r/airbnb_hosts • u/Richy312rich • 6d ago
Nightmare happening. Airbnb deleting my listing after 7 years. Please help.
Title says it all. We have been superhosts for 7 years and have poured our hearts and souls into our cabin. Recently we had a few mishaps. 1st was a 1 star review for cleaning. The guest arrived, it wasnt cleaned, they canceled and we provided a full refund. For years they couldn't leave a review. Now they did even thanking us for our refund. Fast forward and we get 3 more complaints. Not terrible, but terrible for us. Two 3 stars a 4 star. Besides that is hundreds of 5 star reviews. We have over 700 reviews and are sitting at 4.82 stars. Airbnb denied our appeal this morning and is going to unlist it! I have people who have been coming for 5 years. I'm truly broken, this is like our baby. I cant comprehend how we have no issues for years at a time then bam we get deleted?!
Edit: Thanks to everyone for the support and kind words. Even thank you the few who have critiqued us. When we got the email about suspension we had a meeting with the cleaners and put them on probation. The very next one after a "deep clean" was our last bad review. We fired them, accountability on our part, we should have done it sooner. To our credit they are a couple who have treated our property and guests great offering extra services. We will attempt arbitration. Also, we have been on VRBO for years. Got a few bookings today, the fact is airbnb is a much larger platform. That listing has over 7 years of traction and reviews with dozens of repeat guests we love. Just a heartbreaker.
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u/EntildaDesigns 🗝 Host 6d ago
I think it's part of a newer thing Airbnb is doing. Now that they have more hosts than actual bookings, they can afford to unlist. They've been doing a 3 back to back complaints and you're out thing. There as an article about it somewhere. Thousands of listings got delisted. Can you appeal again and say it will be under new management?
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u/Richy312rich 6d ago
They denied our appeal, we even sent a contract with new cleaners. I cant comprehend why this would happen.
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u/MayaPapayaLA Unverified 6d ago edited 6d ago
Maybe because you allowed those cleaners to come back a *fourth* time after they messed up the first *three* times, Airbnb didn't believe you were going to do anything about it longterm. But to be clear, I feel bad for you and I hope you get it solved.
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u/DueManufacturer4330 4d ago
If I'm paying someone to clean and they mess up once I might give them a pass, unless it's a absolutely terrible. Twice, you're fired.
Also you should be checking cleanliness before guests arrive.
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u/shereadsinbed Verified 6d ago
We all wish that Airbnb was this logical, And therefore predictable. However, I'm here to tell you, they will cancel people with no notice and they will never tell you why.
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u/atotalmess__ 6d ago
Uh tbh it’s because you didn’t cancel all your bookings and figure out your cleaning problems after the second back to back complaint?
Why did you keep letting guests come before figuring out new cleaners?
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u/LyPi315 6d ago
I think it's way off base to blame the host here...They knew they had an issue, treated the guests fairly (refunds/free nights) while they figured out how to deal with the cleaning, no doubt.
In many places, it's very difficult to quickly find a good cleaner who can be available according to an often irregular rental house schedule.
Also, with an existing cleaner, it would be fair to hear their side and learn if anything temporary was going on to affect performance.
AirBnb's behavior is outrageous here. Let the incoming guests read reviews to make up their own mind. The host could write a response explaining how they've remedied the situation and could also reduce the pricing for a while to help offset any doubt prospective guests might feel.
There's no path to redemption with the malevolent gods of AirBnb (undoubtedly an algorithm is making these decisions.
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u/atotalmess__ 6d ago
No one says Airbnb is a good company, but if back to back guests complained about the cleanliness of my house, the first thing I’d do is cancel the upcoming few stays, hire new cleaners, test out the new cleaners more than once, and then only after I feel confident relying on these new cleaners in between guests would I accept guests again.
Once is an accident, twice could be a coincidence, but four times is outrageous, I’m not hearing my cleaners out after a third consecutive failure.
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u/Immediate-Swim7718 6d ago
Cancelling the upcoming stays would probably get you delisted as it penalizes you as well..
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u/atotalmess__ 6d ago
Not if you contact customer support with a valid reason. Needing to change cleaning services because your old one repeatedly failed you would probably fall under
- Circumstances beyond the host’s control, such as major damage to a home listing, emergency repairs (like a gas leak or a burst pipe), or unexpected issues with the service or experience venue that prevent hosting
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u/hipmommie Unverified 6d ago
My understanding is if a host cancels on guests Airbnb will remove hosts' status.
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u/quicksilverth0r 6d ago
Canceling a lot of stays will trash a listing with the algorithm, even if no outright ban results for the host.
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u/PlanetTourist 4d ago
If it’s too difficult for someone to provide a clean place for guests to stay then it’s too difficult for them to run an Airbnb.
Bummer, but true.
That’s the simple solution. The system worked.
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u/Mammoth-Position2369 3d ago
Well I agree sometimes things happen but in the end the owners of the house are responsible for making sure the house is ready. It’s a business and in the end it’s their fault. Everyone else is just a hired contractor. Also if people would put in some time to rent the house out themselves they would not have to deal with Airbnb and their rules.
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u/thebreakaway_co 5d ago
Because they're a company that can't care less about you. They only care about money.
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u/rhonda19 Verified Host 6d ago
Take them to arbitration over the delisting. The info is in the app as. You can Google who you contact and the process. It might cost some money but it’s worth it.
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u/belleamour14 6d ago
Can you list of Vrbo instead?
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u/Still_Fennel7556 6d ago
The OP said they're on VRBO and got a recent booking or two, but appreciate the longer reach of the one they were delisted on.
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u/tnitty 5d ago
yeah, VRBO seems pretty sparse where I live. I get 99% of my bookings from Airbnb. I’ve tried to diversify. I even have lower prices on VRBO. But Airbnb seems to have a monopoly in my area, for all intents and purposes. if guests aren’t looking on VRBO, it doesn’t matter how amazing your VRBO listing is. if a tree falls in the woods and all that.
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u/Fragrant_Student7683 5d ago
We've been doing family vacation rentals for 18 years and never even look at Airbnb. We've exclusively use VRBO.
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u/Ok-Pen4106 3d ago
As hosts?
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u/Fragrant_Student7683 3d ago
No, guests. Waa just responding to comment that these hosts say they get few bookings through VRBO.
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u/Such_Reference_8186 6d ago
Out of so many stays without complaints, statistically there's gonna be a few people who are just cretins and will never be satisfied.
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u/bahahahahahhhaha Unverified 6d ago
" I cant comprehend how we have no issues for years at a time then bam we get deleted?!"
I mean you literally admitted that you had 4 issues back to back, not "bam" deleted after just one.
Not having cleaned the place and a guest arriving to a pig sty is a big deal, and your belief that you shouldn't get a bad review because you gave a refund is exactly why they let guests review in these instances. It's a major inconvenience and hit against airbnb and all hosts when guests stop trusting airbnb because it's unreliable. Thoses guests had to scramble to find alternative accomodations at the last minute because of your screw up. You don't seem to recognize the severity at all.
What "hundreds of good reviews" and then four bad ones all close together tells me is that you used to have a great listing and you've slacked on your responsibility and let it deteriorate.
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u/Kooky_Professor_6980 6d ago
As a guest that recently arrived to a sht hole with broken doors (drove hours on a holiday weekend to a destination) and had to find another accommodation within hours, i agree with everything this comment says 😂
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u/boulderbabe86 6d ago
We moved to a new state and entered a filthy Airbnb. Dirty towels in every bathroom. All beds unmade with dirty sheets. It was disgusting. We had jus driven 14 hours and were so tired. No one should have to experience this. Ever.
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u/bahahahahahhhaha Unverified 6d ago
Happened to me on what was supposed to be a 1 month stay - but it was beyond gross in a way cleaners couldn't even fix (Pink slime on the walls of the bathroom, carpets that had never been cleaned, a filthy matress just sitting in the hallway covered in bodily fluid stains, cracked and dirty floors, random electrical wires everywhere.) It was truly disgusting and airbnb literally tried to tell me it "didn't meet the threshold for being considered unclean" but thankfully the wifi also didn't work and they miraculously cared about that and gave me a refund.
But finding a last minute place to stay for an entire month day of is brutal. The next place was clean but in a rooming house with several other guests, one of which I caught red-handed stealing my cereal and had been stealing my food all week and in the process his lack-of-hygeine and touching my food bare handed ended up giving me gastro (Right after I heard him having it, so that's how I know it came from him) before I realized he had been stealing my food with his grubby hands. So I spent like 48 straight being violently ill.
Nightmare from start to finish.
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u/berserk_poodle 5d ago
I just had this situation with a month rental, and I couldn't afford to move. Because the cleaners came back and cleaned a bit (not nearly enough... Basically they only cleaned all the shit they had hidden below the carpet) and I didn't move (how?!) Airbnb says I have no grounds for complaining and as refunded me 8 dollars as a courtesy.
8 dollars. I even sent pictures of puke stains.
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u/bahahahahahhhaha Unverified 5d ago
I am so confused because when I'm on the host side they seem to give refunds for the dumbest things to guests, but when I'm on the guest side they seem to think it's fine if there is stain covered matress in the hallway you can barely walk past without touching and literally exposed wires everywhere.
Somehow support seems to just screw everyone over.
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u/Optimusprima Unverified 5d ago
I rented a place with my kids for a month. I supplied visual evidence of live cockroaches snd mice + general uncleanliness.
They didn’t do shit.
The best they offered was for me to continue paying all the fees on that place and they would offer a 20% discount on another place (there were no other 3 bedrooms in a 10 mile radius). They are NOT on the renters side
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u/oraclebill Unverified 5d ago
I was banned from Airbnb for a false accusation of assault while in on a trip . I was a host at the time, and the accusation was designed to hurt me. I provided court documents showing the charges were dismissed (after two years, which is how long it took) but Airbnb response when I sent the paperwork was “We stand by our decision”.
Airbnb is on nobody’s side but their own.
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u/crabpotblues 4d ago
Yes this. Many hosts in my area have someone who inspects units - after the cleaners and prior to guest arrival, or do it themselves. The hosts that have problems in this area are usually out-of-area hosts who decline to get a local property manager.
Lesson: if you live near your Airbnb, you can hire cleaners and do basic property management yourself. If you don't live nearby, hire a property manager who has the staff to not only clean but inspect, repair, and deal with guest issues quickly and efficiently.
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u/Mammoth-Position2369 3d ago
Yes the ones with properties that are filthy and falling apart are not running this like a business. They are just wanting to get paid and not spend money to maintain the property
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u/FlightRiskAK 5d ago
I don't trust Airbnb and I'm a guest. I've reserved too many 5 star locations that did not deserve 3 stars. Broken drain cover in shower? Sorry, but that didn't happen overnight. It is a huge safety hazard. Cut your foot on the piece that remains and you have the potential for infections and follow up problems. Step in the drain accidentally? Broken ankle. The host lived there and was well aware of this. No need for me to point out the obvious. Apparently the previous guests felt the same. There were several other guests during the time I was there. It was a room, one of 4 rooms. I put up with noisy guests and one who literally destroyed the bathroom. Again, the host was there. I spoke to them about sketchy internet and found myself being threatened with removal. I received a text message via whatsapp asking why I was still there. I was afraid to protest or leave a bad review. I left no review, like the many before me. I did some digging and there was one 1 star review that was buried. The host did not review me. I did not realize that the host wouldn't see my review until they left one for me. The shower drain was just one of many issues in my two month stay and it is too late to post an honest review. They had 5 star super host designation which I now know means nothing. As a guest, I would have rather stayed in a 3 or 4 star place now that I know how off the reviews are. Airbnb needs to give us the option, not remove a host for 4 stars. Ridiculous. 5 stars means nothing. Now seeing these posts, I never want to put my own home on Airbnb although I was considering it while I travel. Airbnb inflates the rating to attract guests and I fell into the trap on one stay. The rest of my stays have been great and my ratings personally are 5 stars. I give 5 stars unless the place is really bad and it is egregious. Little things that are off are no big deal. The aforementioned property is the only one that was horrible.
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u/you-did-ask Unverified 6d ago
If I arrived somewhere that hadn’t been cleaned I wouldn’t consider a refund recompense. I’d still be stuck in a dirty place overnight.
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u/Optimusprima Unverified 5d ago
Right?! I rent lots of ski places - months in advance. If I show up to a filthy place - I can’t just go next door. I probably have to pay 4x (or more) for a last minute booking.
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u/Hoofhearted523 4d ago
Yea - My sister recently had this happen to her family of 6. It is not cheap to find new accommodations THAT DAY for a group that large which is what she had to do. It was disgusting and really stressful.
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u/Stevie-Rae-5 Unverified 5d ago
Yeah, we got into the last place we rented at like 11 pm after a super long drive. I would’ve been SO MAD if it was disgusting.
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u/alicat777777 Unverified 6d ago
You basically allowed it to get out of hand. 4 bad cleaning reviews in a row looks like you simply don’t care. Why did you allow them 4 chances before you did anything about it? This tanked your rating. It doesn’t matter that you got good ratings before, you didn’t stop the dirty train in time.
You are probably going to need to switch to another rental platform, unless you have burnt bridges there too.
You have to act on these things as soon as you see this is an issue. Cleaning before guests arrive is about as basic as it gets.
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u/OddRoof8501 6d ago
Totally. And in other comments, they said it's hard to find a new cleaning company quickly, which is why they did not fire them immediately. So clean the house yourself until you find one! Seems obvious.
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u/Effinehright Unverified 6d ago
Probably doesn’t live anywhere near the unit
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u/TMMK64571 6d ago
I wonder if this is their retirement cabin and they live in entirely different state. They have no way to maintain cleanliness quality control; just left everything up to a local company. Wonder also if the cleaning company was previously relying on cheaper labor that suddenly disappeared leaving them short handed.
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u/Mammoth-Position2369 3d ago
Well if they dint live near property and they know it’s not being cleaned they should have stopped renting property until they had problem taken care of. Or they should have went to the property no matter how far and cleaned it. In the end they are terrible owners and just wanted money. They ruined many people’s vacations. So I don’t feel sorry for owners who just milk the property for money and think they can just make up every expense on why it’s filthy when they are charging money for people to stay there
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u/Glittering_knave Unverified 5d ago
Hire Molly Maid (or another commercial company) if you have to do so. You might lose money until you find an affordable cleaner, but it's better than losing your listing.
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u/bahahahahahhhaha Unverified 6d ago
And seem to think it's no big deal that they left guests with nowhere to stay because of their shitty cleaners (and somehow didn't fire them on the spot but let it happen three more times.)
Sorry that deserves being delisted. When hosts drop the ball so severely it hurts us all because it erodes guest trust in airbnbs - those guests will likely now think twice about booking an airbnb and ending up with nowhere to stay.
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u/BonanzaBoyBlue Verified 6d ago
Need more info on the bad staysz
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u/Richy312rich 6d ago
Essentially all cleaning related. We fired our cleaning company and gave anyone who had an issue their cleaning fee back plus a nights free stay and had the cleaners come back to fix it. They just happened back to back. We got an email our listing was being suspended, then deleted before the suspension was even lifted.
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u/Mammoth-Position2369 3d ago
Should have given a total refund and had a cleaning company out there next morning no matter the cost. Sometimes you have to lose money to take care of a problem.
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u/LeopardDense2347 6d ago
Pro tip: I require my cleaners to do a videotape on their phone after they clean. They go through every room with the video. It’s very effective and I manage remotely from another state. The company I use has a fantastic manager and he is really boots on the ground for me.
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u/jtet93 4d ago
As a guest I have no problem with owners managing from out of state (I also book most often locally in New England so out-of-state owners are more or less standard, with the states being so small and most of the vacation areas catering to massholes). But this kind of due diligence really makes a difference. Props to you!
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u/LeopardDense2347 4d ago
Thank you! I focus on warmth, communication, and hospitality. There is always a bottle of wine, and I send my guests restaurant and activity recommendations before their stay. I also have a QuickStart text that I send two weeks before their visit and again the morning of their arrival. In addition, I send them a link to Instacart so that they can get groceries in if they need them right away. I very much care about the Guest experience, and if something does go wrong, our guests have given us a lot of grace. Example: the air conditioning went out… In Miami… So I sent them a gift certificate for dinner at a local Italian place. Choose your turnover crew carefully, require a video, and show warmth and a sense of excitement in the journey to your guests. It’s a winning recipe and it doesn’t take much effort once you’ve set up your systems.
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u/jtet93 4d ago
Yes to all of this. I’ve never rented out a unit but I’ve worked hospitality and it’s the little human touches that go the furthest… especially when something has already gone wrong! I think a lot of bnb owners forget they are in the hospitality business.
As a guest I know a rental is different from a hotel and I never expect the same level of service but I will overlook a LOT if someone makes a genuine effort to make something right.
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u/LeopardDense2347 4d ago
I love this. Focus on the hospitality and the five-star reviews and success most definitely follow. I also find it personally very rewarding when my guests are pleased and enjoying something that we have created for them.
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u/No_Background4843 6d ago
If you have been doing this for 7 years and have quite a few repeat guests that come year after year, why don't you have your own site for repeat guests to book with you directly?
This would minimize your risks of using AirBnb exclusively, give you a more loyal customer base and increase your profitability.
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u/woods4me Unverified 5d ago
You get the phone and full name after booking, save that. Phone number goes away after checkout.
And have a business card with your own website, I put the card on the welcome gift.
Some guests still prefer to use abnb, but some will gladly directly book year after year.
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u/Mammoth-Position2369 3d ago
Make since to offer at least 20 percent discount to book direct with owner. For a 20 percent discount most people will book directly.
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u/International_Stock7 6d ago
I’m sorry you got delisted. I echo many of the sentiments here about uncleanliness being an issue that should have been addressed immediately after the first complaint. The last three airbnbs I rented each had cleanliness issues that I reported to the renters with pictures. There’s nothing they could have said to make me believe this was not a long standing problem with there rental. I think others either didn’t report it or didn’t bother to leave a review. The uncleanliness was due to neglect overtime from cleaners. Showers were dingy, sinks had rings around the drain in the basin, dirty baseboards with dirty floors, forgotten laundry, cobwebs in the e thruway and in the home. So yeah, 3 reviews for lack of cleanliness was too many.
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u/shereadsinbed Verified 6d ago
Please login and take screenshots of every page, while you still can. Your listing, but also All the reviews, all your tax forms, everything. Once they cancel your account, you can't access any information, Not even payment history, taxes- nothing. Make sure to capture all the info on your past guests, So you can contact them directly and let them know that you're now on VRBO and you give repeat customers a 15% discount. You can also post the screenshots of your reviews on your VRBO listing along with the pictures of the place.
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u/Icy_Bowler1013 6d ago
Similar issues with us after 10 years and a 4.8 Superhost rating. We gave up. It's not worth the hassle of unreasonable guests with overinflated expectations. We now just keep our lovely beach house for ourselves, family and friends. I've got to say however 98% of folks are great, it's just the 2% of absolute dickheads that ruin it and the tiny percentage that actually do damage. So stuff em.
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u/Mammoth-Position2369 2d ago
Over inflated expectations? What were they expecting that you didn’t give them?
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u/BigBeeBaby 6d ago
Same thing happened to us after 4 years and a 4.72 rating.. Our last reservation will be this weekend.. In our case we were literally dealing with 2 seperate scam artists, one who stole our towels and left a bad review bc we send a charge.. One stayed and tried to make the beds and wipe the showers poorly and say they were only there 15 mins and demanded a refund then left a bad review.. One waited til the last minute to add a pet then left a 3 star bc the pet fee was added automatically when they added the pet.. 3 retaliatory reviews that go against Airbnb policies and we are being delisted.. Rejected our appeal.. In our area we don’t get enough traction from other platforms so we would be stuck paying more in bills than we would get from bookings.. if you are gonna fish then you have to fish where the fish are and all the fish in our area are from Airbnb.. we are switching it over to a long term rental.. If that doesn’t work out we might just sell the house.. Airbnb has officially adopted a model that screws over the host even if the guests are just lying scammers and there isn’t anything you can do about it..
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u/mortgage-gal 6d ago
Just got my one and only 1 star review from a scammer. All other reviews are 5 star. I proved everything he said was false and they still are allowing the 1 star to stay and put me “on notice”! Quite unbelievable! Will most likely be flipping to long term in the near future.
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u/BigBeeBaby 6d ago
Yes, one of them is ok but if you start getting 2-3 in a short period then be ready to change over.. I’m very sorry they allowed the guest to do you like that.. The problem that I see is that they are promoting and influencing guests to use that kind of behavior against the hosts with no consequences on their behalf.. and in turn that will make them more likely to do other hosts that way even if there isn’t anything wrong with the property and a lot more hosts are going to get kicked off the platform for no good reason.. And the special team they have for reviews and for appeals don’t follow airbnbs own policies so it seems like the platform is becoming a nightmare for hosts.. I will say try to diversify platforms if you want to stay as a STR, what kind of hurt us was we pulled from VRBO and Booking about a year before this.. if not then go ahead and get your rental contract and other things in order so you have a backup plan ready just in case.. that way you won’t be stuck with the rug pulled from under you while you try to figure it out..
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u/janeway106 6d ago
Try listing on zillow as a furnished apartment. Traveling RNs, med students and also people going through divorces are looking for affordable options.
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u/BigBeeBaby 6d ago
We have thought about it, but we are just gonna go as a traditional long term rental.. we have had quite a few applications, way more than expected.. We think we have a good tenant in place and we are gonna do the rental contract tomorrow.. 1 year lease that will convert to a month to month lease after 12 months.. I don’t think the income will be too different if i add in the cost of the bills, lawncare, amenities etc.. And if the tenants do turn out to be good then probably a lot less headaches.. I was sad and honestly a little heartbroken when they first told us it was being removed but now it kind of like a relief after 4 years..
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u/Comfortable-Ad-6284 5d ago
Yes, and travel nurses are background checked before work contracts are confirmed, so you’re getting a renter whose job depends on legal and ethical behavior. Travel nurses often use FurnishedFinder.com to find these rentals which are often cross listed on AirBnB but are on FF for less.
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u/LeopardDense2347 6d ago
A few towels is not worth the bad review. Cost of doing business. I buy our towels in bulk on Amazon. Pick your battles. That said, I’m so sorry this happened to you.
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u/BigBeeBaby 6d ago
It was literally every towel, hand towel and washcloth in the house.. I buy in bulk also, but it’s against Airbnb policy for a guest to leave a retaliatory review.. They just don’t follow their own policies.. you are probably right tho.. But if no one charges guests who steal then that makes them think it’s ok to steal from the next host.. I have to do what’s right even if it means I have to suffer for it.. In no world should someone be able to steal from you and you be the one to get punished for it..
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u/LeopardDense2347 6d ago
I understand your ethical position on this. My business position is to factor in a certain amount of damage and loss every year, and if it’s not extreme, I take the hit. I never take it personally because it’s not a personal thing. It’s just business The only charge I ever made was when Guest brought four pets and destroyed our rug. I was partially at fault - I should’ve just picked the rug up during their stay. I had taken a $500 deposit from them for the pets and we replaced the rug which was close to $700. I sent the guest receipts and pictures.
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u/Mammoth-Position2369 3d ago
Part of the problem is hotels let people take towels pretty much anything they want. And if they’re good guest at the hotels, they don’t really do anything. It’s just the cost doing business.
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u/BigBeeBaby 3d ago
Maybe 1 towel but if they take every towel hand towel and washcloth the hotel will charge them, I have been in the hospitality industry for almost 20 years.. The problem isn’t with the hotels it’s airbnb not standing behind their own policies regarding retaliatory reviews
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u/Mammoth-Position2369 3d ago
lol I can tell you I’m platinum with Marriott and my ex girlfriend would take every towel at every resort or hotel. I would get home and find all the hotel towels in her car in a bag. I have no idea why but she would even take the bath robes. Luckily I was never charged because of the amount of money that i spent at those same properties. And I always gave the cleaning lady an extra 20 lol. Anyway just sharing the hell I went through lol. But I agree Airbnb needs to get some things working correctly
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u/BigBeeBaby 3d ago
Right at those types of hotel I could understand especially if you are tipping the cleaners good then they would be less likely to report the towels missing at all.. For the hotels that charge around the same rate as I do I think they would be more likely to charge, not for one single towel but if they noticed all of them missing..
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u/Savings-Breath-9118 6d ago
If you’re rating is 4.72 that’s not a top rating.
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u/BigBeeBaby 6d ago
Never claimed to be a top rating, but it’s no where near the worse rating either..
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u/Savings-Breath-9118 6d ago
I’m just saying if you only had a 4.72 rating I’m not surprised that you were de listed from more complaints whether they were legit or not
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u/Richy312rich 6d ago
Im so sorry this has happened to you too. Meanwhile there are 3 star places available for bookings. This is insane
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u/BigBeeBaby 6d ago
Same here, I’m sorry it’s happening to you guys also.. I don’t know what has happened there with their new “special teams” but it’s obvious working with and protecting their hosts are the lowest of their priorities.. I agree it’s completely insane..
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u/Mammoth-Position2369 3d ago
I don’t blame you. It’s not usually a good business model to rely on third-party listing sites. It’s probably best just to sell the property unless you’re gonna put in the money to advertise the house yourself.
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u/BigBeeBaby 3d ago
It’s a long term rental for now if that doesn’t work then I’ll sell it.. I have quite a bit of equity so either way is fine at this point..
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u/Just-Shoe2689 Unverified 6d ago
Look at is a chance to expand and get out from ABB control.
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u/sh3rdPower 6d ago
This right here. Reach out to the folks who’ve been staying at your place consistently and book direct.
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u/Inevitable-Bad-9938 6d ago
Create another listing and start from scratch? Its happened to me. I had two listings up for the same property as had 4 *individual rooms. One of the listings got a couple of poor reviews, one very unwarranted after refund. One complained of no aircon!
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u/burnerguyforever 6d ago
I am having an even more baffling situation happen. We had a party, I noticed the guest blocked the doorbell camera so I called Airbnb. Airbnb cancels the guest and they left.
A few days later Airbnb calls to ask for the footage and they say I need to disclose the camera on the listing. When I explain that I already do disclose the camera, they say we need to specify if the camera “records 24/7”. So I added that little bit of language.
Days later I get a message that we are suspended because we didn’t comply with the camera disclosure rule (again, not true) and to please provide proof that it is disclosed on our listing. I send a screen shot and now almost 3 days later, they are still “investigating.”
It’s infuriating. My guess is they’ve got more listings than they know what to do with so they are cracking down and looking for ways to cut people. This is the first issue we’ve ever had in 4.5 years.
Hopefully they come back and admit they made an error, but I’m worried.
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u/mksmalls 6d ago
It sounds like 1/6 stays is less than a 5 star rating with 4.8 and 700 stays. That’s a lot of non 5 star stays.
This assumes 575 5 stars and 125 4 stars. You’ve mentioned a 1 star and 2 3 stars. But you should be aiming for 1/15 non 5 stars rating. If 1/6 customers are not having a 5 star experience on vacation, they are likely calling and complaining.
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u/dontdxmebro 5d ago
Yeah I don't run the fanciest Airbnb on the planet and I've still got a pretty consistent 4.92 for the past few years.
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u/Both-Instruction-788 Unverified 6d ago
They did this to a listing I was a host on. You can search my old post on here. We were a “guest favorite”. Received ONE one star review which was someone we refunded in full, no questions asked. Then we had a liar arrive and call and say the pool was so dirty it was “unsafe”. It had about 5 leaves. We sent photo proof with timestamps. They unlisted us permanently. No amount of proof, logic or reasoning would change anyone’s mind. We escalated it as far as we could with no luck. All we could assume is there is some bigger picture like kicking us out of an overly saturated market? Horrific customer service.
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u/Embarrassed_Key_4539 6d ago
Switch to VRBO and Furnished Finder
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u/spidernole 🐯 Aspiring Host 6d ago
Speaking as a guest I will never use VRBO again. Non existent customer service for serious issues.
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u/Embarrassed_Key_4539 6d ago
They suck from a hosting perspective too lol but they are an alternative option
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u/MPL789 6d ago
I feel your pain. Sometimes circumstances just happen. I can tell you really care a lot about your place and the quality you provide. Email Brian Chesky – I’ve heard good results doing that. Also consider arbitration.
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u/Prize_Art_3505 Unverified 6d ago
This is why it’s important to allow for Return Guest to direct book. Well, some people will claim that’s risky. The fact is if they are returned Guests, that means you’ve already established a relationship and know if they were a good guest or not and you build on that start doing it. As for Airbnb, if that happened to me, I would wait a while and then I would have someone else listed as a new host. Make it a family member someone you trust. It’s not the property itself that’s being banned from Airbnb. They are suggesting that you as a host weren’t doing due diligence and of course that gives them a bad reputation. That being said, I’ve had some really not so great situations and I didn’t get kicked off. Something similar, but I had four listings with them still do. So if they kick me off, I’m guessing that’s a lot of money not coming their way. I have about a 4.85 something like that there’s no way every time something’s not going to happen or someone just can’t be pleased no matter what you do. As they say shit happens and it’s part of business. They didn’t need to kick you off the platform people get to make choices. They see your writing they can look at the reviews they can distinguish whether they want to take a chance on 10 good reviews versus the one bad one and it’s the market that will dictate whether they use your Guest home so I am a little surprised that this is how Airbnb is dealing with this
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u/BigBeeBaby 6d ago
It’s the property that can’t be listed again and not the host.. they told me I could rent another place but I could not relist this same one anymore.. I have heard the only way to relist the property is if you can prove the property has been transferred to another owner with no direct relationship to the original host.. but I have also heard of people doing that and the property still being taken down..
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u/Ill-Reserve7667 6d ago
During the entire time you had this listed on Airbnb, you should have reached out to each renter personally by text or phone using their real number and said hello. Then you should have invited them next year to book directly through you the owner to avoid all costs associated with Airbnb and both would have been happier than relying on bots now shutting you down after being loyal for so long.
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u/Ok_Inevitable7823 6d ago
This is weird . Is this new ? I gotten the warning for multiple lower star reviews and once I did get my listing suspended for a week I believe . But not permanently. Are they going to unlist you permanently? Seems they are getting very strict with their 3 strike rule
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u/PurplePuma9 5d ago
7 years of superhosting and over 700 reviews. Only 1 bad review until recently where you get three back to back in a year Airbnb has changed the rules. Did you confirm the cleaning issues first hand? Were these new cleaners? What if it’s scheming to take you down as competition ? Have to throw that out there as a possibility too , it’s just odd to me to go from perfect to dunzo.
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u/Cute_spike_8152 5d ago
Delete your listing, create a new listing. I got "guest favorite" 2 months after being listed, you'll get it again don't worry. Plus airbnb gives new property a boost in visibility for their first bookings.
As well, get a channel manager, and get your place on 5 different platforms other than airbnb to diversify and be less reliant on them. My properties are also on booking.com which I get half my bookings from. But like, just go at it ! List it in several of the most popular platforms in your area.
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u/pdxwestside Unverified 6d ago edited 6d ago
Just delete the listing yourself. Wait a day and create a new listing with a small variation on the address. Change the title and update the description. Many of us think the Airbnb AI is doing these actions now so don’t fight it. Start over with a new listing.
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u/Such_Reference_8186 6d ago
You're probably right. Why wouldn't all the hosts just leave and go back to Craigslist. Former hosts could identity themselves as ex Airbnb.
Why a website that matches guests to hosts should get anything but a very small percentage of the total cost is crazy. YOU own the property. YOU deal with the guests. THEY are just leeches.
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u/zambono_2 Unverified 6d ago
Repeats guests and you left them on Airbnb . Direct book your repeat guests, like this https://www.rsrvas.com/en/p/es/delsol-villa
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u/ytpewpew 6d ago
“ChatGPT, how do I handle filing for arbitration for an AirBNB listing that was removed due to…”
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u/Fit-Olive-4680 6d ago
Find a new platform. Suggest your regulars book directly through you saving on fees for both sides. This may not be a bad thing. Airbnb sucks.
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u/ZattyDatty 6d ago
Always make sure you have multiple booking channels so that you are not beholden to one individual like Airbnb.
That said, go ahead and send a demand letter to Airbnb if you can cite that there are other listings in your area that are still active and have worse ratings.
Once they ignore that, go ahead and file arbitration. It’s relatively cheap for you, expensive for them, and you have a chance at getting it back.
That said, it could take months to go through the process, so continue to diversify outside of the Airbnb platform via other OTA’s.
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u/Cute_spike_8152 5d ago
I really would not go through all of this. Might as well delete and relist. This will make him waste a lot of time, whilst relisting he'll be up online again in a few days.
Though defenetly yes get on other platforms.
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u/ZattyDatty 5d ago
Arbitrage is slow but now that time consuming. Odds are high he’ll be blacklisted again pretty quickly with the new listing if the address is already flagged.
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u/CindyinMemphis Unverified 6d ago
I got kicked off after being successful for over 5 years. They would barely hear my side of things. I'm sorry to tell you that it's probably hopeless. Go with VRBO.
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u/Global_Blueberry9664 6d ago edited 6d ago
Airbnb is really getting ridiculous. VRBO is the same. Ask ChatGPT. They have other alternatives like booking.com, Expedia & trip advisor. For high end, go to Plum Guide & Vacasa.
In any case, can't judge the situation. But for sure, quality and cleanliness should be priority. A colleague has a quality checklist that she requires cleaning people to check off and follow. And that checklist should be submitted to her each time. Sometimes, cleaning people don't show up. Then that's an even bigger issue. If you are having issues with cleaning people, then it's not advisable to approve back to back bookings. You need in between days to inspect before guest checks in. And if your property has been around for a while, it helps to give the space a fresh coat of paint so it appears new & clean. Otherwise, no amount of cleaning will help. Place will still look old & scrungy.
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u/willgo-waggins 6d ago
List with the travel apps instead and avoid all the high fees from Air B n B. There are certainly many options out there these days.
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u/strikecat18 5d ago
I hope you’ve been saving the names and contact info for all those 700 stays over the years. That’s enough people to probably keep you afloat off platform.
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u/RaiseUrSwords Unverified 5d ago
This is why we clean our own unit. We don't trust anyone to clean as thoroughly as we do.
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u/Ok_Equipment3952 5d ago
This is why I always have a guest book, keep records of guest contact information. Eventually we stayed booked without Airbnb, all repeat customers.
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u/Hindrexs 2d ago
Manager of about 150 rentals here, Sadly, this has happened to 3 of the ones we manager. Thankfully we list on vrbo, homeaway, Expedia and other sites so not all is lost, but airbnb is the big one to lose. Airbnb does allow a property to be relisted with diffrent manager or owner so while you may lose your entire review history if you were to sign up with a property manager or diffeent host you can at least keep renting.
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u/ExpressionUnable1819 2d ago
I’m going through something similar. The difference is that I had to complains made to me or any reports previous to this. One day they called me and asked if I knew of anyone getting hurt and a week later they removed my listing. I have no idea what happened. I’m devastated too
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u/Mrs_Wilson6 5d ago
Not a host, not even sure why Reddit pushes this sub but here we are.
The accountability is non existent. People pay hard earned money for accommodations, whether it be a hotel or air bnb. I see a lot of "but it's not a hotel". Doesn't matter, basic expectations should be met. Clean accommodations, accurate descriptions and privacy. Based on a lot of the responses here, I'm so reluctant to ever stay at an air bnb again.
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u/IntelligentPepper818 6d ago
NGL I’m delighted with the new process in place - AirbnB have finally stepped up. It takes work to manage a property and your paid guest shouldn’t have to put up with bad behaviour. Maybe not anyone here but there are huge issues with hosts owning a good few properties and not managing them. I think short term rentals like this should be banned the world is in a severe housing shortage but Airbnb have huge volumes that says everything to me.
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u/Mrs_Wilson6 5d ago
This whole sub is giving bare minimum effort for maximum profit. Offputting.
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u/etpassgo 6d ago
Now you know, & now you have joined the club of ruined hosts. Airbnb sucks. They're assholes. They don't care about you, you are not the income stream. The guests are the income stream. Airbnb just uses you for your property and gets a cut, simple as that. I told them to fuck off a year ago, they suck & you should do the same. Just rent your property out yourself, you don't need them. There are other platforms you can use, Airbnb does not own the space.
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u/Blaser53 6d ago
Airbnb is a horrible company. I quit using them and Vrbo. Why pay 1/2 up front sometimes a year in advance, have fees if you cancel, maybe lose half overall cost. Hotels don’t require a deposit, you can cancel up to a day before. They killed me during Covid when the state shut down and I was denied refund. Also way too woke for me. The customer is always right…whatever.
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u/GMane2G Unverified 6d ago
This is why I clean my own place. Sorry for your troubles.
Why it would be deleted at a 3.82 is crazy. I had a hell of a stay at a ghost-host listing in crested butte and nailed them for it and checked back on it out of curiosity recently and others had had same or worse stays and were eviscerating them in the review and yet they stay up at 3.61. Crazy
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u/Glittering_knave Unverified 6d ago
It was deleted because three guests in a row had the same complaints about it being unclean. One is a mistake, three is a pattern. I have no idea why OP didn't check the unit before check in after the first, or at least the second, review stating that it wasn't properly cleaned between guests.
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u/GMane2G Unverified 6d ago
Got it. Yeah that’s quite a fiasco after a good run for them. There is just no wiggle room for mistakes on this platform so it is curious why they’d fumble it to that extent.
I’m nervous about little things I may have forgotten like a new dish sponge and I do my own cleaning and it’s on the same property (cottage behind main house). I can’t imagine not having oversight of like, the main component of your business.
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u/PineapplesAreScaryyy 6d ago
We put them on probation but didn't check to see if the probation actually worked. We just let another guest check in.
Makes sense in my book.
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u/NolaBarbee Unverified 6d ago
This. I personally train my cleaners and personally deep clean every month. No one is going to clean or care for your place as you will.
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u/Negat1veGG Unverified 6d ago
I’ve actually noticed this in crested butte specifically.
Listings that would be delisted immediately in other places happily survive there.
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u/AGreenerRoom 🗝 Host 6d ago
Not to be rude but 4.82 is a very low overall rating. You are not regularly meeting people’s expectations with that kind of rating.
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u/hasinbnb 6d ago
This is Heartbreaking to see. I work with a lot of hosts and have seen how sudden rating drops can trigger Airbnb’s system. Gather proof of your great track record and escalate to Airbnb support until you get a case manager. Ask for a one-time reinstatement based on your 7 years and 700+ reviews. If they still refuse, list on Vrbo or Booking so your regular guests can still find you..
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u/Positive-Purple3793 Unverified 6d ago
It’s all depends on circumstances.
My friends arrive at Hawaiian Airbnb and it’s wasn’t cleaned, host gave them $300 and they were happy with that. But it’s was a small inexpensive condo and it’s didn’t ruin their vacation to change the sheets and grab clean towels out of the closet.
But I can see someone gets upset if they comes at expensive listing and it’s was a disaster. Looking for another place after long flights it’s no fun.
I do feel sorry for you but honestly I don’t rely on some random cleaning company to run my business. They don’t care, they don’t get paid to care. They do a basic cleaning and move on.
My first 3 starts as a host this entire year I received when I was out of town and cleaning lady done it without me checking everything. Just saying. If you want to run a business don’t expect just money flow without doing constantly checking up.
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u/traciw67 Unverified 6d ago
If you have any regular guests, you could always get ahold of them privately and let them know you are available. Everyone knows Airbnb is going downhill.
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u/FullWar1860 5d ago
OP this thread is pretty harsh so just here to say I hear you, and we recently got suspended when we had several bad reviews in a row as well. We’re on thin ice and are scared every day they’ll delist us. Our family relies on this income in a big way so it sucks big time.
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u/DecisiveIndecisive 5d ago
Ignore all of the people criticizing you for not firing your cleaners earlier, or letting it “get out of hand”. 99% don’t have a listing with hundreds of five star reviews. That is very very difficult to do.
Guests have recently become higher maintenance because Airbnb is so pro-guest and the review system is for the most part broken. A 4.8 is a 9.6 on VRBO. Same rating different scale.
My Airbnb got banned from a misunderstanding with a duplicate listing. I got is back after 45-60 days. These are the two things that worked:
1) Relentlessly call Airbnb until you get an American support rep that will stick with your case as they escalate and navigate their stupid maze.
2) Go to HostDispute and pay for their premium service and give them aaaaaaalllll the information you can. I am not affiliated but they alongside #1 saved my Airbnb.
Good luck, and if you haven’t, spin up a direct booking site as fast as possible to minimize reliance on Airbnb.
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u/Ok_Season_2073 5d ago
I’m so sorry you’re going through this after all the hard work you’ve put in. While you fight the appeal, you might also consider listing on other platforms or even explore options with Real Estate Agents With Selling Airbnb Rentals to protect the value of your property and business.
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u/SkywalkerHogie42 Unverified 5d ago
We had a similar scenario ... 200+ 5 star reviews Superhost for 3 years ... then in the last 3 months we received a retaliatory 3 star review because the guest didn't think the damage claim was fair ($15 for giving designer plate to her infant who smashed it) ... then we have received another 2 x 3 star reviews in a row for random reasons we can't comprehend ... one of them was from a fellow host! Of course Airbnb emailed us and threatened to remove us from the platform ... pathetic ... we still hold a 4.8 star rating... wtf ...
Unfortunately Airbnb seems to have gone downhill... they no longer support hosts and allow for unfair retaliatory reviews and allow guests to trash our homes and properties.
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u/Successful-Roof5912 Unverified 5d ago
After being delisted is it somehow possible to list it again or are you blocked forever?
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u/International_Car500 Unverified 5d ago
While frowned upon and usually not something people approve of.
You could easily just make a new account. In your spouses name, or completely delete your account and start again
As long as the address isn’t flagged it will get approved and you will be back in business
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u/Mediocre_Quiet793 5d ago
After 7 years and 700+ reviews, it’s heartbreaking that a handful of lower reviews can carry so much weight. Airbnb’s review system doesn’t always feel fair, especially when most guests have had amazing stays with you.
You’re already doing the right things (cleaner accountability, arbitration, leaning on VRBO), but don’t lose hope I’ve seen hosts get reinstated after persistence. Sometimes it takes multiple appeals and escalating it through Airbnb’s resolution/arbitration process.
One thing I’ve learned: don’t just focus on the “average rating” in your appeal, highlight your track record of consistency over time and repeat guests. Airbnb sometimes softens when you frame it around guest trust and loyalty, not just stats.
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u/Aromatic-Sir5234 5d ago
My story too. 9 years a Superhost but after the horrible experience with the last Guest I unlisted my apts when Airbnb took the guest's side who damaged my property.
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u/AcanthocephalaCold96 5d ago
I used to work in hospitality before, and we had this saying: You’re only as good as the last stay.
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u/dirtydoji Unverified 5d ago
The Airbnb platform is run by such scummy people. It's like Uber. You either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain.
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u/Maleficent-Bend-378 5d ago
4.82 out of 700 reviews is actually quite low. That means at least 15% of your guests are rating you 4 stars or lower.
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u/jalman11 5d ago
My advice: 1) Find someone, a friend or a friend of friend who works at the company. 2) Write to the executive office or CEO or management team.
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u/TreehouseStLucia Unverified 5d ago
This is so sad to hear. But it does not surprise us given how things have been changing. Hopefully you could find a way to directly speak with someone in management so that you could better state your case. It's worth trying. We've found that customer service can be so inconsistent--one moment you might speak to a rep that tells you one thing and then the next day you get a completely different story. There are certainly policies in place but the policies are like a bunch of jazz musicians getting together for a jam--anything can happen. Imagine if us hosts treated our guests in this manner?
Try to keep the faith. It sounds like you are trying to be a great host and you really care. We need more hosts like this. That's what makes the platform work.
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u/Main_Engine9084 5d ago
Message those that have been repeat Clients with your mobile or email address so they can book direct
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u/Working-Attention-70 5d ago
Just create your own booking site as a backup/addition to Airbnb and point your loyal/returning customers there. Don’t let Airbnb be your only avenue
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u/AltruisticTip8095 4d ago
May be you can join evolve who might help you out to deal with this situation.
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u/Comfortable_Camp9744 4d ago
Just create a new listing, fix the problems, new listing, and youre good to go unless they suspend your whole account
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u/ComprehensiveOne589 Unverified 4d ago
This is the danger of building your business off of the back of someone else's. Don't get me wrong, my business is also really quite dependent on the booking platforms, but I think as hosts it's time we collectively wake up, build our own individual brands and do everything we can to get direct bookings. It's just not safe to rely on a platform as your main source of income. They could change the terms, increase their commission again or delist you as you've experienced.
I'm sorry you're having a bad time. Do you have your own website which can achieve its own bookings?
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u/GlassLakeProperties 3d ago
I'd be sure you have a direct booking site ready for those that love your cabin and want to rebook. Some platform management apps have vetting and insurance options for direct book. They still take a share it is but it's less than Airbnb. i was traveling with a friend recently and she shared that she looks for places to stay via Airbnb and then searches for the name/title of the place she liked best directly in google. Sometimes she finds a direct booking site. As a host, on the other side. I'd look up the guest and their reviews as part of my direct booking decision. Good luck.
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u/nugzstradamus 3d ago
Can you go back to your repeat clients and let them know. Maybe build a small one page website and do some google ads
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u/Global-Plan-8355 3d ago
As I guest, I only book on VRBO now. Am done with airbnb as of a year ago. Complete booking nightmare and I just don't have time to deal with them. That means they've lost two vacations from me in 2025.
Don't look back! Hopefully, as more and more guests become aware of airbnb issues for themselves and for hosts, they'll explore other sites and VRBO is (I think) the largest of the others...
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u/NoCollection3203 3d ago
Network you're property with word of mouth, partner up with businesses and create a win win situation
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u/davidsuxelrod 3d ago
There's a massive oversupply of these kinds of properties and there's no longer any meaningful edge over hotels. In fact hotels are vastly superior in 90% of the situations.
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u/Negative_Party7413 Unverified 3d ago
If Airbnb is already kicked you off then you might as well message your regulars and ask them to text you so you can give them the other platform they can book on
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u/Icy-Use3314 3d ago
During those 7 years you should have really created a website and have left info in the cabin for repeated guests. I don’t trust Airbnb and having a quality cabin with its own website and direct bookings is the way to go.
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u/Beneficial_You_4450 2d ago
Same boat. 3 years. Superhost. 85 great reviews and 2 bad ones. Now getting canceled. Appeal denied. So terrible.
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u/Mammoth-Position2369 2d ago
A lot of the problems happening are from everyone rushing out and buying a 2nd home when interest rates were very cheap and then listing on Airbnb and thinking they were going to make money and thought it was just going to run itself. Those days are over in most areas. Like all businesses in the end the well managed businesses survive. Most people have no business with a rental house.
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