite being informed of the Vacate Order, the related public records, and our safety concerns from the very beginning, Airbnb failed to relocate us in a timely manner and ultimately refused to provide assistance sufficient to allow us to move to a comparable alternative accommodation without suffering substantial financial loss.

After days of delays, repeated assurances, and written commitments regarding relocation assistance and coverage of the resulting costs, Airbnb's final position bears little resemblance to the promises that were made throughout this process. As a result, we will be pursuing all available legal remedies and publicly documenting every aspect of this case, including the complete written record of Airbnb's statements, decisions, and handling of this matter.

While I understand that companies establish their own payment policies, my frustration is that there was no clear information available on Airbnb's website, support agents could not answer my questions, and there appeared to be no path to escalate the issue to someone knowledgeable about payment options. Airbnb is a multi-billion-dollar company that serves millions of travelers. Customers should reasonably expect clear payment policies, knowledgeable support staff, and accessible customer service. Instead, I spent significant time seeking assistance only to receive conflicting information and no meaningful support. I hope Airbnb will improve both its payment flexibility and the quality of its customer service so future customers do not have the same experience.

This is the third time that they’ve disappointed my family. The first B&B they gave me had no furniture in it, no TVs. It was just an empty house. The other two occasions, the owners have canceled because they’re not getting enough attention from Airbnb. If you’re in Florida your best bet is to stick with the resort. Do not use them. They are not worth it. They’re not worth the time and money all for you to be disappointed as soon as you get close to your date, I’m telling my whole family never to utilize their services again.

The fees charged by Airbnb continue to increase, while the level of service and support provided to hosts does not appear to have improved. Hosts assume significant financial risk, invest substantial time and money into maintaining properties, and are expected to meet increasingly strict standards, yet often receive limited protection when guests damage property, violate house rules, or leave misleading reviews.

Additionally, frequent policy changes and lack of transparency made it difficult to operate confidently as a host. Instead of feeling like a valued partner, I often felt like a replaceable participant in a system that prioritized growth and bookings over fairness and long-term host relationships. After hosting on the platform, I can no longer recommend Airbnb to property owners without significant reservations. While some hosts may have positive experiences, my experience was that the company consistently failed to provide the support, fairness, and reliability that hosts deserve.

Since that incident, I have rebuilt my life, earned a Master's Degree in Accounting, established a successful career as a partner in a compliance consulting firm, maintained a stable marriage for more than 17 years, and raised a family. My record since that time reflects responsibility, stability, and a commitment to both my profession and community.

What I found most frustrating was the apparent lack of consideration given to the complete picture of who I am today. People should certainly be held accountable for their actions, but there should also be recognition of rehabilitation, growth, and the ability to move forward from mistakes made decades earlier. I was not seeking special treatment. I simply expected a fair evaluation based on my entire history rather than a single event from a difficult chapter of my life.

Given my experience, I intend to share my concerns with American Forces Travel and other veteran-focused organizations so they are aware of how this process affected a disabled combat veteran. My hope is not to discourage responsible screening practices, but to encourage a more balanced and fair evaluation process that considers an applicant's complete history, including evidence of rehabilitation, stability, and long-term positive conduct. I hope Airbnb reviews its processes to ensure that applicants are evaluated not only on past mistakes but also on the years of positive conduct and accomplishments that follow.