AirBnb continuously cancelling our reservations in Toronto, ON

[Luke560]

So here we go - hopefully I'll get more answers here than I have been from AirBnb.....

Throughout this ENTIRE year, once a month AirBnb will automatically cancel all my reservations for the remainder of the year - usually in the area of 20 different reservations. The cancellations happen immedaitely and all at once - there is no call from AirBnb or the City of Toronto.

The cancellations cite that our listing: 

• 10 - Your listing is in violation of an applicable local short-term rental law.

This is simply not the case - I have spoken to the Toronto Short Term Registration department many times and they all confirm verbally and via email that our short term registration license and code are both valid and not due to expire until December. When I call AirBnb, I'm met with total and utter confusion and lack of support - every single time this has happened (5 times) I have a long talk to a superhost ambassador, who says they'll put a note on my account, and this wont happen again, and so sorry - but then it happens again 3 weeks later.  Then when airbnb can't seem to find anything wrong they blame it on a bug, to which they send my case to their tech team (who I never hear back from at all regardless of me asking for an update every day), or they blame the city of Toronto, to which the City then says that they don't send requests to cancel to airbnb, they reach out directly to the hosts.

What is happening? Does anyone have any tips that have worked for them? I'm losing guests because for some of them, this has happened 3 times - and then airbnb sends them a message that essentially says that we aren't following regulations and can not host in Toronto at all. Our poor guests don't know what to do - it's not very reassuring if you're coming overseas to stay somewhere, so we've had guests decide that they are going to book a hotel or another Airbnb.

Is anyone from the Airbnb tech/support/ambassadors programs there and listening to actually give us any answers instead of the usual "It's been sent to our ____ advisors, who you can't talk to or reach at all, and will maybe message you back with a fix if they find one, or most likely won't bother to at all. But no matter what it's not our fault its yours or Toronto's". Getting super tired of the scripted answers and no results, and as a superhost that has an Airbnb PLUS listing, I've dedicated a lot of time and resources into making our unit specifically airbnb friendly and we always make sure to follow local regulations to the T - just doesn't seem fair that as a platform who says they value their guests and host, we're getting the cold shoulder because they just can't seem to figure out a bug.

Really hoping that this will yield some sort of fix - we just can't keep hosting on a platform that does this to their hosts or to their guests.

[Huma0]

@Emilie @Sybe @Quincy 

Is there anyway you could give CS a prod on this? 

[Luke560]

Would love a prod or a jolt or any sign of life from the Toronto CS team/ tech team. Still have not heard back from my rep and it’s been a full 32 hours since my phone call where I was told “I’d be called back within the hour”. 

Totally unacceptable from a platform that’s focused on ‘community’ and wants hosts to know that they’re a ‘valuable member of the platform’. Some digging needs to get done here - the forum is filled with people with the same problem, but it’s being ignored or if the rep can’t find an issue themselves, it’s swept under the rug and ticket closed. 

Who else can I talk to at Airbnb about this? Does it need to be publicized on a news station before it’s given attention?

[Chris-And-Hoss0]

Any updates on this? My listing was randomly deactivated by AirBnB and all my futures bookings cancelled. 

I got an email saying my government (Toronto) is stating I don't have a license. Well, I clearly do since I was hosting for 2 months until this happened. 

I called the City and they said they have my license on file. I also cross-checked it on Toronto's OpenData portal, and I do see my address and license posted. 

Both my City and Airbnb have been no help. AirBnB keeps forwarding the message around to various reps who don't seem to know what they're doing. 

Now the City wants to view my listing, but I can't even publish it because AirBNB won't let me. Even if I set the minimum stay to 28 nights, the platform keeps telling me I need a valid license. 

It's been frustrating enough that I'm considering not even using AirBnB anymore. It's just a lot of finger pointing now. nobody knows what they're doing. 

[Quincy]

Hi @Huma0, thanks for the tag!

@Luke560 @Kamran19 @Audrey826  I'm very sorry to hear that you're experiencing this. Just so you know, I've now passed this on to our team who will look into this. Sadly, I can't say how long this will take, however, I will try to share info on this thread whenever it becomes available. 

Quincy

[Ben4756]

I agree and airbnb is not acting fair. THEY wont even let me get my money back from the scam that just happened to me.

I PROPOSE WE ALL START A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT. I HAVE KNOWN AIRBNB FOR YEARS AND MANAGEMENT IS NOT HANDLING THESE SITUATIONS

I WAS CLEARLY ROBBED LAST WEEKEND AND THEY WONT EVEN TRY TO HELP

[Kamran19]

Having the exact same issue in Toronto. I get no help from air bnb I even tried to email the head office no response 

[Luke560]

I don’t get it - what’s the point of having a Superhost phone line and thank us for being super hosts if they won’t even respond back to us? 

We’ve worked hard to maintain Superhost status and work exclusively with Airbnb only to be ghosted by the ‘Ambassadors’ who don’t even have our back in the first place?

Does this need to go to a news outlet and reported by CP24 for it to be taken seriously? Would’ve thought Airbnb would want a more quiet solution. 

[Audrey826]

Me too! We're due to fly to Toronto in a weeks time and are now panicking we have nowhere to stay! Airbnb are not getting back to me with any answers 😞

[Luke560]

@Audrey826 reach out to your host and ask them to send you a special offer for your previous reservation price. Hopefully they’ll honour the previous nightly price as I have been with my guests. 

[Kamran19]

I am a host that for three months in a row have had all my reservations cancelled due to an issue with the permit. Air bnb just blames the city. Meanwhile there is clearly an issue on their end. I have sent photos of my permit several times to them every time they say “everything looks good on our end”. No solutions no one cares angry guests guests booking hotels instead 

[Kamran19]

I had the very same issue today. Third time this has happened to me hosting in Toronto. I have had zero help from air bnb 

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Catherine-Powell Is this one for the head of hosting to sort out? It feels a bit rough on @Luke560 to have this happen repeatedly and will no doubt cause chaos when the new penalties for cancellations come in!

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Luke560 Another thought. When people book send them an email with all your contact details, copy in the Toronto City email and explain that if Airbnb cancel they can book direct with you for a 10% discount. I don't think Airbnb can complain as they clearly don't want your business!

[Jonathon58]

This is the third time for me as guest having to rebook & each time , the price has Jump higher since bookin 1 to booking No 3 the cost has gone up £601