Check out our latest communities fighting
AI scams on Reddit and Facebook

business logo of Airbnb

Airbnb

1.2

On SmartCustomer, businesses may not offer incentives or pay to remove reviews. Learn more about our Review Guidelines.

How would you rate Airbnb?
grey stargrey stargrey stargrey stargrey star

Airbnb Reviews Summary

Airbnb's reputation is significantly marred by persistent complaints regarding its customer service and the quality of listings. Customers frequently express frustration over inadequate support, particularly in resolving issues related to cleanliness and safety at properties. Many report feeling unsafe or misled by inaccurate listings, leading to financial losses and dissatisfaction. Conversely, some users have had positive experiences with Airbnb Luxe, highlighting exceptional service and quality accommodations. Overall, while there are isolated instances of satisfaction, the overarching sentiment reflects a concerning trend of unreliable service and a lack of accountability towards both guests and hosts.

This summary is generated by AI, based on text from customer reviews

service
593
value
547
shipping
189
returns
306
quality
498

We monitor reviews for authenticity

California
6 reviews
11 helpful votes
Follow jeff w.
Unfollow jeff w.
Share Review
Report Review

This company allows their clients to post false property rental costs. I found an apartment for $134/night in Copenhagen Denmark. I selected my dates and the price was still $134/ngt. However, when I went to book the place the price increased $22 a night! I emailed the person who was the renter and he told me that he recalculates the nightly fee based on time of year, weather, etc!
Clearly Airbnb allows their clients the ability to scam users. I will never use them again!

Date of experience: May 29, 2019
Alabama
2 reviews
6 helpful votes
Follow Brigitte B.
Unfollow Brigitte B.
Share Review
Report Review

I booked a honeymoon for my son through this company and just wanted to add an additional day. The female customer service representative was unfriendly, not accommodating, unprofessional, and rude. She had no skills to communicate with a customer. She never let me finish telling her why I called and in the end, she hung up. Looking at all the negative reviews, I would never have this company representing my property or refer this business to any of my friends.

Date of experience: May 29, 2019
Georgia
1 review
1 helpful vote
Follow Brian M.
Unfollow Brian M.
Share Review
Report Review

Canceled a trip 3 months in advance and due to their "strict" refund policy option they give the host, I only recieved a $17 refund on a $175 deposit. What a horrible policy and a horrible host. I'll never use Airbnb again. I'd rather deal with a real company

Date of experience: May 24, 2019
California
1 review
3 helpful votes
Follow Ying C.
Unfollow Ying C.
Share Review
Report Review

Do yourself a favor and go to a hotel. I rented a place last March of 2017 and when we got there the bed has rodent drippings on the mattress. We didn't stay there at all and ended up renting at the Mariot in Emeryville. The hotel was only $100 more than their rental at airbnb. I called airbnb customer service and told them the situation while in the rental to ask for a refund. They made me call them a lot. I sent them photos and they said it wasn't enough. Long story short they didn't issue refund. I called my credit card company mailed them the photo and I'm glad chase refunded me everything. Don't expect Airbnb to issue a refund. Book a hotel instead to make sure or if you encounter a problem make sure take photos report it to them at once then ask refund from your credit card company.

Date of experience: May 15, 2019
Greece
1 review
0 helpful votes
Follow KOstas M.
Unfollow KOstas M.
Share Review
Report Review

I was looking for an appartement in Kefalonia, Greece, contacted the owner for some details he responded, then I made a reservation. SInce then no news. I contact Airbnb they told me to look for a new one since the appartement I cant find it any more... not a good first taste. So I hesitate to go further in a new reservation, I suppose they play games to change prices higher maybe? Owners are the types they dont like questions to prouve the pictures are what you ll really get?

Date of experience: May 12, 2019
Canada
1 review
2 helpful votes
Follow Mir D.
Unfollow Mir D.
Share Review
Report Review

After a 3rd bad experience, I have decided to opt out of Airbnb, and removed my account. First bad experience was in Europe (Czech Republic)where just a week before my stay, owner was no longer responding. I cancelled successfully, but had to settle for a hotel as other options were no longer available. 2nd bad experience was in Paris where apartment rented lacked bedding for the second bed, and bathroom was not clean. But the worst third bad experience was 2 weekends ago in Boston where apartment was NOT as described (a bachelor instead of a one bedroom), had a dismall kitchen with a smelly sponge for cleaning, lacked bedding and blankets, had a dirty bathroom rug, and had a paying parking where we were told it would be free. When these were mentioned to the host, she posted that WE had ruined the place (she obviously poorly understood the cleaning lady who had explained that the people before us had done so!), and she posted a horrific comment about me on my profile. I explained this in length to the AIRbnb people, they said they could not do anything about it, nor were they going to review the details of the place. It is too bad, I did have good experiences (2) also, one on Pelee Island, and one in Prince Edward County.

Date of experience: May 10, 2019
Washington
1 review
5 helpful votes
Follow Rowan H.
Unfollow Rowan H.
Share Review
Report Review

Incredible bad experience.
The apartment i booked in Tokyo was in a horrible state to the point i immediately left.
I complained about it at airbnb and i stuck to their rules (Contacted and left within 24 hours of arriving and contacted the host) but no result.
The excuse was that the host had a lot of good replies, while the host is able to accept his own reviews.
Multiple phone calls later no result, multiple promises later no result and 1200 euros gone.

Just never use airbnb you're better off using a hotel.

Date of experience: May 9, 2019
New Mexico
1 review
1 helpful vote
Follow Doug W.
Unfollow Doug W.
Share Review
Report Review

Scam
May 8, 2019

They'll back charge you for damage that was there before your stay. Make sure you take pictures of all stains or chipped paint when you arrive. They will charge your credit card if the owner wants to scam and you will be stuck updating the house on your dime. The customer service will give you no love.

Date of experience: May 8, 2019
Estonia
1 review
2 helpful votes
Follow Daria S.
Unfollow Daria S.
Share Review
Report Review

My previous experience with AirBnB was good, and I did not expect to stumble upon a scam this time. But, I guess there's always first time...
As it turns out AirBnB supports certain service providers, who are not the owners or owning/managing entities of the space, but suggest sort of "mediation service". They will (for additional fee of 11 euros per day stay) "kindly" call the hotel and book a room for you. Surely, the stay in the hotel is way cheaper than suggested by them price. They have a strict refund terms set, and answer/confirm reservation request extremely quickly. Even though, it may be more than a month or two until the check-in, it's only possible to get refund of 50%.
What made the experience even worse was that AirBnB will not assist you in requesting the full refund and cancelling the stay. They just close the case, as if "you have agreed to terms and conditions". And I do understand, I did, but I also have a right to dispute, which they refused me in without even getting the details.
Understandable is also the fact that AirBnB gets a commission from these scammers, so they don't try to protect the customer. They also are not interested in providing refunds apparently... So to say, AirBnB are quite discourteous and in fact support such scammers.
I do not manifest not using AirBnB, but will myself try avoiding the service. I understand too, that this experience will be considered a pointless whining in the world of "getting money", and it seems this philosophy has conquered any sense of integrity here.
AirBnB doesn't even require these scammers to provide you the real booking confirmation, and if suddenly it will appear that the reservation is not there, they surely won't assist in getting host to provide you other equivalent accommodation. What is more, they got my dates wrong, o it's double the scam, I had to cancel. Did they really think I am going to book from them again?
I will check each suggestion twice from now on, but mostly will try to avoid it.

Date of experience: May 7, 2019
Czechia
1 review
2 helpful votes
Follow Natalie T.
Unfollow Natalie T.
Share Review
Report Review

Fraudsters
May 7, 2019

The are cheating people and some account who have travel credit charge more money for the service, so they don`t have to pay any money.
Customers service didn`t help at all and didn`t provide any explanation.
Not using them again in the future.
Screenshots show the difference in price

Date of experience: May 7, 2019
GB
3 reviews
11 helpful votes
Follow W H.
Unfollow W H.
Share Review
Report Review

We had a problem as the host's apartment was disgraceful. The shower didn't work and as per Airbnb's Guest Refund policy we should be due a full refund but they have refused. We only stayed there for a few hours and left at 8pm to find alternative accommodation and Airbnb turned their backs on us. Stick to hotels. They are better and in the long run cheaper. If you have problems you are covered by ATOL but with Airbnb you have no chance. We've lost so much money now and I would never use this company ever again. This was the first time I've used them and will be the last time.

Date of experience: May 6, 2019
Michigan
1 review
2 helpful votes
Follow Martina D.
Unfollow Martina D.
Share Review
Report Review

Terrible
May 5, 2019

We booked a home to stay at for August two months ago. Then Friday, i get a notification that our trip has been cancelled and we are being fully refunded. This trip is only a few months away in Nashville, there are hardly any affordable places left for 12 people. Anyway, I contact customer service to see what happened and I find out the owner is listing her house for sale so she had to cancel all of her reservations. I message support and they tell me that since I chose the full refund option (keep in mind i didn't chose any option, it was just auto refunded) That I'm not eligible for a discount on my new booking. So I book a new place and they follow up after I say we been paying interest on the credit card that we booked with originally so we're losing money off of this they offered to give me $25 off my next booking and I say OK that's a terrible compensation but you can apply it to our next payment for the house we just booked. Then they say they can't apply it to something that's already been booked. This is the most ridiculous customer service I've ever had to deal with I shouldn't have had to call and ask to get compensated for that huge inconvenience, it should have just happened and nothing even happened in the end of it, we lost money with the interest paid on our card and had to book a new place. It was a huge inconvenience on our trip, we lost money and I will never use this app again after this next trip and I advise that you don't either.

Date of experience: May 5, 2019
New Hampshire
1 review
3 helpful votes
Follow Lance D.
Unfollow Lance D.
Share Review
Report Review

No Responsibility!

We recently rented our apartment through Airbnb. Their idiot guest heated a French press on the stove to red hot then placed it on the kitchen counter burning a hole and causing $1000. 00 in damage. Airbnb would not pay for the damages. I guess it's ok for their guests to damage your property. It's not their money!

Date of experience: May 3, 2019
Georgia
1 review
2 helpful votes
Follow Helen R.
Unfollow Helen R.
Share Review
Report Review

I took a last minute reservation from a guest through Airbnb. They state that they check people out--Security Measures in place, what a joke! The girl was 15 years old and came and had a party at my house with 40 of her 15 to 16 year old friends. Airbnb is difficult to get any money from you bogus security deposit that they claim you have online and refund you for the damage and excess cleaning. I'll stick with VRBO.

Date of experience: May 3, 2019
Virginia
1 review
3 helpful votes
Follow MiaMarie D.
Unfollow MiaMarie D.
Share Review
Report Review

I have never used a BnB before and wanted to try it for the first time to book a long term stay for significant reasons I have to travel. My first experience trying to book on Airbnb landed me back to conventional booking with a hotel chain. I wanted the experience I hear most people talk about, but just trying to book a trip already started out on the downside.

When asking inquiries regarding check-in procedure (since I'm accustom to the traditional hotel method, which is unique to the lock box most bnb prefer to use, or being greeted by the host at the door), I emailed a few owners to ask the earliest I can check in because my arrival to the area was in the morning. Typically, if I'm booking with a hotel, I would just pay for an extra day to avoid any issues once I get there. After asking a basic question, I felt like I was interrogated with an initial response of my reason for coming to the area, which is a personal matter, but I briefly explained anyway. After sharing the sensitive and personal nature of my visit, it then followed with another question. Another owner of a different proper stated the rental was no longer available, but it was clearly not true. The listing with personalized select dates was showing 100% availability and saved on my account. And finally, one property owner declined my inquiry to stay, and the reason was, "my dates are conflicting with two other potential renters." I'm thinking this service is either a joke or a fraud, or maybe I'm just uninformed how the services work!

In the end, I booked with a hotel. Easy breezy, wasn't bombarding with questions, didn't have to be selected between other travellers. I'm aware and understand someone is sharing their personal space, and there may be concern to who you invite into that space, but privacy shouldn't have to be compromised and no one should feel like they have to wait to be chosen like it's a giveaway or prize! It should be on the first come, first serve basis. Perhaps, background checks with registered accounts should be taken into consideration, so that everyone feels welcome, and at the same time owners have less worry and feel safe when renting to random friendly guest.

Date of experience: May 3, 2019
GB
1 review
3 helpful votes
Follow Carole W.
Unfollow Carole W.
Share Review
Report Review

My booking was cancelled because the host had someone who wanted to make a longer booking. Just like, holiday plans ruined, Airbnb did not care, refunded my money and told me they would penalise the host. So Airbnb made money by fining the host. What a rip off. STAY CLEAR OR ELSE YOU RISK HAVING YOUR HOLIDAY PLANS RUINED.

Date of experience: May 2, 2019
New Jersey
1 review
0 helpful votes
Follow Maya M.
Unfollow Maya M.
Share Review
Report Review

I left my original review because that how I felt when Airbnb was not a stock market company they actually cared. These days they hang up on you I had a account with 200 5 star reviews on Airbnb to be canceled by This person called Nicole. This was a property that everyone enjoyed and Nicole took it upon herself to cancel my account with a word to me. Now they won't even let me communicate at all because they changed my account details so I can't verify myself. How does Airbnb cancel someone who's been hosted for 6 years without any issues. I stopped hosting because of covid then finally I had the confidence to get back to hosting only to be canceled out by Airbnb. Shame on them.
This was my original review boy have things changed.
I'm confused to these negative reviews I've had hundreds of experiences with Airbnb and never once had an issue. When something did arise and I needed to call Airbnb they handled it. My only assumption with these bad reviews are that there are millions of reservation booked each month so maybe this is the. *******% that had a bad experience in my eyes anyone who ever stays in a hotel is a sucker Airbnb is top notch when booking make sure your dealing with super host with great reviews. I've been to places I could only dream of years ago for a fraction of the cost of hotels. Airbnb has changed my life and all I ever think about is where am I going next.

Date of experience: May 1, 2019
Canada
1 review
2 helpful votes
Follow paula r.
Unfollow paula r.
Share Review
Report Review

Crooks
May 1, 2019

You shop for a place to stay and prices comes up and after you make a inquiries to the host day after the price goes up. Crooks!

Date of experience: May 1, 2019
GB
1 review
3 helpful votes
Follow Esmerelda B.
Unfollow Esmerelda B.
Share Review
Report Review

We are buying a house currently listed for rent on Air B n B. The house is supplied its water through a bore hole in the ground as its not near a mains water line. Long story short - a water inspection for our house purchase has found that the owner disconnected the water filter (filters any bacteria out of the water before it comes through the tap) several years ago and the last water report showed positive for faeces. This house has been rented our on Air B n B for several years with babies and children drinking from this water. I rang them to complain as i don't think it should be rented out between now and me getting the keys and they couldn't care less. I presume they ask that the boilers are checked why not the water. Totally irresponsible.

Date of experience: May 1, 2019
California
1 review
2 helpful votes
Follow Robin S.
Unfollow Robin S.
Share Review
Report Review

I have stayed in at least 12 Airbnb's over the years. Half of which were pretty bad. The latest one, smelled strongly of must and mildew. Airbnb is not willing to back me up even though I provided them with everything they asked for. The first representative I spoke to was little to no help. They do not pay attention to their cases when there is a problem. I will not use them again and recommend that unless you want to take a chance on your trip being ruined, don't stay with them. Many hosts don't care, only want money.

Date of experience: April 28, 2019