These Are the Most Common Airbnb Scams
We here at Lifehacker HQ have written a lot about the issues with ordering an Airbnb property. Worried about hidden cameras spying on you? We got it covered ! Worried you booked a fake listing? We’ve also looked at this (actually, several times ).
The problem with Airbnb is that the platform doesn’t do a thorough background check on at least some of the apartments and hosts that show up on its website. Accordingly, scams go through all the cracks and it’s the guests (literally) paying – just ask a British couple who fell in love with a luxury Airbnb property that didn’t even exist and nearly lost $ 12,000 in the process.
Or ask any guest who has stayed at fake property in a recent story by Deputy Reporter Ellie Conti , which reveals a nationwide scam perpetrated by some Airbnb hosts. (Let’s not forget that hosts are also vulnerable to fraud. OnAirbnbhell.com , a horror site written by both hosts and guests, several hosts report that they themselves have been scammed.)
Following its report, Vice asked its readers to describe their own experiences with Airbnb, and Senior Staff Writer Anna Merlan compiled some of the most common Airbnb scams out of nearly 1,000 emails received.
And what have we learned from these scammers? Well, scammers are smart and take advantage of Airbnb’s leniency when it comes to checking its ads. Below are a few common scams to look out for and how to remedy the situation as best you can:
Last minute bait and switch to another property
You are booking a property with a landlord. A few days (or even hours) before your scheduled arrival, your booked property is no longer available due to some unforeseen issue, be it a water problem or an obvious problem with the last guest who stayed there. To help, the landlord offers you a different property that he rents out, which is usually shit compared to the room you originally booked.
Solution: Discard the alternate and make sure the host has canceled. (In the event of a cancellation, you are responsible for paying the applicable cancellation fees.) Contact Airbnb to find alternatives if you are stuck.
Remittance
You send a message to the landlord to inquire about their property. They ask for payment outside of the Airbnb platform, possibly offering a better rate if you agree. In the end, the apartment is terrible, but since you agreed to the deal outside of Airbnb’s terms, you are not protected and cannot claim a refund (or it is completely fake property and you were completely fooled).
Solution: As we’ve posted over and over , never pay outside of the Airbnb platform. (In fact, keep all messages on Airbnb as often as possible so they can use your message history to solve any problems.)
Paying for damage you’ve never caused
After a multi-day stay, you will leave the property in pristine condition. A few days later, you receive a complaint via messaging platform Airbnb from the host or Airbnb, stating that you damaged something in the house and are responsible for compensating the host.
Solution: Take photos and videos of your property before you leave and send them to the owner as a polite “thank you” and as a remedy in case they claim damages. Or save them for your own safekeeping and attach some time-stamped proof, such as the current newspaper or a message from your host confirming your departure. (In fact, you should also be in the habit of photographing your property as soon as you arrive and sending any concerns to your host; the damage may be legitimate, but the guest is responsible to you.)
To see the rest of the results, be sure to check out Merlan’s post on Vice . And if you want to know what to do if your Airbnb might be illegal or downright awful , we can also offer some guidance there.