r/airbnbarbitrage

Bonjour à tous, je souhaiterais avoir vos conseils sur la situation suivante

Moi et mes amies avons loué un Airbnb sur une semaine. Il n’y a eu aucun problème en particulier et nous avons quitter l’appartement en suivant la procédure de départ convenue. A noter les éléments suivants :
- Nous avons quitté le Airbnb à 5h du matin car nous avions un train
- La clef devait être laissée non pas dans une boîte à clef mais dans un hôtel qui gère les clefs (c’était convenu ainsi avec l’hôte)
- la femme de ménage est ensuite passée dans la journée (c’est la que les problèmes commencent)

Dans l’après midi nous avons reçu un message de l’hôte qui nous a fait une liste de dégât complément insensées :

- tache d'urines sur le canapé (on était complément stupéfaites de lire ça)
- Lave vaisselle obstrué
- fuite dans la salle de bain
- assiettes cassées
- traces sur les murs et le sol

Tous les éléments listés ci-dessus sont complètement faux, on a laissé ce logement exactement comme on l’avait trouvé et il n’y avait aucun dégât. D’ailleurs concernant le premier point, l’hôte nous parle du canapé mais ensuite elle transmet des photos de la femme de ménage, sur lesquels elle montre les draps du lit ! Draps que nous avions retiré à 5h du matin ! Donc on sait que c’est des fausses photos rien qu’à cause de ça !

Le problème évidement c’est qu’on a pas pris de photos en quittant l’appartement, il n’y a pas d’état de lieux Airbnb et on a pas l’habitude de ce genre de tentative d’arnaque …

Bref résultat l’hôte nous demande 800€ de dommage ! On discute avec elle, et voilà elle a l’air de bonne foi tout comme nous car, je le rappelle il y a 4 partie concernée dans cette affaire, l’hôte, nous, l’hôtel et la femme de ménage (ce n’est pas comme si c’était entre l’hôte et nous uniquement)

Nous avons fait appel, l’hôte a aussi expliqué la situation a Airbnb.
Toutefois, Airbnb est revenu vers nous mais toujours en demandant que nous payons 400€ (au lieu de 800€).
En pensant que ça allait dans notre sens, la carte utilisée initialement n’a pas été bloqué et mon amie s’est faite débitée de 400€… (nous comptions sur l’assurance de l’hôte pour couvrir cela )

Voilà donc on continue de faire appel, mais à chaque fois qu’on appelle airbnb on nous répond que c’est pas le bon service??(il n’y a pas de service litige apparement)

Est-ce que vous auriez des conseils sur la situation ?
Est-ce qu’en harcelant Airbnb on peut espérer se faire rembourser ? Sachant que l’hôte va plutôt dans notre sens (elle nous accuse pas directement, mais elle veut couvrir ses dégâts, dans notre conversation elle nous dit « Je l'ai expliqué (la situation) à Airbnb quoi qu'il en soit il me semble que vous n'avez pas eu à régler quoi que ce soit ! »)

Évidemment on aurait du bloquer la carte mais bon on en est là maintenant…

Our host requested $350 AUD after checkout for "smoke odor and extra cleaning," but the math and claims kept shifting:

The listing explicitly stated "Smoking permitted" with zero mention of "outdoors only" on the house rules or inside the house.

The request was submitted at 2:54 PM (under 5 hours post-10 AM checkout) claiming 5+ hours of extra work. In messages, he changed it to 7 hours of his own personal labor at $50/hr. He then said it is for today and tomorrow's cleaning.

When asked for an itemized breakdown or third-party cleaning receipts so I could assign the different fees to the different people (smokers/non smokers, person who spilt water on the carpet) he refused and got angry and I started to get really suspicious.

He then claimed we stole a large outdoor couch cushion and 2 cushions from inside. We flew in with minimal carry-on luggage—it’s physically impossible for us to have packed anything that is bulky.

The place wasn't pristine when we got there—one of us actually stepped on a piece of glass near the dining table upon arrival.

I declined the $350 request through the Resolution Centre, explained the situation in my private note to Airbnb, and the request was marked "closed" by Airbnb a minute later. I do not want to argue with the host.

Since I'm new to the platform, is it normal for hosts to try to charge $50/hr for their own personal labor without third-party receipts? Did I handle this the right way by declining? It all seems sketchy to me especially after him claiming we stole cushions.

Met a guy on the train today who runs an Airbnb in Himachal.
He told me he spends around ₹50–60K/month including the apartment and other expenses, and earns around ₹1.5–2 lakh/month.
If the numbers are actually true, this seems like a pretty interesting business model.
Anyone here doing Airbnb in Himachal? How realistic is this?

For two months in the summer, I rented a two-bedroom apartment in Rome with air conditioning (an air conditioning system, a wall-mounted air conditioner, as pictured in the main photo, plus a portable air conditioner and a fan. All of this was listed in the description). When I called the landlord to inquire about appliances like a vacuum cleaner (I wanted to bring my own if the apartment didn't have one), the first thing she asked me was, "Did you see that this is an open-plan space?" No, I didn't. Then, after looking more closely, I saw at the end of the description that it was an open-plan space. I asked about the air conditioners casually, just out of the blue (Rome gets very hot in the summer), and the landlord told me the air conditioner in the photo was broken; the apartment only had a fan.
Then came lengthy phone calls and emails with customer support. The result: out of €1,695, they withheld €630. This owner's listing hasn't been updated: it still says 2 bedrooms and 4 types of air conditioners.

P.S. I didn't even move into this apartment. I rented an apartment on Booking.com for twice the price. My family consists of a child and a mother with hypertension. So, we weren't planning on sleeping in one room; we wanted two bedrooms, as stated in the property's main information. Regarding air conditioning: it's impossible for my family to live in Rome without one. Portable, budget air conditioners are very weak and limited in power. I believe I have the right to pay for what is stated in the description and not to pay for something I haven't been warned about in advance.

P. s. S. Update: This was my first booking on this site. At first, I genuinely believed I'd made a mistake about the two-bedroom option, as I couldn't find the description when I booked (I later found it and took a screenshot). After learning about the lack of air conditioning, I reduced my stay to one month. The new check-out date was inconvenient for the host, so she offered to cancel the reservation. I happily agreed. In my naivety, I offered to split the fee (she was worried about the fee). After that, she became brazen and started demanding in a conversation on the Airbnb website that I pay her €400 "for the risk if she doesn't find a tenant." Otherwise, she wouldn't cancel the reservation, and I would lose the entire amount or be forced to live in the apartment for a month.

Hi everyone!

I finishing a week long stay in a 6BR house.

The house is advertised as hosting up to 14 people ( extra cot and baby bed).

House looked great, so did the reviews.

We arrived and the dishwasher was still running (fair enough and not an issue as the hosts let us in an hour earlier)

Since then it’s been absolute chaos: the dishwasher didn’t work or function properly for the first 4 days (imagine the dishes for 13 people) : it would drain while open and empty, it would fill with water and leak all over the kitchen floor. Absolute mayhem with that many people in the house.

Hosts seemed genuinely concerned d by message and on the phone , they sent a “repairman” who fixed part of the issue (screwed the appliance to the wall) but it still filled with water when we did the fishers. The repairman told us that this was happening on every rental, that he keeps telling the host to change the appliance but to no avail.

Then there’s the “well equipped” kitchen.
2 Salad bowls, one kitchen knife, two kitchen towels, no can opener, no cheese grater etc… every kitchen item is the cheapest that could be find at ikea (I’m on holidays not hosting a cooking show so I don’t care if it’s ugly I just want to be able to cook and feed the group). I raised the issue they said to go to ikea and complete what was missing and they would reimburse us. I did , not my idea of a relaxing holiday but …

We also had railing issues (inside and outside) posing a safety risk to both adults and more importantly the kids.

The AC in my bedroom is leaking water , it drowned by shoes. The repair guys fixed it but it’s leaking again.

We paid around 6k for the week and it’s honestly been miserable.

The add pictures were extremely misleading, I understand staging pics but the outside patio furniture ended being the ones we needed to bring inside to have dinner as the are not enough chairs.

I’m a bit fuming but I’ve stayed cordial and nice in all my interactions and documented everything on the app chat with the host.

If you read this far: what can I expect in terms of checkout and review process?

UPDATE: I’m getting 600€ back

Apologies for the typos in the photos I was very flustered by the events, this has been a very traumatic experience 🙏🏼

This was a 10 minute span of events let me play by play the scene for you.

I register and pay for the room.

I show up, and was photographed coming into the home.

Before I had a chance to return to old to to get my car she called the police and reported I entered wearing a dress carrying a rifle.

As seen in the photos this is far from the truth.

She grabbed a broom and began violently beating on the walls.

I left dealt with the police there was no issue between me and law enforcement.

She then refused my refund and told air bnb I was not who my account says I am and that I was armed and wearing a dress.

I am now in the process of obtaining refund through them.

I’m looking for some advice on how Airbnb normally handles situations like this.
I booked a property through Airbnb for 12 guests, Oct 2–4. The booking showed a certain price, so I went ahead and paid the amount displayed on Airbnb.
The host then contacted me asking for the guest count and dates. I confirmed that it was for 12 guests and that I had already paid.

After checking the booking, the host sent me a different price — ₹32,500 for two nights — and then explained:
“Ur date is long weekend sir. Price is not updated on Airbnb so it is showing less.”

They then said that if I booked through Airbnb, I would need to pay 40% extra, but if I booked directly, it would be ₹32,500 including taxes.

My issue is pretty simple: if the property listed a price on Airbnb and I booked and paid based on that price, why should I be asked to pay more because the host didn’t update their pricing?

The host did say I would receive a full refund, but that doesn’t really solve the problem. I specifically chose this property based on the accommodation, location, number of guests and the price shown on Airbnb.

I obviously don’t want to pay an additional amount after booking, and I also don’t think customers should have to deal with a host’s pricing mistake.

What would you do in this situation?
Should Airbnb honour the original booking/pricing, or is the host allowed to cancel/refuse the booking because they listed the wrong price?

Also, has anyone here experienced something similar with an Airbnb host?

TL;DR: Booked an Airbnb for 12 people at the price displayed, paid the amount, and the host subsequently said the price was incorrect because it’s a long weekend and asked for 40% more. Looking for advice on how Airbnb handles this.

I’m looking for advice from people who have dealt with Airbnb disputes/chargebacks.
I booked an Airbnb in Azeffoun, Algeria for my family. The Airbnb map showed the property in the developed/downtown area of Azeffoun, close to the beach, stores, etc.
When we arrived at the location shown on Airbnb, the property wasn’t there.
I contacted the host through WhatsApp/phone, and he had to guide us to the actual property. The real location was outside the developed area, near Lkhivia, in a much more remote location. The access road was also extremely poor and difficult to drive without an appropriate vehicle.
I have screenshots comparing the Airbnb location with the actual location, the Google Maps route, and WhatsApp records showing the location exchange/calls with the host.
Once we arrived, there were additional problems.
The listing advertised 24/7 water, but the host told us to restrict our water/electricity consumption. He instructed us to keep the AC at 25°C and turn it off in the morning.
When I objected, the host brought up the fact that I came from the United States and told me I needed to “act like Algerians.” What he meant was that Algerians are accustomed to the heat and therefore don’t need to use air conditioning throughout the day, and that because of water shortages, Algerians are accustomed to using less water.
I’m actually Algerian-born. I wasn’t asking for special treatment because I came from the U.S. I simply expected to be able to use the amenities that were advertised and that I had paid for.
The situation that finally made us leave involved one of the children. While the kids were playing in the pool, the host told one of them that he would “cut his ears” if he wasn’t quiet.
We left after approximately two hours.
Here’s where my problem with Airbnb gets even stranger.
Before cancelling, while the reservation was still active, I contacted Airbnb through the app and told them that the host had misrepresented multiple things and that I wanted to cancel and open a claim.
Airbnb’s own automated response immediately afterward stated:
“Since your stay in Azeffoun is currently active…”
I didn’t receive meaningful assistance from a person at that moment. My priority was getting my family somewhere else, so I cancelled and found alternative accommodation.
I later requested a full refund.
Airbnb repeatedly told me they couldn’t refund me because there wasn’t enough “documentation” and because the host refused to refund me.
I asked how the host refusing a refund was evidence that my claim was invalid. I also asked why Airbnb couldn’t independently verify the location using its own listing and reservation records.
Then a Senior Case Manager gave me another reason for denying the refund:
They said I contacted Airbnb AFTER cancelling the reservation.
Except Airbnb’s own conversation history shows the opposite.
I have the screenshot showing my complaint followed by Airbnb explicitly stating that my stay was “currently active.”
I provided Airbnb with the location screenshots, Google Maps evidence, WhatsApp communication, my contemporaneous Airbnb communication, my review, and the host’s written response.
The host’s public response is also interesting. Instead of simply denying everything, he discusses his “instructions,” says I confused instructions with “threats,” discusses my being from the USA and needing to adapt to the country, and addresses the Google Maps/location issue.
Airbnb still denied the refund.
At this point, it’s becoming less about the money and more about how the investigation was handled.
I understand Airbnb wasn’t physically present and cannot verify every verbal conversation. But the property location, Airbnb listing, Airbnb messages, timing of my complaint, and the host’s written response are all things Airbnb can actually review.
I have now disputed the charge with my credit-card company. They issued a temporary credit and gave Airbnb a period to respond.
I’m waiting for the chargeback process before deciding what to do next.
Has anyone dealt with something similar?
Especially interested in hearing from people who have had Airbnb challenge a chargeback after claiming the guest cancelled voluntarily. Did your bank ultimately side with you, and what evidence ended up being most important?

l've been an Airbnb guest for about 15 years and have never had a serious problem with a stay. This experience was completely different, and I'm trying to understand whether Airbnb's handling of it is normal.
We paid around $5,200 for 2 weeks in France. During the stay, we had no Wi-Fi and no cellular service even though it was clearly advertised as having WiFi. We also had no hot water for the first 3 days; although the showers were eventually fixed, there was never hot water in the kitchen.
Then an electrical outlet started smoking, which I have on video and provided to Airbnb. The kitchen subsequently lost all power and it was never restored. We couldn't cook and lost the food in our refrigerator and freezer. The pool also became completely unusable, it turned bright green, the water got slimey and filled up with algae.
The host was aware of it and kept saying they needed to come service it and add chlorine but they never showed. We had no proper bedding, old yellow stained cushions, bugs infestation throughout the house, an absolute (and always documented) nightmare. We ultimately left because the conditions had become untenable and we had to pay for hotels.
I provided Airbnb with extensive photos, videos, timestamps and messages documenting everything.
Here's where I'm particularly frustrated with Airbnb's handling of the case:
Airbnb initially calculated a $3,051.83 refund from the host's payout. I was willing to accept that as a compromise, even though I felt I could have reasonably asked for more, including the hotel and food expenses.
The host refused to pay that amount.
Airbnb then reduced the host-funded portion to $1,008.65. They separately told me Airbnb would provide another $775.89 as a goodwill payment, bringing the stated total to $1,784.54. However, I ultimately received only $1,008.65.
I disputed the decision and requested an appeal. Airbnb told me the case had already been reviewed by a supervisor and that the decision was final.
What I don't understand is how this can essentially come down to a Wi-Fi violation when there was also an electrical safety issue, permanent loss of kitchen power, no hot water, no cellular service, an unusable pool, food loss and hotel expenses, all of which I documented.
Has anyone successfully appealed an Airbnb AirCover decision after being told it was already reviewed by a supervisor and was final? Does anyone ever found a way to reach out to corporate?
I'm especially interested in hearing from anyone who has dealt with multiple failed amenities plus a safety issue and was able to get Airbnb to conduct a further review.
I feel genuinely scammed on this one and seriously never using Airbnb ever again after that.
Thank you!

Only been here for less than 24 hours and they are Saying that they will only message me and talk to me though they app and I have to re report on the app instead of just using the pictures and information I have sent in the Airbnb chat already
One message I have received is the following

Hello as we are a business, we have in-house software to facilitate the handling of customer requests.

You can continue to send us messages here if that makes you feel more comfortable.

But please, we need you to report an incident in parallel on your app, otherwise nothing can be done on our side because we will be outside the process.

Thank you for understanding:)

And another

We hope your stay is going well and we are delighted to have you in our accommodation 🙌

From now on, only requests/questions via the dedicated chat on your application will be addressed!

For all incidents/problems, only incident reports made through the application will be handled.

If I report though the app am I liable to get scammed or something like this

In June 2026 I fell victim to the scam that is Canford House (now 9 bedroom retreat on Airbnb). I was advised by email it was double booked just a few hours before due to arrive. I have found this to be a regular occurrence with a massive scam. Companies house history of companies alone is enlightening and I believe MyeventConcierge is also part of this double booking scam. I really don’t want this to happen to others and feel other need justice as it was the worst experience of my life. Please email me at emilyquick1990@outllok.com with what happened briefly, dates, if you received money back etc as I would like to take this further.

I have been on the phone with the Airbnb for days because of endless glitches. The website is just not working deleting the videos and pictures that I’ve uploaded. Then I’m having to send them through the messages with Airbnb support and when that doesn’t work I have send the them through.
I’m on the phone again because of an automated message telling me for them to review the case I need to present more evidence while the amount may be too high. I’m trying to work with but then the system keeps hanging. It’s just impossible to get through this process and I think airbnb has purposely designed it in this way.

This is only my 3rd booking but this request seems a little strange. Here’s the message I got verbatim:

Just a couple request: Plz don’t smoke inside. Plz don’t flush the toilet paper, just let it into the deposit next to the toilet. Plz don’t damage the sheets with any food, body oil or any other product. Plz keep the gate closed.

I’m not sure the reasoning behind it I’m guessing something to do with the plumbing or septic system? In Florida btw.

Hello 👋 I am just looking for some opinions on my situation.

I booked an apartment in Portugal a few months ago. Unfortunately, due to personal circumstances I've had to cancel the trip. At the time of booking, I opted for Airbnb's 'part now part later' payment, meaning that I only paid half the total amount (total was around £450 and I paid £225).

Here is the timeline:

Booking made on 19th March

Cancellation requested on 25th July

Host's cancellation policy:

Before 18th July- Full refund: get back 100% of what you've paid

Before 10th August- Partial refund: get back 50% of every night (no refund of the service fee)

After 10th August - No refund (this reservation is non-refundable)

So my question is, as I cancelled the reservation on the 25th July (within the 50% refund period), why is the host saying that I am not entitled to anything? I would assume I would be entitled to 50% of what I paid or am I wrong?

I had to involve Airbnb, who spoke to the host but to no avail.

Thanks in advance

Looking for some advice. Should I rent or consider Airbnb. I just finished construction of my one bedroom basement and I am torn between renting it out at $1200 (inclusive of utilities except power, basement has it own meter) or putting it up for short term rental on Airbnb. A neighbor running Airbnb beside me says she nets about $2k monthly after paying off the power bill. My Dilemma is this are as follows 1. I do not want and can’t take on the headache of cleaning after the guests, meaning I will have to contract the cleaning out. 2. I am a single mum with a busy life between my job and kid. 3. My effective tax rate is 47.5%, so am I really better off paying more in taxes even though I stand to make a bit more through Airbnb. 4. I am based in Regina, would this kind of income from Airbnb be consistent year round? (Will appreciate anyone with Airbnb chiming in on this )

Man. 4.89 /5 star overall profile with 20+ properties. All of my homes are in Florida or AZ. To sum it up, I get suspended for 2 weeks where my listings get blocked but reservations stayed, then 2 weeks later they get cancelled one by one but they kept the next like two? Let me have the payout. Then banned.

I had no idea, was contacting airbnb daily asking for a lead. Consistently getting nothing back and they kept saying I got a email saying why, never did. Till another week later it’s due to a aircover claim they think was fraudulent? Insane, iv used the same 2 company’s every single time and all my homes are in Florida. So my aircover claims are always large cause parties and most my homes are 12-14 guests. But this claim they said was fraud was $180 and it was due to a guest ripping / tearing the pool screen square and I had to get it fixed. Had it on the camera, before photos of the home from my licensed cleaners, and the photos from it after from the cleaners and boom. Fraud lmao.

It’s been a month about, I moved to evolve and they posted my homes no problem so I am 99% sure it is a host ban not an address ban. But atm evolve is mid being honest. I have so many people who are willing to let me use their own account allegedly, and I’m pretty sure I’d need a new home router, decide for IP, email, phone, and bank or credit card info. But please let me know if I’m wrong. I’m also looking into arbitration? Still figuring out what that is exactly. I have all the proof in the world but airbnb just suckssss. Once I got banned I just knew I was fked lol. What’s best option? I know people will say other platforms which I’m on but as you know. Airbnb is the most consistent by far.

Last note. Please lmk advice on that diff account. Been DIGGGGING info on this app and Iv found public / private IPs. So I’m not sure if I have to go as far as new router n device or what.

Thank you

Ich habe eine Airbnb-Unterkunft gebucht, in der „kein WLAN“ stand. Da ich arbeite, fragte ich den Gastgeber, ob er etwas tun könne, und er sagte, er würde mir WLAN zur Verfügung stellen. Zwei Tage vor meiner Ankunft schrieb er mir, er habe versucht, es einzurichten, aber es funktioniere nicht. Ich solle einfach Roaming nutzen, da wir beide aus der EU kommen. Mein Aufenthalt dauert allerdings 12 Tage, und mein Datenvolumen reicht maximal einen Tag. Was soll ich tun? Zusätzliches Roaming wäre für so viele Tage extrem teuer. Kann ich eine Teilrückerstattung oder eine Verkürzung meines Aufenthalts verlangen?

Ich möchte keinen Streit mit dem Gastgeber, da ich alleinreisende Frau bin, er ein Mann ist und ich nicht möchte, dass mein Aufenthalt zum Albtraum wird. Was soll ich tun?

Ich möchte auch nicht stornieren, da ich sicher nicht so schnell eine andere bezahlbare Unterkunft finden werde.

Edit: people only seem to read the headline. I talked to the host. He assured me he has wifi and will turn it on for me, so only then did I book it.