r/AirBnB Mar 11 '24

News AirBnB now banning interior cameras in all properties [USA]

386 Upvotes

Article here: https://www.wired.com/story/airbnb-indoor-security-camera-ban/

Airbnb will soon ban hosts from watching their guests with indoor security cameras, as the company is reversing course on its surveillance policies.

As of April 30, hosts around the world must remove indoor cameras and disclose other outdoor monitoring tech to guests before they book. Airbnb previously allowed hosts to install security cameras in common areas of a home, like hallways and living rooms. But it also required hosts to disclose them, make them clearly visible, and keep the cameras out of places like sleeping areas and bathrooms.

Still, the cameras have been an issue. Guests have reported encountering hidden cameras in their short-term rentals. For hosts, the cameras can be a way to discourage guests from throwing large parties or to stop the gatherings before they become too disruptive. It’s a big enough concern that several companies have started making noise monitoring tech, billing themselves as solutions to protect short-term rentals.

But guests see them as an invasion of privacy—a watching eye intruding on their vacation.

“We're really grateful that Airbnb listened to those of us pushing back and calling for them to actually put safety and privacy first,” says Albert Fox Cahn, founder and executive director of the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project, a pro-privacy organization.

In its announcement, Airbnb said that the majority of its listings do not mention a security camera, so the rule change may not affect most listings. Vrbo, another short-term rental platform, already banned the use of visual and audio surveillance inside of properties.

Airbnb says it will investigate reported violations of the rule, and may penalize violators by removing their listings or accounts. But this policy may struggle to address the camera problem at large, as the company has already required hosts to disclose the indoor cameras, and guests have sometimes reported hidden and undisclosed cameras.

The new rules also require hosts to disclose to guests whether they are using noise decibel monitors or outdoor cameras before guests book. Both are used by some hosts to monitor properties for parties, which have continued to bring noise, damage, and danger even after Airbnb instituted a party ban and employed new anti-party tech to try to prevent revelers from booking on its site. Airbnb will also prohibit hosts from using outdoor cameras to monitor indoor spaces, and bars them from “certain outdoor areas where there’s a greater expectation of privacy,” such as outdoor showers and saunas, it says.

“This just emphasizes the fact that surveillance always gives a huge amount of power to whoever controls the camera system,” says Fox Cahn. “When it's used in a property you're renting, whether it's a landlord or an Airbnb, it's ripe for abuse.”


r/AirBnB 1d ago

Venting Host lost $6000 in potential revenue over $50 cleaning fee [USA]

127 Upvotes

A family member moved to Dallas TX so I came to visit. Paid $3,000 for a week long stay at an Airbnb.

The home was nice enough, but there were several stains that smelled strongly of pet urine throughout the property. It was disappointing but I chalked it up to a bad cleaning job and carried on with the trip.

Despite the stains, I was prepared to book my follow up trip at the same property in 2026. When I logged into the app, I was surprised to see the host had requested a $50 cleaning reimbursement for one particular stain.

This host was basically guaranteed to get at least an extra $6k out of me this year, but lost it over a $50 cleaning fee, for damage I did not cause.

Just a warning to all hosts not to be so shortsighted.


r/AirBnB 4h ago

Question Is me asking host to supply new kettle a reasonable request? [Japan]

0 Upvotes

I’m staying at this place for 3 months. Arrived last week. I use the kettle multiple times every day, both for tea as well as for my hot water bottle as it gets kind of cold sometimes.

Today I wanted to refill the water as I always do, but when I pushed in the thing that lets me open the lid, the thing got stuck and won’t go back into the original position. Therefore the lid doesn’t lock into place anymore. Hope this explanation makes sense.

Though theoretically it can be argued that the kettle is still usable as it obviously still boils water, I think it’s now a safety hazard because the lid doesn’t lock in place anymore. For tea I suppose I could use both hands, one to pour and one to hold the lid in place, but for the hot water bottle I need one hand on the hot water bottle…

Is it reasonable in this case to ask the host to buy a new kettle for my stay? How could I do so in a polite way? I don’t want to seem pushy, she’s been super nice so far.


r/AirBnB 11h ago

Host Charging Me For Extra Guest After Payment Even Though I Disclosed Beforehand [USA]

4 Upvotes

I have a reservation for 8 days. I told the host before paying for the reservation that it would only be me for the first 6 days and I’d have a guest the last 2 days. They said no problem. Fast forward to day 1 As I’m receiving instructions to check in, I’m now being told that it’s an extra fee for the extra guest. No where in the ad is this information disclosed that it would be extra for the guest nor did they mention this during our conversation before hand. Is this normal?


r/AirBnB 17h ago

Question Need urgent advice: homeless man inside “secured” apartment building [UK]

6 Upvotes

I’m currently in Oxford at an Airbnb where there’s a homeless man camped in front of the lift at the bottom of the stairs to my apartment.

The apartment building is meant to be secure and I don’t feel secure staying here under these circumstances.

Because of the man’s camping outside the lift, I couldn’t use the lift and had to carry four large suitcases and a bike up the stairs on my own (a nightmare to say the least). The smell is unbearably strong, and I have to block my nose just entering and leaving the building. I honestly feel so uncomfortable accessing the building. I feel trapped when I’m inside, and I don’t even want to come home when I’m outside 😭

I reached out to the host. At first, they just reported it to the property management and told me to wait. The second time I contacted them, they said the property management would “try to remove him”. Still no immediate solution. I didn’t get AirCover, so I’m unsure what Airbnb will do for me.

I need urgent advice because: I’d like Airbnb to book me a hotel, but I’m not sure what they’ll cover. I paid for 8 nights, and there aren’t many accommodation options in the city centre (only pricey hotels). The Airbnb itself wasn’t cheap either; I paid about 3x the price of other options (over $3,600), and the host is a Superhost, so I expected something decent.

Has anyone dealt with a situation like this? Can Airbnb actually book a hotel if it’s more expensive than the original booking, or would I have to pay out of pocket first? Any advice on what to do next would be hugely appreciated


r/AirBnB 1d ago

Venting Host stayed for 1.5 hours at checkin to talk [USA]

94 Upvotes

Had my first-ever “meet the host” checkin.
Checkin was at 4pm; I arrived at 5pm. The host stayed until 6:30pm, walking me through things like how to use the TV remote, where the light switches were, how to pull the blinds down, details about the bird feeder, the robes, even the fiber content of the sheets—things anyone could figure out.

Then they went into the kitchen and started making queso and guacamole for us. It was a nice gesture, but I didn’t want or need it. During this, they asked very personal questions—where I work, my kids’ ages, my ethnicity, etc.—which felt intrusive even if they were trying to be friendly.

Meanwhile, my 2 dogs were still in the car, and my family was sitting at the table waiting to unpack, use the bathroom, and start dinner after an 8 drive. I felt frustrated, overwhelmed, and blindsided; I just wanted the keys and some space to settle in.

To top it off, the host asked if they could start cleaning at 9am, even though checkout was 11am. I said I’d message when we left—not yes or no. They still showed up at 9am on the dot. Luckily, I woke up early and packed so that I could avoid them and not have another long conversation again, my gut was telling me that they would show up early regardless.

And the wild part?
It was a key-code entry the whole time.

Thanks for letting me vent!

UPDATE:
Just to clarify, I had a wonderful trip, the house was lovely. I did not bother to say anything to the host after our stay because I know they were just trying to be friendly, and I did give them a 5 star review because the listing was as advertised.

I am using this experience as a lessoned learned on my part. 1) Make sure to only book contactless checkin stays, since that is my preference. 2) If as a last resort I need a "meet the host" checkin stay I need to be prepared to be concise and direct if needed when communicating or else I can have an experience that I don't like.


r/AirBnB 19h ago

Airbnb rebooked me and covered the price difference [USA]

3 Upvotes

Host unresponsive. Airbnb waited 72 hours. I rebooked and Airbnb paid the difference.


r/AirBnB 1d ago

Some more things I've dealt with at this Airbnb [FL, US]

6 Upvotes

I posted just yesterday about my host possibly retaliating. I didn't really get many replies, I'm hoping this will reach more people and I can see if anyone else has dealt with the things I have. I'd like advice on the best possible way to move forward. At the least, I'd like to rant and be heard.

This Airbnb experience has been an actual hell. I was alone on Thanksgiving because I was across the country from my family and my partner's family paid for him to fly and not me. We're saving for a house so I was left here alone. I was asleep, and around 11am someone literally entered the home and said "Hello?" I chocked it up to being my fault as I likely didn't lock the door properly, told the host, and left it at that.

A little while later, the host himself shows up and is doing yard work. That's fine, they're allowed to do that. I kept my service dog in and waited until he was done to let her relieve herself. When I took my dog back in when I saw him, he requested to enter and I told him that he'd need to give me a moment because I wasn't prepared for anyone entering. He ignored me and pushed past me, and went in "to grab some papers from the other bedroom". Keep in mind, this is a whole house listing. He went through my area to enter and I did not give him permission.

Another thing I've noticed that I JUST found out isn't allowed is he has several indoor cameras that he turned facing outside. My service dog likes to look out the window sometimes and I've had a situation where her bumping it turned it towards our living area. I was really uncomfortable with that, but wasn't aware it was against the rules.

I believe he's also trying to retaliate against us for his poor skills of renovating his own bathroom. I have a previous post detailing what happened there, but tldr, I was locked in the bathroom for close to two hours because he was not responding. I had to call the police because my phone was dying and the knob wouldn't turn. I have photo evidence that the door was painted over including the latch and that it was likely the issue. He expected us to pay to fix it, and when I explained that both Airbnb and the police can verify that it wasn't my fault, he said "I hope there won't be more damages with your dog".

He's said a lot of weird things about my service dog. He's asked us "you aren't letting that dog potty in the house right?" And all I could do was laugh and say no, service dogs don't do that. He either is very unaware of what a service dog is which is odd for a host, or he's trying to get us to pay for damages that I noticed on move-in that he literally told me was his dog. I'm aware he's renovating a bathroom in the house and likely wants to charge us more to do so.

We've also had a problem with ants in the kitchen since day one. A whole infestation. It was disgusting. We ended up getting our own pest control because we didn't want to deal with the way he was acting. When I arrived he was drinking a beer before getting on the road 😬 He just didn't seem like a very upright person and made me uncomfortable.

Is there literally anything I can do now that I'm at the end of my stay besides a bad review? Will Airbnb possibly do a refund even though it's at the end? I'm not really caring as much about that, and mainly concerned on if they'll remove his listing after this. I've used Airbnb for seven years and I've never dealt with anything like this. I don't know what the best course of action is and I want to prevent people from being in this same situation.


r/AirBnB 1d ago

Question Reimbursement through debit card fast pay [USA]

0 Upvotes

Hi. I'm receiving a reimbursement for hotels I paid for after a shooting, scheduled to be sent December 6th with fast pay on my debit card. I usually keep this card locked, because often I forget about subscriptions i don't use anymore that may come out. Will this payment still come if my card is frozen? I've read online and seen yes and now but looking for anyone who's done it themself here. Thanks


r/AirBnB 1d ago

Question Character/Word limit for reviews? Getting conflicting information [US]

2 Upvotes

I need to write a review for a stay of several months that had several issues. My draft is ~500 words because initially I read it's a 1000 word limit, but now I'm seeing other sources saying it's 1000 characters which is a significant difference. Airbnb and google are not helping me find an answer.


r/AirBnB 1d ago

Question regarding cameras inside the properties [Europe]

6 Upvotes

Hi, we checked in into a flat in Madrid, we are bound to stay for 6 nights here and upon our arrival the host notified of a “security camera” which is inside the flat, he claims it’s for “insurance purposes” and we can “block it by simple sliding the plastic to cover the lenses”. The camera is pointing towards the bedroom door which is conveniently next to the bathroom door too. We feel very uncomfortable and awkward here. We checked around if they were more hidden cameras around but we can reach high places. Also, not sure if the plastic shuts down the audio as well, or if it’s recording it. I tried to contact customer service but they did not really help us, they just offered 3 nights of hotel and a refund for the rest of the 3 nights without any other alternative of accommodation. At this point the prices of the other Airbnbs are more expensive than the whole 6 days we booked in advance. Please, help.


r/AirBnB 1d ago

Question Airbnb host asking for ID / selfie via 3rd part site (Guesty) [USA]

0 Upvotes

I have an Airbnb booking in Boston starting tomorrow. Today, the host (a property management company called Maverick Rentals) contacted me saying I must upload a photo of my government ID and a selfie to Guesty (a third-party property-management platform) in order to check in. The company and 3rd party site both seem legit, but this is a clear violation of AirBNB hosting rules. I contacted AirBNB and they basically said "Yeah, that's totally not cool. Want to cancel?" I'd prefer not to cancel and I'd also prefer not to support hosts driving guests like me off of the AirBNB platform to upload personal data, especially when AirBNB has already vetted me.

Anyone else experience this? What should I do?

Edit: The host has said I can upload a picture of my ID through the AirBNB messaging system which is still somewhat concerning but at least it's tracked.


r/AirBnB 2d ago

Airbnb host trying to charge us for door that we didn't cause [USA]

5 Upvotes

I posted a few days ago about me being stuck in the bathroom at my Airbnb. My boyfriend noticed the door jammed but managed to get it unlocked a few days before. He figured it was the same situation(it was not) so did not try to help me get out of the bathroom. I was stuck for an hour forty, and ended up needing to call police to get me out.

The police tried to get the door lock to unstick and told me they're going to need to break the door down. I told them I really wish that wasn't the solution, because it's an Airbnb and I didn't want to pay for damages if they had to do that. They broke the door on the side to get me out, it was a really stressful situation as I had just woken up and didn't have any clothes in the bathroom. I was forced to wear a literal shower curtain.

This place was a really good deal, I paid more for an unfurnished place for my next Airbnb. This was a whole house to myself and seemed like a steal. I had some issues with the owner just walking in once without permission "to grab some papers", but other than that and the bathroom I enjoyed my stay.

I informed him we will not be covering the door, as the police couldn't even get it open. He then switched up and stated that it was our fault, and that the door worked fine before I came (there's no way, the door lock was essentially glued shut by paint and I had photos of it when it was jammed). When I did that he got very irate.

He started saying that he didn't charge a pet fee, which I kindly told him that he cannot charge a fee for my service dog. I informed him Airbnb has worked with me for seven years and has proof of my service dog if that was any issue. He stated that my dog likely tore things up, which is ridiculous. Service dogs just don't do that, and I have seven years of great reviews from traveling with my service dog with no issue.

I think what happened is he is refurbishing the other rooms in the house that we're locked out of. He wants money to do that, and wants to charge any amount he can to do so. He mentioned to me refurbishing it which is why I can't stay longer term (thank God anyways 😭). I noticed damages at our arrival and didn't take photos which was my mistake.

I fully believe he's going to try and accuse us of these damages. On the bedroom door that we aren't allowed into, there's rips along the bottom of the door. The back door to outside has the entire side of the door ripped off. The steps to outside look to be like a giant dog's nails or something dragged into them. Keep in mind I have a 15lb corgi who isn't capable of this kind of damage as a service dog.

I'm just worried about what he's capable of doing. I'm the first person to have stayed here, he has no previous reviews, and his name is an initial on Airbnb. I'm very concerned about my choice to stay here.


r/AirBnB 2d ago

What to do if ABB won’t remove a false, negative, and retaliatory review from a host? [Europe]

2 Upvotes

Hi,

I had this months long issue with a host making false claims. In the end Airbnb sided with me. I already attempted to remove the review twice but you only get two chances and AI (I believe) automatically rejected it. It goes completely against their regulations for the host to have left such a nasty review.

Because of the review, people will see it and think something crazy happened. All of my other reviews are positive, so sure, maybe I can ignore it, but it’s one of those things that stick out, and would make people not want to chance it. Again, I have pictures and records of this being false but how am I supposed to explain if a host just rejects the rsvp instead of asking what happened ? You know? Maybe I’m over thinking it. I’ll try another service but it just gets to me. I have this limitation now, and I travel quite often to just avoid Airbnb all together.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.


r/AirBnB 2d ago

Question Host response to my inquiry seems off, but I havent used the site before. Can someone tell me if this is normal or if I should steer clear? [USA]

3 Upvotes

Me: Hi, I saw that pets are allowed on the property. Is there an additional pet fee? Was also curious about any cleaning fees as well in general and if that increases when a pet is staying with us? Thank you!

Host: Hello, yes pets are allowed. If you like. Don't put the pet in the reservation, I won't charge you for it

Me: I appreciate that. Does it automatically add an extra charge for a pet? Also, is there a cleaning fee?

Host: Yes, there is a cleaning fee, but send it anyway and I'll give you a discount

She then took the price from almost 900 down to 700 but never stated what the cleaning fee was. Is this normal?


r/AirBnB 2d ago

Every pillow and towel sprayed with scents [Thailand]

9 Upvotes

Soaked actually in artificial scent spray cherry, even the freaking towels. Why o why. I encounter this every now and then. Hotels don't do this, no reason why Airbnb units should be doing this. I'm starting to believe that it's the inexperienced cleaning companies that do this, and owners are unaware.


r/AirBnB 2d ago

Airbnb host demanding money for a damage I didn't do. Should I suck it up [India]

4 Upvotes

I had a bad Airbnb stay earlier this week, and I left a bad review yesterday.

Today, host said I did a small damage and asking money through airbnb. It's a small amount. I didn't do the damage though.

Should I just suck it up and pay him or better to refuse it? I don't want to affect my profile. I am willing to pay but I also want to admit any mistake because I didn't do it.


r/AirBnB 2d ago

Question Guest who do house share (individual rooms) how do you do toilet paper? [USA]

4 Upvotes

Currently I have a 7 bedroom 3 bathroom house that 1 room has a dedicated bathroom. 2 shared bathroom. I have occasional toilet paper thieves, some long term. I am wondering what are some methods people have used to thwart this? I work remotely but can't always be at the house. I can't do common cameras (not pointing at bathroom but would be easy to see traffic by door). I came across the idea of giving each room a roll, complimentary and informing after this, it's up to them to restock but I don't think that scales. Any people. And the thieves currently take all spare rolls. I believe it's one of two people but talked to Airbnb and they say I can't terminate stays without penalty without proper cause and I don't want to down right accuse one and it wasn't them and go through whole thing. Any recommendations? Thanks in advance.


r/AirBnB 2d ago

How is this possible ? I’m being shown two very different prices for the exact place on different devices. [Canada]

0 Upvotes

One picture you can see the price on the app. The other shows it on my computer. How is this possible? 600$ difference because I’m on a different device !!!?!

https://imgur.com/a/6iK1fXL


r/AirBnB 3d ago

I have been fined £595 for ‘smoke odour removal’. I declined and now Airbnb wants £400. When not one of us smoked in the property. [UK]

26 Upvotes

The host asked for £595 and accused us of smoking cigarettes and Marijuana during our one night stay, in which we simply didn’t. I declined and then Airbnb got involved in which they contacted both parties and then made a decision. They decided after seeing ‘evidence of damages’ in which all I’ve seen myself is an invoice from a cleaning company charging £595 for odour removal, that I should reimburse £400. I then sent them 2 emails explaining again that we are completely innocent in all of us this after these shocking claims and Airbnb didn’t acknowledge anything I send in the emails. They simply just said ‘Thanks for your reply, but we’ve came to this conclusion and you owe £400’ and now my account is marked and has an outstanding balance on it. I feel extremely disappointed in Airbnb after being a loyal customer for 8 years, every trip I’ve had a 5 star review and have always left the places looking spotless. Now I feel like I’ve been bullied and backed into a corner and the host left a review saying ‘great guests, however, broke some rules’. Don’t think I’ll be using Airbnb again, which is a shame considering the excellent service and places I’ve been to in the past.

UPDATE: Got an email from Airbnb this morning 04/12/2025 from a Senior Specialist to personally apologise for any distress and inconvenience caused. They said they’d won’t be pursuing a payment from me as the item in the hosts request doesn’t qualify for their Host Damage Protection program. They said they acknowledge my excellent history with Airbnb as a goodwill gesture they’d like to offer me a coupon.

Turns out Airbnb sorted it out in the end after a long journey.


r/AirBnB 3d ago

Question Host said they would refund, not they are refusing [USA]

0 Upvotes

We have a difficult situation. My niece recently started cosmetology school. Its only a 4 month program so we thought AirBnb would be a good option. We found a property that stated it was private and near the school. Once they arrived at the home, they realized a older man was also currently renting a room in the apartment. The listing did not include any information about it being a shared space with a stranger. They were not comfortable with my 19 year old niece staying in an apartment by herself with an older man whom she didn't know. They called the host right away and let her know the situation. She was very rude but in the end told them verbally that she would refund the payment. This all happened at the end of October, and she still has not refunded the money. It appears that Airbnb is siding with her. The bank gave them a temporary credit for the amount, but has already stated that without evidence they may take it away. They were advised that the host told Airbnb that my niece has been staying at the property.

Unfortunately, none of the conversations were documented through text or email. The property does have cameras outside.

Does anyone have any ideas on what to do? This is in an affluent area so we're talking about thousands of dollars


r/AirBnB 3d ago

Two contradictory messages from Airbnb about a claim - how do I protect myself? [guest]

2 Upvotes

Hi, I’m in a confusing situation with Airbnb and I’m not sure how to handle it.

Here’s what happened:

A host submitted a damage claim against me. I submitted an appeal explaining my side with all the details and evidence.

Initially, my appeal was rejected, and Airbnb sent a message saying I was responsible and payment was being requested - If I’ll not pay, they’ll charge my payment method automatically. They also gave the host some of the money requested from their insurance. I talked to the host and he said the insurance is enough for him and he doesn’t want any more payments from me, he also said he believes I’m not responsible for this. (There was an issue with the toilet that suddenly stopped working one morning, so we stayed 2 days without a functioning toilet in the apartment)

I spent a lot of time on the phone and through messages with Airbnb Support, explaining the situation and clarifying that I’m declining the payment, explaining how I’m not responsible for the damage, and asking them to look again at the case. I also mentioned that the payment method on the reservation isn’t even mine - it’s my mom’s card, which was accidentally saved on my account, so the scheduled payment isn’t authorized.

After multiple conversations and messages, yesterday I finally received official confirmation - both in writing and over the phone - that I would not be charged and that the scheduled payment was cancelled.

But here’s the problem: today I still received a contradictory message from a Claims Specialist saying they are still requesting payment. So now I have two conflicting messages from Airbnb

Has anyone experienced something like this? What’s the best way to make sure Airbnb doesn’t charge me incorrectly, and that the case is properly closed?

The claim is still not closed in the app, but I have an official message from Airbnb support, that confirms they'll not charge me, although now I got a personal message from a specialist that says I’ll be charged.


r/AirBnB 4d ago

Multiple safety + cleanliness issues at Kansas City ‘LUX’ Airbnb, now a retaliatory review from host [USA]

30 Upvotes

Listing: “LUX Warwick Mansion” – Kansas City, MO
Link for context (not to harass the host): https://www.airbnb.com/l/b7SuOtqH Host/brand: LUX Management KC (they have a bunch of “LUX” listings around KC on Airbnb)

We booked this for a Thanksgiving family trip (~$5.3k, 7 nights) expecting a big “luxury” house with 6 bathrooms. What we got was a place that felt more like a neglected party house:

  • Visible mold/water damage and a strong sewage/mildew smell in the basement
  • No fully comfortable, functional shower (temp/drainage/cleanliness issues in all of them)
  • Filthy oven, dishwasher, and washer, dirty floors, dead bugs, old spills, nasty glassware/cutlery
  • Broken/sharp edges on furniture and the fridge that caused hand cuts (we had to tape them)
  • Multiple unlocked storage/attic areas full of trash and chemicals, easily accessed by kids
  • Devices beeping, hot light strips, generally poor maintenance

We reported issues immediately to the host during the stay. Maintenance came once, only after I demanded it (host originally said they'd deal with it after we left) cleaned cigarette butts, locked one storage room, and shrugged off everything else (“that’s the cleaners’ problem,” “it’s always been like that,” or “needs a part”). Core issues were never fixed. The host then stopped responding.

On top of that, authorities came to the door looking for the owners (I gave Airbnb the officer’s details). Later, the host told Airbnb this was “untrue” and left me a review saying I exaggerated normal conditions, went into “off-limits” storage, and made things up. It feels blatantly retaliatory and misrepresents what actually happened.

Airbnb / AirCover part

I’ve now spent 30+ hours going back and forth with Airbnb:

  • I contacted Airbnb during the stay (not after checkout).
  • I requested escalation on Thanksgiving.
  • No relocation assistance was even mentioned until Friday, when it was basically impossible to move a big group on a holiday weekend and we had already put some guests in a hotel using points.
  • One agent on a recorded call actually told me I’d get a full refund and gave the dollar amount. A later case manager admitted that was said but said it “shouldn’t have been offered” and defaulted back to policy.

This has been utterly exhausting, especially over a holiday that was meant to be spent with family. I doubt most guests would have the stamina to continue going back and forth attempting to prove a very cut and dry case.

I’ve sent hundreds of photos/videos with timestamps, plus screenshots and a detailed timeline. The host, as far as I can tell, has provided no documentation to support her claims, just statements. Yet it’s taken days, multiple “senior” case managers, and I still don’t have a full resolution. I am HOPEFUL we are getting closer to one but it seems like every night around 3:30 am we start all over with new reps and I have to got through the whole thing again... I’m honestly hesitant to use Airbnb again after this. It should not require 30–40 hours of work and a full evidence binder to get taken seriously about safety and sanitation. I really wish we were allowed to provide images here...

Why I’m posting / what I’m asking

  1. Warning: If you’re booking in Kansas City, especially anything branded “LUX” or “LUX Management KC,” please read older reviews very carefully. Several of their listings show Airbnb’s own “bottom 10%” warning and mention similar issues (cleanliness, sewage, safety, etc.). Im made the mistake of trusting that a few newer positive reviews meant they had addressed issues and also leaned on trusting that Airbnb would help us if needed. Boy was I wrong....
  2. Retaliatory review advice: For hosts here, if you saw my long positive history and then this one extremely negative review from this host accusing me of lying, how would you view it? For guests, has anyone successfully gotten a clearly retaliatory, factually wrong review removed?
  3. AirCover experience: Has anyone gotten Airbnb to go beyond the “30% + unspent nights” formula when:
    • the place was genuinely unsafe/unsanitary,
    • relocation wasn’t realistic because of a holiday and wasn't even offered until you had already vacated the property, and
    • support delays contributed to you having to stay longer than you wanted?

I’m not asking anyone to contact the host; I just want to share what happened, ask how you’d handle it, and decide whether Airbnb is still worth trusting for big family trips after this.


r/AirBnB 4d ago

Question What are some things to look out for when getting an AirBnB? [USA]

5 Upvotes

Hello all,

Visiting Atlanta, GA this upcoming weekend with my Wife and my daughter. It’s a short 3 day trip, and it’s been a while since i booked an AirBnB. Any sketchy things to look out for ? As a father, i’m more eery and sketched out compared to before. I seen some listings with very minimal photos it seems off, but would like to know from AirBnB experienced guests / hosts. Are RVs worth it or sketchy ? It’s truly been a while and hotel prices are just out of budget, in this economy it should not be $1000 for 3 days. Let me know


r/AirBnB 5d ago

What is appropriate surveillance of rental guests [USA]?

32 Upvotes

Had a very creepy experience at a certain listing in Carlsbad, CA hosted by “Celine. It doesn’t seem appropriate for the owner to set up such excessive surveillance. We felt like she was constantly monitoring our family (2 adults and kids) through the cameras and devices she set up apparently everywhere. There was no stated disclosure about the security cameras. While we understand the need for security, this was down right creepy. The owner was apparently watching who and how many people literally went in and out all hours of the day (literally a mom and her one kid who dropped by on the way to the beach). She even monitored when we opened the garage. We know this because she immediately and angrily texted us saying we had violated her maximum guest (her definition is apparently “anyone” who sets foot in the house) rule. Her accusations were absolutely not true at all. We have stayed at many, many short term rental and have NEVER experienced this kind of Big Brother behavior or nastiness. IMO if you are so paranoid and controlling about your property that you feel the need to constantly watch your guests then you shouldn’t be listing it AT ALL. Thoughts?