Another AirBnB in my town is trying to shut mine down???

[Eric4290]

Help, I have another AirBnB in my town that has filed a complaint with the Zoning board and making false accusations that I serve alcohol to my guests
She lives nowhere near me and also has an AirBnB in town and this complaint is 100% purely fictional based and anti-competitive  in nature

1) Is this allowed by hosts to try and shut down other AirBnB's in their town? She's not even a neighbor - that's where i'd expect to get a complaint, not from the local bed and breakfast in town that lists on AirBnB heavily! I even send folks her way when I'm booked and they want to stay in town

2) Does AirBnB have a legal team that helps with filing variances or anyone in Southern NH have any thoughts?  I'm located on a lake and my zoning allows a commercial in home business. I figure an AirBnB with no issues would be much less traffic, parking is all off site and it has it's own septic system. I see no reason they wouldn't allow it, much less impact than if I ran a retail shop, etc out of my house.

Thanks everyone for any help, guidance you can provide, I asked AirBnB these same questions, hopefully they get her to withdraw her complaint to the town or remove her from AirBNB platform completely. 

[Lawrene0]

You'll have to talk to a lawyer, @Eric4290 , or handle it yourself with the zoning board. Airbnb doesn't really come into it. There is no recourse with the company. You cannot, for instance, get her shut down for trying to shut you down. 

So is it allowed? Yes, I guess, if she had a legitimate complaint. But hopefully you can prove your case. All the best with it. Sounds like stress nobody needs, so I feel for you.

[Eric4290]

I'm surprised AirBnB won't at least do something - does any "franchise" - and I use that term loosely want to have their franchisee's filing complaints about each other? Just to try to get them shut down to monopolize the market?   

I'm a super host and have been for many years and hopefully they see that she's new to the platform and doing this in an anti-competitive way.  This shouldn't be the way Hosts treat each other, that's about all I can say

[FuQuan0]

I medaling with this now and seen a lot of lawsuits against airbnb in regards to these issues. They refund guest  that gave a late cancellation notice two weeks ago. They awarded the refund today. SMH. The policy states that now that it’s no longer a pandemic, the same cancellation rules do not apply, but yet they still refunded them. Not to mention the block days they canceled. So they are implying that if the guest cancel a day in advanced because they couldn’t take go care of them selves can do so and I get my days blocked and wages taking away? This is a scam. 

[M199]

@Eric4290 

Sorry to tell you, Airbnb is only a marketing platform for your business. There is no franchise involved. They have no vested interest in your business except to make your listing available globally.  Just think of your listing as being an ongoing "real estate listing".

It's your issue to deal with zoning and your competitor.

Sorry.

[Andrea-and-Glenn0]

Baseless allegations should not worry you a bit. Ignore this complainer and comply with any city officials that may contact you. And also, simply don’t refer anymore customers to her. 

Competition is great, but unwarranted complaints won’t go over well with your city officials. 

Best of luck/Glenn