Hi Jacquie and Leah,
I completely understand how frustrating this must be. Airbnb’s systems often rely heavily on automated detection for duplicate listings, especially when properties have been listed before.
Unfortunately, this setup can misclassify legitimate new listings under new ownership, and when hosts face these issues, the "specialized team" responses can feel robotic and disconnected from the reality of the situation.
Some hosts have found that providing clear documentation of the ownership transfer—such as a sale agreement or title transfer—helps, though the process can still require persistence and finding the right contact at Airbnb. Others have had better luck working with a local Airbnb ambassador or representative who understands local hosting practices and can vouch for new owners. Sometimes, creating a new listing from scratch, with a different title, photos, and description, can bypass the duplicate-detection algorithm.
I think this is mostly detected with the address but you can also try to take new photos of the listing and add this new photos on your Airbnb profile/listing. Do not try to upload the previous photos you already uploaded though it is almost the same as the old one.
Try taking photos of other amenity that you can highlight such as other angle for the outer part of your listing, cookwares, nearby attractions, and/or local food/restaurants in the area.
It’s frustrating to spend so much time advocating for something that seems obvious, but staying persistent and documenting all interactions may ultimately make the difference.
I hope this helps.
All the best,
Upfish Management
