Short Term Rentals Blocked

[Gabrielle84]

My listing is in Seattle WA.  I updated my short term rental license this year, and ever since, cannot accept short term bookings.  I have been told by customer service that this is a "glitch".  I have read a lot of complaints on here about Airbnbs customer service, but have to say every interaction I have had has been pleasant and I honestly feel like I am not being rushed and the person is genuinely trying to help.  Unfortunately, I think this is beyond a customer service issue, and it is beginning to seem unsolvable.  

I began calling in on January 29th, when I noticed that my listing would only accept bookings of 30 days or longer.  When I try to change it to 3 nights, it just changes back to 30.  I have called 11 times.  Each time, told that someone would address this and call me back.  No call happens, triggering me to call again.  We are heading into the timeframe that I usually start getting reservations for the busy summer season here in Seattle, so in the meantime, put my listing up on VRBO.  I receive about 2 scam communications from that site a day.....and am about to close that, which will leave me dead in the water.  I REALLY love airbnb, we built this place with airbnb only in mind, and just wish they would figure this out!  Has anyone else had this issue and was it ever resolved?  Someone recommended deleting and re listing, but that would wipe out my steady track record of solid 5 stars, so I am reluctant to go that route.  

[Eduardo1344]

I have the same problem

[Eduardo1344]

Im in Florida, Im tire of dealing with this, I don't get any help from Airbnb ... I don't know what to do?

[Angielena0]

hello there

  My name is Angielena, a host/super host and a firm supporter of AIRbnb until recently. I have been having EXACTLY the same issue with the short term rental issue. I have been dealing with this since Dec of 2020 and I have called so many times and they say the same things to me. Help is on the way...But no one calls me back or actually resolves the issue. YES they are kind but they say they are escalating the situation and I ask "Will I get a phone call back?" 

"Yes" they say EVERY time......yet no help

I was wondering if maybe I should get a lawyer?

This is hurting me physically,financially and mentally and not being able to use the license I paid for is also really Fraked up

[Carol-and-Ian1]

@Angielena0 

Same problem here. I have been fairly relentless between calling/e-mailing  Airbnb and the City of Seattle.

**

Ciera has been very helpful and very responsive! thru e-mail. And it has been resolved!

Give it a try

Good luck!!

**[Personal information removed in line with - Community Center Guidelines]

[Scott635]

What were the steps you took with  the City of Seattle?   I was told to send information to an email address, but there was no follow-up from them, and my listing is till deactivated.

Like others have related, Airbnb has completely ignored me.  My request was sent to another department, and they do not respond or give updates.

Thanks.

[Peter-And-Jennifer0]

3 months and I am having the same problem!!!! For the past three years we have been short term renters and in the past 3 months they put us on long term for no reason. We have the licenses and fed up with Air BB!! Customer support on several occasions had to go on vacation and could not help us and only could help us when he cam back. Pathetic!!! We have all the licenses!!

[Anne1277]

I'm just trying to set up my listing after taking a yr off for covid.  I'd like to make my room available to travelling nurses so attempted long-term listing but found too many issues so now I want to keep it short-term but cannot find a way to change it nor can I find on-line help unless this is the place.

[Martha472]

I have the same problem as the rest of the hosts on this thread. I am sorry to hear about others suffering with this. Has anyone considered using VRBO or another platform? Below is my saga:

I have not heard from airbnb support for over 18 days with regards to a simple platform issue. I cannot set the minimum stay to less than 30 days. I have met all the short-term requirements, the airbnb listing shows it as having a valid short-term stay license.

18 days ago I received an email from airbnb support  saying “we’ll be in touch with you soon”. No one has ever contacted me.  Chat, phone, and twitter DM follow-up refer me to the original case and hang up.  I get no reply when I respond to the email as instructed.

Here is the email I received:

from: Airbnb Community Support / Latineeshea M, Mon, 07 Jun 2021 22:01:22 GMT / I’ve forwarded your inquiry to a member of my team who can better assist you. Please feel free to add any additional information to this email, and we’ll be in touch with you soon.

Is it true airbnb is doing this intentionally in order to maintain an inventory of long-term units?

Superficially their response looks like incompetence, but retrospectively every attempt I have made to follow-up on this issue has been tightly scripted. The support person / bot always follows a workflow that ends up identifying an existing case on which they can’t provide any info. I spoke to one person who said the case was being handled in a different department, which they had no way of contacting.

[Carol-and-Ian1]

@Martha472 

I got up and going after dealing directly with the City of Seattle Short Term Rental License Office.  Airbnb will not post the number here.

[Martha472]

Thanks! I will try them. Airbnb shows my short term rental license number on the listing, so I have been assuming Airbnb verified this with the City based on the info I entered. 

Did your listing show your short term rental number during the time you were blocked?

Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions!

[Scott635]

What did the Seattle STR office do for you?  They told me to send an email with my detail, but I get no responses from that email address.  When I called back this week, they completely gave me the runaround and kept telling me that things are slow because of COVID.

[Carrie418]

Did it ever get resolved? Going thru it right now, terrible. Get ready to call in the morning… 

[Victor-V4]

Hi, were you able to resolve this problem? I am currently experiencing the same problem.  I really need help, is my first time ever trying to list my house but i have problems gettin the 180 days minimum to short term rentals of 5 nights per say. 

Let me know if you have a solution to this problem.

Thanks.

[Scott635]

In Seattle you need a city business license and a city short-term rental license.  If you don't have the first, you can't get the second.   If you haven't paid your city taxes, you can't renew your ST license.  You'll also have a late fee penalty that has to be paid before anything can get started.  

If you don't have the short-term rental license, Airbnb will lock you out of short-terms.  At that point you have to go back to the city and get what you need, then have them contact Airbnb to tell them things are okay.

But that's Seattle - you'd be better off checking a NYC thread or starting a new one.  I'm sure they have less bureaucracy. 🙂

[Carol-and-Ian1]

This lady was very helpful at the City of Seattle office.  If you have not gotten this resolved yet, give her a call, then mark it on your calendar for the yearly due date. I did not receive an e-mail for the renewal and i went thru this twice with an additional late fee!!

Toni Jones

Regulatory Licensing Customer Service Representative

City of Seattle, Department of Finance and Administrative Services

Consumer Protection Division, Short-Term Rentals

O: 206-386-1267 | str@seattle.gov

good luck!!:)