How do I make a Formal Complaint to Airbnb?

[Helen2404]

There are many help support centre threads about this deceptive, abusive, threatening behaviour, third-party booking requests, UK Covid Travel Quarantine booking requests, How to make a Formal Complaint to Airbnb. All have been closed by Airbnb.   


Fellow Hosts please help,

How do I make a Formal Complaint to Airbnb? I have been asking for help for a month and asking how to make a Formal Complaint for a week.

I have received Airbnb’s email warning me to be a better host and improve my hosting. ‘Improve your ratings to keep your listing active’.

I am very disappointed that what I have suffered, threats, abuse and deception with the last guest as documented in their messages to me and mine to Airbnb but that the situation was allowed to stand by Airbnb.

In the circumstances I don’t think the guest’s review has any relevance to my otherwise excellent track record with Airbnb.

In the circumstances I’d expect to be supported by Airbnb instead I have been variously pestered, unsupported, then thanked and praised and then now ignored. Its nice to be thanked privately by Airbnb staff for my patience, calm and strength but it in fact does nothing to support me practically. I was afraid for my family, my other Airbnb guest moved to stay with a friend and the situation brought me great worry.

Regarding Covid Government Travel Quarantine in the UK Airbnb seems to have no updated policy and I have again been penalised for wishing to protect my family, friends and school bubble by Airbnb for not accepting these bookings. I would mark my listings unsafe for government quarantine but Airbnb say thats prejudice.


Regarding third - party bookings, I have been again totally unsupported on this matter having flagged it up again and again and once more have been penalised for not taking third party unverified and unnamed guest bookings.


My social network and other Airbnb guests have been appalled at my lack of support from Airbnb. Surely there is a complaints procedure. 

Its laughable that Airbnb replies to tweets saying Airbnb will get back to me or has got back to me this week about how to make a formal complaint but then do not follow up. I guess it makes the general public think you are replying? What a ugly process.


Without support where Airbnb takes some sort of action to protect hosts there will be, sooner or later another unpleasant situation which will in fact turn dangerous or fatal.

With this lack of support being I’m beginning to read usual, guests are more and more aware that there is no come back on them for bad and dangerous behaviour. I now see why my guest thought it appropriate to threaten me with “a bad review to shut my business down.” They seemed to know it would stand even on day two of her month long stay.

I will not let this drop until I have made a Formal Complaint as I have been firstly deceived, threatened and  abuse in my own home which made me very unwell. The next day I lost my voice. But then I am deeply worried for other peoples safety as well as mine and my family’s  that having flagged these situations Airbnb has done nothing.

Finally I received an email from Airbnb warning me to, ‘Improve your ratings to keep your listing active’ which proves how little my frightening experience is regarded by Airbnb.  

How do I make a Formal Complaint to Airbnb?

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Diane1604 Sorry to hear about your experience. Are you within 14 days of your stay? If so your review will not post until 14 days has expired unless the host reviews you.

[Damien30]

That’s a ridiculous response. I just went through total hell because Airbnb screwed up, not me. I’ve been a super host for 9 years and they’ve never made such a disaster of my reservations. I had nothing to do with it—so by telling people to be a better host is condescending when you don’t know the issue. 

[Jackie237]

Hi Helen, did you find out how to make a formal complaint, I'm trying the do the same thing? I just been guided to the feedback system which they don't actually respond to. A formal complaint requires and answer from the company.

[Helen3]

As mentioned earlier in this thread there is no formal complaints policy . 

[Maryam164]

Hello, thank you for sharing. We are experiencing something very similar.

have you been able to move this forward? We are at a point of taking this issue public and see that it’s a systemic issue. Thanks for any guidance as we navigate this ugly situation. 

[Thomas3911]

I hope you find a way.  The CEO hides because his jewel of a catastrophy company is falling apart with workers that don't care   You get no results from them and he hides  His email is even blocked from us little people. 

[Mike493]

AirBnB has become a predatory business and is virtually unable and no doubt unwilling to deal with the thousands of complaints like yours as hosts as well an other victim, like me, a guest. It is obvious that Airbnb is massively understaffed to deal with problems as I have recently endured serious issues and problems which they can simply ignore by saying they need phots. Hard to verify when there is not water, the refirigeator is on the verge of tipping over, there is no internet, etc. etc. They offshore their customer service than provide their English speaking reps (many with very thick accents that make it hard to understand) who are very nice and repeat the same stuff ad naseum, pluming call backs to expect from someone hire up. I waited twice for a total of four hours with no promised call back. The host in this case had no qualifications to be a host. When I arrived, the place was not ready even thoughI told her twice I was coming and she agreed. She had her place stuffed with belongings and afterward as getting it emptied thanked me and told me she was a hoarder. She was leaving on a vacation and did not tell me the problems with the place: no water in kitchen, no hot water, stove top had problems which was finally addressed but the stove top iron bars were not flat so pots and pans were tipping. The whole place was a disaster the first time I arrived. She had not cleaned anything. There are mouse droppings in the kitchen and bathroom and cockroaches. Much of her stuff is very old,  some of it broken, inadequately stocked and she left NO INFO on anything. I ended up spending four or five days with her and airbnb just to get a repair man out to the place to address the issues. The REALITY is that aribnb DOES NOT VET HOSTS like have a checklist to verify they have what they claim to have in their write ups and that EVERYTHING WORKS!!! They shut late anybody host and then hope for the best. i have had many problems in Mexico, having to move out of a dozen places because my budget is lowe that those who can spend a ton of money on a place.