Filed a case with FTC today, case number
190201538
Here is my complaint if you want to follow up and do the same. Maybe if enough of us file FTC will investigate this scam (must be 3500 characters or less, chatGPT is very helpful to make sure your complaint is professional, concise and fits):
Airbnb’s Misleading Host Protection, Retaliatory Reviews & Stonewalling
As a concerned Airbnb host, I feel misled, financially vulnerable, and unsupported due to Airbnb’s deceptive advertising and failure to enforce its own policies. Airbnb widely advertises its “Host Damage Protection” program as offering up to $3 million in coverage for guest-caused damages. This creates the impression of reliable protection—but this program is not actual insurance, not guaranteed, and subject to strict, undisclosed limitations.
In reality, claims are only considered if the host first requests payment directly from the guest and the guest refuses. The host must also submit detailed evidence within 14 days of checkout. These requirements are not clearly disclosed in Airbnb’s promotional materials, and the 14-day damage claim period exactly overlaps with the guest review window.
This overlap puts hosts in a precarious position: filing a damage claim opens the door to retaliatory reviews, which Airbnb then publishes—even when they are false, malicious, or harmful. These reviews hurt a host’s reputation, reduce visibility in search rankings, and threaten income. Many hosts abandon legitimate claims out of fear of public retaliation.
Airbnb does have a retaliation policy that forbids biased or retaliatory reviews—particularly following damage claims or house rule enforcement. Reviews must be unbiased, truthful, and non-harmful per Airbnb’s Review Policy and Terms of Service (Section 15.iv). Yet Airbnb regularly refuses to apply these policies and allows harmful reviews to remain visible, undermining its own stated standards.
This failure has real consequences: hosts are emotionally distressed, reputationally harmed, and financially penalized. Independent hosts relying on Airbnb as primary income sources suffer the most. Airbnb has also refused to remove reviews containing bullying, profanity, and vulgar language toward hosts, despite this content clearly violating Airbnb’s content standards.
More disturbing are reviews where guests falsely accuse hosts of crimes when no crime occurred. Such defamatory content constitutes criminal libel in many jurisdictions and is punishable by law. Airbnb knowingly enables public posting of these false statements, exposing hosts to legal and reputational damage.
When hosts request review removal, responses are automated. If denied twice—even wrongly—no further appeals are allowed. Airbnb agents confirm there are only two support levels: entry agents and supervisors. All decisions from the internal “specialized team” are final and not subject to discussion. Hosts cannot escalate, respond, or communicate with this hidden team, leaving them completely stonewalled.
Requested Action:
I respectfully ask the FTC to investigate:
Airbnb’s advertising of the “Host Damage Protection” program and the misleading claim that it provides reliable or sufficient coverage;
The coercive overlap between the 14-day claim and review windows, which deters hosts from filing rightful claims;
The company’s refusal to enforce its Review Policy and Terms of Service (Section 15.iv), resulting in harmful, retaliatory, defamatory, and discriminatory reviews being published without recourse.
