Unsafe host

[Luba8]

I have a general question about a trip that's already been completed.

I had a host that rented out property that was not his own. I checked through the public records. As a visitor, my card gets charged before the reservation is even confirmed. Yet within the first hour of me being there. the host asked for cash. Then he moved me to another room the next day. My reservation was for two weeks. Within a week he again tried to sublet yet another place that he does not own to me. This time an office. Then he tried to move me again to yet another house. I refused. The reason why I did not cancel right away was because it was two weeks only and my priority was really just that no one bothered me at night. During the day, if I was out, he would go through the room. His house stunk of dog poop and pee. He would call me or send text messages daily, knock on my door if I was at home. I blocked his number. 

My question is how come AirBnB does not verify that the property actually belongs to the host?

[Sarah977]

I don't know why airbnb does not require proof of ownership or letter of permission to sublet from landlord, it seems a huge oversight.

But you really should flag this so-called host's account and report his totally unacceptable behavior to airbnb. You will be doing other potential guests and other hosts a favor.

[Luba8]

I did report him actually. I spoke to them on tha phone about him as well.

[Matthew285]

@Luba8, I am not sure why, with all the bad behavior of this host, you are so focused on the fact that the host was not the owner.

Given how this host seems to think bad behavior is acceptable, don't you think this host would act this way even if he *did* own the property?

I think this is more about this host and bad behavior than about who owns the property.

[Luba8]

Because he is more likely to try to this kind of stuff if he thinks he's more anonymous. I've stayed at another place before where someone was helping a host list but the extent of their involvement was responding to messages. When i actually got there, the owner shower me the room and was the one to receive me. Everything was out on the open.