AirBnB & San Francisco automated cancellation of all bookings without warning.

[Kyle36]

Hi All, 

According to the AirBnB and San Francisco, we had met all the new registration requirements. Then at 4AM this morning without any warning, AirBnB's automated system with the City of San Francisco canceled all of our guest bookings claiming that we were not in compliance due to "Reject07" which apparently means that there was a complaint filed against our property. The City nor AirBnB gave us any notice/warning of this rejection to my knowledge, so we had no opportunity to address -- in fact, prior to this surprise cancellation, our only notifications were approvals. To our knowledge, we have no tenants or neighbors that have had an issue with our AirBnB. We don't know if this is our single issue or a broader one. We are trying to work with AirBnB to better understand and resolve and reaching out to the City as well. Meanwhile, as a Super Host, we are disappointed that our AirBnB business is this vulnerable to unexpected automated disruption from the City and/or 3rd parties that can likely be abused. We don't understand this specific issue yet, and according to my first support call with AirBnB, they don't either. The matter has certainly eroded some trust with me as a Super Host and I expect with my upcoming guests who were canceled too. I hope AirBnB can help me address this productively as I think the issue is beyond just a Host-City issue. Message from AirBnB at 4am this morning:

These short-term reservations were canceled because your listing isn’t registered with the city.

 

• March 20, 2018 - March 25, 2018 (accepted)
• March 28, 2018 - March 30, 2018 (accepted)
• April 3, 2018 - April 11, 2018 (accepted)
• April 20, 2018 - May 2, 2018 (accepted)
• May 10, 2018 - May 14, 2018 (accepted)
• May 24, 2018 - May 27, 2018 (accepted)
• July 7, 2018 - July 14, 2018 (accepted)
• July 22, 2018 - July 31, 2018 (accepted)

[Linda108]

WOW, @Kyle36!   This is very scary for you as you were trying to comply with all the regulations that SF has imposed.  If you are actually registered with the City and there is some system error with Air BNB, that is awful.  Can you list elsewhere while you work this out with Air BNB?  

[Kyle36]

I hope you read my reply. I further learned that we did fully comply and the City would have accepted my application if they received it. You can read my reply if you want more details. I'm still waiting to hear from AirBnB. Meanwhile, I have disappointed guests, hard-earned Super Host status at risk, and lost revenue. Meanwhile, all this pain hitting me while I'm in process of setting my second property in Paris up to be an AirBnB -- painful.

[Pete28]

When we stayed at Airbnb in Paris last year I got the impression it wasn't legal - don't tell neighbours etc, yearly limit ?

[Kyle36]

It is very highly regulated -- not allowed in first 3 or 4 districts and only limited time in others. I always follow the rules!

[Pete28]

Yes - not a great guest experience trying to sneak in and out with concierge living next to entryway. But then again it was one block from Arc and less $100 / night. Wonderful time but probably not a sustainable business... 

[Donna240]

LOL, @Kyle0 , if you "always follow the rules", how did you end up becoming a superhost if your registration was new. The city ordinance requiring a license started in 2015 <]:O) Regardless, this snafu is a mess and I hope it resolves itself so you won't lose any more reservations. It would have been nice to be able to contact your guests, but I suspect their contact went away as soon as the cancellation process began. It might be wise for all of us to keep contact information in a notebook for emergencies.

[Kyle36]

Looks like my reply didn't go through. I need to run now, but long story short -- I'm confident that there is a logic flaw in AirBnB's SF host registration process. The City of San Francisco was very helpful in troubleshooting the issue. I'm eager to connect with AirBnB to discuss. I expect they know already...

[Rob243]

Kyle- that's what happened to me, but they told me that I didn't have a business license.  I rent out a double parlor in my (condo) flat.  I've got 99% 5-star ratings, I'm a super host, etc.  I checkeds my message box a couple weeks ago and it was full of irate guests from all over the world asking why their reservations were canceled!  The message from AirBnB came later.  Immediately, customer service, rather than trying to assuage the guests fears, started telling me all the stuff they COULDN'T (OR wouldn't) do to help me handle the situation.  

I asked why they didn't call or message me before cancelling all my futurre resrvations and they blamed the computer (the city computer contacted our computer and it autiomatically generated the messages.)  Let alone that I registered my business in January, sent them my license number, because they kicked off all the hosts without numbers. 

In an effort to speed up my re-listing, I re-applied for the license, but that was 10 days ago and I haven't heard anything from the city or the short-term rental office.   My rep at the city short term office said they had to re-list me (legally required) while the business license is pending.  I forwarded the e-mail indicating this to my AirBnB support conversation thread.  A message came back that I  would be contacted within 24 hours.  That was 6 days ago.  

I'm completely pissed off.  I worked so hard to give guests a great experience, get high ratings, and be a responsible host.  During the last 2 weeks I've been cleaning up messes and hemoraging money from lost business.  I thought that airBnB was a company that gave good support and cared about their hosts, but maybe that was the 2017 paradigm.  In 2018 AirBnB has damaged my business and as a result, their own.  Disgusted. 

[Kyle36]

I have answers. We need to talk. If anyone else is experiencing this then I’m willing to help represent the group. 

[Lexie2]

I need help too. I can't get any action - or even recognition - that there is a mistake and it needs to be fixed immediately.

This is what I wrote in the "everything else" section before I saw your post:

Airbnb has banned me from short-term renting and I only discovered this when I checked my listing to see when my next guests were arriving. Airbnb cancelled all my pending reservations, never notified me that there was a problem and all I could suss from my listing came from a note that said "registration failed". It took me an hour to figure out that it was referring to my "recent application". I've been doing this since 2014. I have been registered since January, 2017 and my registration doesn't expire until January, 2019.

Airbnb told me I was not in compliance with local law.  Then they showed me a letter from the short term rental office that said my application was denied because they either (1) didn't have my address or (2) couldn't find my contact info in their data base. Apparantly airbnb hides threads so you can't communicate freely with customer disservice so I can't reference the letter but I don't even recall seeing my name on it.  

I sent airbnb a photo of my registration and a photo of the envelope - addressed to me at my home, where I live, where the room is rented - and I told them I'd had emails and phone calls from Omar and clearly this is a mistake.  That was on Thursday.  I have written more messages and called every day but nothing has been done.  All they had to do was pick up the phone and call Omar and then apologize for the hassle and inconvenience.  I told them that this is my ONLY source of income, that I have a 10-year-old daughter, and the financial disaster that will result if this continues is nothing less than destitution.  And yet, I am still denied.

I went to my account at the office of short term rentals today to make sure that I hadn't missed something and, sure enough, everything looks good.  The first thing I see is my name, contact info, and a big green "certified".  I called airbnb to ask how I could send the link to someone and I was told my "case had been escalated" - exactly what I was told on Thursday.  

I feel like I am in the movie Brazil.  This is frustrating and because my livelihood depends on this to such a degree right now, the idiocy of not having this taken care of is causing a seething madness that may take me down to the airbnb headquarters with a pitchfork and a flaming tiki torch this week.

I made $407 this month. Mortgage alone is $1700. If I hear "Yes ma'am, I am very sorry for the inconvenience. I totally understand" one more time, my head is going to explode.

[Kyle36]

 I'll send you a PM. I'm collecting names and stories with the intention of taking some sort action. I'm happy to share what I'm learning. AirBnB's response has been inadequate. There are clearly issues and the longer their legal department holds up communication the worse for all parties involved in my opinion. 

[Bella38]

The same thing happened to me, I just received notice from airbnb this morning and my guests reservations are cancelled without any warning. Our registration was filed and we have been paying taxes, always following the rules. This comes as a total surprise and very unexpected. I would greatly appreciate any advice.

[Margie31]

Kyle, I'm just reading this after of course I had a very similar situation happen to me. Worst support help ever! I had 16 reservations cancelled because Airbnb said I did not have a valid registration when I actually did. The city of SF confirmed it and even e-mail Airbnb. 3 weeks later Airbnb OKed me to host again while all of my guests had to find new last minute listings. I'd love to hear what you found out. Not having guests for 3 weeks was financially devastating.

[Jordan298]

I'm in the same situation, Margie.

I have a valid registration but AirBnb's system doesn't think I do and I can't update it personally and when I call, they just say that "legal" need to call me back. How did you get the AirBnb system to update and allow you to list again?