Same happened to me. Seemed legit when talking to the owner. Then received the following:
Dear Customer,
We would like to inform you that we have verified your customer code and we have also received your details from the owner. At the moment, the reservation it's done in your name.
However, due to the fact that the rental of this apartment is long-term and the presence of an Airbnb agent is required to present the property and sign the rental contract, the deposit confirmation is required.
The security deposit charged by Airbnb is pre-arranged with the homeowner and this consists of the amount of two months rent (first and last month).
Before continuing and giving us an answer please read carefully the Terms and Conditions related to this rental process.
About the safety deposit:
- the security deposit must be made by bank transfer to our payment processor (you will receive an invoice with all the necessary indications and information)
- the security deposit made by the future tenants will remain locked in our account until they sign the lease (There is no possibility for the Landlord to take possession of the money deposited without the approval of the future tenant, even in this case Airbnb assumes responsibility and offers a full refund of the money.)
- this security deposit is not a final payment, future tenants may at any time request a refund.
- the security deposit is required in advance due to the fact that involves subcontracting a local agent to present the property in question, this generating additional costs for our company so we should present the properties only to people who are really interested.
All the information presented above is strictly applied to long-term rentals.
About the safety deposit refund:
- the deposit made by bank transfer is 100% refundable through our protection and refund policy and can be applied by our customers without giving a reason for their decision.
- future tenants can request a refund of the deposit made until the moment they sign the rental contract, after which the deposit is final and is transferred to the owner's bank account.
- if after viewing the property the future tenant does not want to sign the lease and take the apartment for rent, the local agent will contact the finance team to make an immediate refund of the deposit made.
Our team verifies the property for you! They also meet the landlord, so you have all the information you need to continue. We guarantee that the pictures are real and everything we present is checked in advance to avoid the execution of unnecessary deposits by future tenants.
We would like to specify that the visit can be scheduled at least at two days after the confirmation of the deposit.
Please let us know if you would like to continue and we will send you all the necessary information including the appointment schedule and invoice.
*Airbnb cares a lot about the safety of our customers and that is why it is possible to make several identity checks during the rental process.
Best Regards,
Stella M. Myers - Airbnb Support Team
Airbnb Ireland, The Watermarque Building, South Lotts Rd, Ringsend, Dublin 4, VAT Number: 9827384L