Neighbour Fake Noise Complaints

Paul6784
Level 2
Mobile, AL

Neighbour Fake Noise Complaints

Hi, have been a host on airbnb in the UK for over 4 years. Hosted 1000's of people over the years in multiple properties. 

 

In one property an anti-airbnb neighbour was making fake noise complaints about airbnb guests. These complaints have been dismissed by the local authority who bring noise measuring machines to check them. Airbnb however have decided to totally believe the neighbour and block the listing for 2months???

 

I had attempted to email and contact airbnb for weeks - no reply and tickets on the issue where closed or ignored. The appeal form that I was supposed to complete is not even working? I then stated in an open support thread that I would create a new listing of the property if I did not get any response.

 

I did this, a well reviewed guest booked, the neighbour then made a another fake complaint against the guest who was hardly in the property and boom... airbnb blocked my whole account from any any bookings.

 

If there are noise issues with a guest,  contacting the host first and then local authority is the right process - we are the local people to fix these local issues (if they are really occurring).

 

It is unimaginable why airbnb would support an anti-airbnb neighbour with no evidence and not their responsible hosts and guests?

 

What can I do under these circumstances as the specialised team are not responding to my further support tickets and it feels like the company is in meltdown? The account is totally frozen. 

 

3 Replies 3
Gordon0
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

>>It is unimaginable why airbnb would support an anti-airbnb neighbour with no evidence and not their responsible hosts and guests?<<

It's called PR. And they've got stacks of the bad variety already. 

If CS are ignoring you, try contact through Twitter/Facebook etc., @Paul6784.

Katie
Community Manager
Community Manager
London, United Kingdom

Hi @Paul6784, welcome to the CC, and I'm sorry to hear of the trouble you've had with the neighbour. I have just sent you a DM with a bit more info on your case, so please take a look when you have a minute 😊

The issue is the ridiculous AirBnb top-down, ill-considered, corporate internal policies, (not with the neighbour).

 

"Between May and July, Binzer said more than 1,151 party and noise complaints were filed against the short-term rental properties listed in his database—a 290% increase from the same time a year ago. While an excess of parties may seem like a good problem to have, it could exacerbate Airbnb’s ongoing tensions with local lawmakers, a real risk for the company."

 

If one neighbour decides to orchestrate a complaints against a host and guests, corporate collective Airbnb seems to want to believe them to protect its IPO status. 

 

Airbnb believe that its policy is protecting its reputation, but in fact it is damaging it more with responsible hosts and guests and ultimately we will spread the word that this is a company that will throw us all under a bus for a buck. Usually companies act like this when they are a trajectory of self destruction, good luck to anyone with the shares.