Hello Airbnb community,
I am a Syrian property owner living in Syria. For over a year, I have been unable to list my properties on Airbnb because the platform blocks Syria entirely. I understand this restriction existed previously due to U.S. government sanctions — and I accepted that. However, those sanctions have now been formally and permanently revoked by the U.S. government, and Airbnb has not updated its policy.
The legal facts:
1. Executive Order 14312 (June 30, 2025) — President Trump formally revoked all six Executive Orders forming the Syria Sanctions Program, effective July 1, 2025.
2. OFAC removed Syrian Sanctions Regulations (31 CFR Part 542) from the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations on August 26, 2025. The Syria sanctions program is now listed as "Inactive and Archived" on OFAC's official website.
3. The U.S. State Department has confirmed publicly: "The United States no longer maintains a comprehensive Syria Sanctions program."
Despite this, Airbnb's Help Article 18 (airbnb.com/help/article/18) still states that Syria is blocked due to compliance with "international regulations." This justification is now factually incorrect — the legal basis no longer exists.
What I have tried so far:
— Contacted live support 3 times. Each time my case was closed with no substantive response.
— Called by phone. Was told "policy updates may take up to a month." The sanctions were lifted 9+ months ago.
— Sent a formal written complaint to Airbnb's legal department citing all official U.S. government sources.
I am not asking for anything unreasonable. I am simply asking Airbnb to align its platform policy with current U.S. law, and to correct a published help article that currently contains false information about legal compliance.
My questions for the community and Airbnb staff:
1. Is there a specific current legal regulation — post July 1, 2025 — that still requires Airbnb to block Syria? If so, please name it.
2. When will Help Article 18 be updated to reflect accurate and current information?
3. Are there other Syrian hosts or guests facing the same issue? I would like to hear from you.
Official sources for reference:
OFAC Syria (Inactive): ofac.treasury.gov/sanctions-programs-and-country-information/syria-sanctions-inactive-and-archived
OFAC Final Rule (Aug 26, 2025): ofac.treasury.gov/recent-actions/20250825
U.S. State Department: state.gov/syria-sanctions
OFAC FAQ: ofac.treasury.gov/faqs/topic/1571
Airbnb Help Article 18: airbnb.com/help/article/18
Thank you for reading. I hope this can be resolved properly and that Airbnb can open its platform to Syria in line with current law.
— Abdalhadi, Syria
