Shocked at Airbnb’s lack of action towards brothels

[Greg1633]

I live in a small quiet block of flats. The one next to mine shares a small private corridor and my neighbour rents this flat out on Airbnb full time.

For the past year, so many of the bookings have been very evidently used by groups of women for places to work from.

As an example, the current guests staying in my neighbours property are staying there for a week according to his calendar and this evening alone my ring doorbell has recorded 23 men having visited. It’s very clearly being used for prostitution.

The worst thing is the noise disruption and the door constantly opening and slamming shut until the early hours of the morning. I work and have to commute for an hours drive each way every day and I can’t function on 3 hours of sleep a night when it’s every night.

I have a ring doorbell installed on my front door and it’s pinging every 20 minutes with a new male visitor entering our shared corridor.

On using Airbnb’s ‘Neighbourhood support’ I’m constantly fobbed off with the same “I’m passing this on as priority to the relevant team who will get back to you”. But no action is ever taken, nobody calls me back, the guest stays in the property and continues to work. I am told by Airbnb that I should ‘contact the owner’, but I don’t have his details and it’s not my responsibility to do so. I’m forced to message him on Airbnb as a potential guest and wait to hear back. This should be Airbnb’s job.

Every person I speak to has the exact same response - verbatim! “I’m passing this on” and then when I get angry, they say “Okay I’m putting you through to a further department” who when I speak to them, then say “I’m passing this on and putting this through as priority”. It’s just the same nonsense replies that don’t mean anything and no action is ever taken. It’s all delay tactics.

I am finding it easier to believe they do this just so by the time the booking is over and the guest has left, no action can be taken and there’s nothing they can do.

I have spoken to my local police station but by the time they actually investigate, the booking is over as they’re all short stays of a few weeks maximum.

I have nothing against sex work personally, but I don’t want a brothel immediately on my doorstep. This is my home and I fully believe Airbnb are aware of the use of this sort of rental for these purposes and refuse to crack down on it, even when being presented with evidence.

Brothels with multiple women working are illegal in the UK and on being presented with plenty of doorbell video evidence, Airbnb should contact the guests causing the disturbances, cancel the booking immediately and ask them to leave.

This is the 3rd night I have been kept awake and can’t stand it any longer so have travelled across town to stay with family until my neighbours guests leave. I shouldn’t feel the need to leave my own home to get away from nuisance neighbours caused by Airbnb’s utter lack of interest and care to the neighbourhoods it’s part of.

Why is Airbnb not doing anything about this?

Why is the ‘support’ so incredibly slow and poor?

[Greg1633]

Following on from my message, I’ve just had an email from a member of the team stating that they can’t provide details of the action they have provided for this situation due to data protection but the policies had been followed.

I struggle to see how any action has been taken as the guest is still in the property right now and she is still accepting a constant stream of male visitors according to my ring doorbell.

I find it shocking that Airbnb condones the use of its listings for the purposes of soliciting sex workers in organised Brothels in residential neighbourhoods alongside families and that no action has been taken to remove this guest and her female companion working there.

After being provided with huge volumes of time stamped video evidence regarding the situation and disruption to the neighbourhood, Airbnb is complicit in allowing crime such as this to continue, given that they are taking a cut of the money and allowing the illegal Brothel to continue operating knowing full well it has been reported by a neighbour.

Does anyone else think this is not acceptable?

[Linda108]

@Greg1633   I can imagine that the neighbor activity is quite disturbing but I think you are asking Air BNB to police when your own police don't seem to be bothered.  Air BNB can't police the world.  You have a problem with the host of the Air BNB.  I wonder what noise ordinances you have in your area, if indeed it is the noise that is disturbing.  You could seek legal counsel as to what rights you have about illegal activity next door.  Your real issue is with the local authorities, not with Air BNB.  

[Greg1633]

I appreciate your point but authorities have a harder time catching crime when it’s moving all over the place in short term let’s. Airbnb have a responsibility to make sure they do their part by protecting communities rather than protecting those who use the loophole of STL, otherwise they’re encouraging crime in residential neighbourhoods without consequence to those breaking the law.

[Amanda660]

Do you know who the owner/operator is or can you find the listing on Airbnb so you can reach out to them directly and discuss  the situation.  Can you catch the cleaner (she must have her work cut out for her) and ask for contact details? 

[Helen3]

Hello @Greg1633 

What did the host/property owner say when you contacted them about this?

They should be vetting guests and monitoring bookings to minimise the risk of this happening.

in your situation I would

a) contact the host explain that this is happening regularly- ask them what systems they have in place to vet who is using their place and explain the impact having their listing used by prostitutes is having on residents

2. contact the management company for the block with your concerns

3. contact the police each time this happens  

[Greg1633]

Thanks for your messages,

I'd already managed to find the listing previously and brought it to Airbnb's attention. As Airbnb told me to take it upon myself to contact the owner when I previously called them, I asked for his contact details and they said they couldn't provide them due to data protection (Annoying but okay).

The only way I've been able to contact him is via a booking request and have explained the situation and asked for his contact details. The cleaner often visits when I'm not there and I don't want to drop any of my personal details through the door unless I know the booking has definitely ended.

He has messaged back with an apology and as Airbnb wont allow us to share outside contact details via the messaging chat I've asked for him to drop his contact details through my door if I am out so I can share everything with him. I am hoping I will receive this from him soon and we'll be able to resolve this between us for the future.

Sadly it's very clear that the current guest will stay until her booking is over as I doubt this will be resolved in time. Another gentlemen had just turned up on the camera as I type this.

The fact Airbnb advertises properties as having 'No Security Cameras' as a highlighted feature of a property encourages shady bookings on the platform. Is it unreasonable for me to ask him to update his listing to show as having security cameras on the property even though it's only my ring doorbell next door that overlooks our shared entrance area? 

In regards to the management company, they only take responsibility for the communal areas in the building and anything inside the properties themselves is a private matter and should be directed to the police.
And as much as I sympathise with the Police in this country and the job they do - If you've ever had to deal with them, unless there is imminent danger or threat to life they are essentially powerless and will not come out for anything else including noise complaints. I have two friends in the Police and the only advice they have given me is to keep nagging. Welfare checks to check that the women aren't being trafficked require investigation and this takes time. Sadly you don't have time with short term lets and anti social behaviour.

The sad truth is nobody really cares until it inconveniences them and trying to get help is so difficult, but my frustration is the complete lack of help or action from Airbnb and that it's basically left up to me to figure out how to get in touch with the owner despite the fact he's using their platform. In my opinion Airbnb should be doing this for me and acting as a go-between for myself and the owner as to help us to resolve this current situation but that's just me.

I'm struggling to see the point of their 'Neighbourhood Support' contact line to be honest, it's not neighbourhood support at all.

[Lorna170]

@Greg1633   Are you permitted to install a LARGE OBVIOUS SECURITY CAMERA (or fake) above your door or in the corridor so that the "gentlemen" would see it?  Can you put a large sign on your door or if you have a street facing window, in the window stating that a camera is present and is taking pictures of all persons entering the corridor?  You could even have your ring doorbell sound an alarm each time it detects a "customer" or have a recording saying "You are on CCTV".  In other words, try to scare away the brothel customers.  

Become the neighbor from hell.  I am certain that you can think of some ways to make the business difficult -- I can't believe that I am actually entertaining thoughts on ruining someone's rental business.

As to the owner, you should be able to locate his name and home address through the records at your local housing/zoning board or tax authority.  Then you could file against him in court with a nuisance lawsuit as you have plenty of photographic proof that the property is being rented as a brothel.   

AirBnB is going to continue to fob you off as they have no rules against brothels....