What to do when airbnb deactivates your hosting account - for no reason?

Answered!
Dave192
Level 2
Carbondale, IL

What to do when airbnb deactivates your hosting account - for no reason?

My account was suddenly deactivated today because airbnb "determined that it is in the best interest of Airbnb, and for the users on our site, to deactivate your account permanently."

 

No warning, no complaints nothing.

 

I have nothing but 4 and 5 star reviews! I've been a model host for the airbnb community and have been selected as a community speaker to inform the community about how to host a property for airbnb guests.I am at a loss for words. This is unreal, a total and complete shock and the most unprofessional thing that has ever occurred to me in my professional life.
 
I had just put my house up for rental in September and have already recived over $2,800 in bookings in 6 weeks! Things were going great. Was I making too much? Charging too much? I dont get it.
 
I had one guest stay Oct 23-25 and he has not left a review. If he called to complain for some reason, would 1 guest complaint be enought to deactivate my account?? Im stunned. 
 
Is there any way to get answers from airbnb? Who should i contact?
Top Answer
Tracy279
Level 2
Emeryville, CA

Dave, did you ever get a response from the Trust and Security team? I'm a Superhost and was just deactivated this week, with vague reason: "for violating the Terms of Agreement" but no specific Term provided.  After piecing together the two cryptic messages I received from "Trust and Security", I figured out that ABB has the right to deactivate any host, even a Superhost, if we:

 

1. Accept a guest who arrives but who is not the person who booked the reservation ("Third-party Bookings"). This happens more and more on ABB and it puts hosts in a hard situation of telling someone who's just arrived (with their luggage) that we cannot accept them, and that we have to call ABB customer service to have ABB cancel the reservation. Rather than cause a confrontation, I have welcomed them and mostly had no problem, until recently ...

 

2. A third party guest caused a problem and tried to elevate it to ABB (and youtube), which triggered the "Third-party booker" violation and exposed ABB (and me) to the risks of defamation through social media. Deactivating the listing is their way of minimizing risk exposure.

 

3. Encourage a guest to contact you or pay outside of ABB. After ABB first temporarily suspended my listing and cancelled two upcoming reservations, the guests messaged me asking how to confirm their reservation (they still want to stay at my property, why punish them?). I replied back assuring them we still had their reservation and to call me. Within 3 days my account was permanently deactived due to "violation of the Terms of Agreement".

 

Trust and Safety never called to speak to me, only 2 brief email messages informing of deactivation.  Apparently we are presumed guilty until proven innocent, even with a 3 year history and Superhost status. Although ABB prides itself with the quality-control, peer-to-peer review platform, the mass volume of ABB users are now causing all kinds of problems - and if your problem reaches ABB Headquarters, they will deactivate you (and probably the guest account) to simply reduce their risk exposure.

 

Heading to VRBO.com now...

 

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49 Replies 49
Cynthia-and-Chris1
Level 10
Vancouver, WA

@Dave192 Interesting. From what you say, I can’t see why they would have deactivated you. Do you have any cancellations? Too many declined reservations? 

Zero cancellations and zero declined reservations for this propery.

 

I did have a few declined reservations for another property but those were all in 2016 when i accidently left my calander open for dates when the place was not available. 

If you had a profile before & then tried to setup a new, different one then perhaps this is the problem?

Same profile for over 3 years, traveling and hosting. 

Rick124
Level 2
Springfield, MO

Call them at: ‭+1 (855) 424-7262‬

Rick Simpson

Dear Rick, how are you? I hope all is well. The same happened to me. Would you please be able to advise me? 

they won't answer.  Same thing happened to me. 

Allison116
Level 10
Walnut Creek, CA

Very strange. You should contact them and please post an update here. Hopefully it is just a mistake. I Definitely don’t think it can be because you’re making too much money. Because the more you make the more Airbnb makes so they want that too.

Edwin57
Level 10
New York, United States

May be it was a mistake 3years is a long time hope they can fix

Cynthia-and-Chris1
Level 10
Vancouver, WA

@Dave192 Any resolution? Were you able to talk to Airbnb??

Ive talked to customer support on the phone but they are not helpful and simply say that they will write  note to trust and safety that ive called. (Ive now called everyday this week). They say that trust and safety will reach out to me but im not counting on it.

 

I've been advised to write them an actual letter through the mail and explain my cirucmstaces and that is my next step.

 

I did notice one log-in on my account from North Carolina - where i have not travled to in 2017 so maybe there was some type of security breach?

SO weird. Keep calling until you reach trust and safety; that's the only way I was able to resolve my issue. You let them know about the unrecognized login from NC, yes?

Hosting since Thanksgiving Day 2012 and over 1,000 stays. May you ever be the benevolent ruler of your own domain--YOUR life. Allow no other to rule over it.

Trust and Safety. Perhaps ABB got complaints about you in regards to Trust and Safety? Maybe reported you as unsafe. 

Ty14
Level 2
Atlanta, GA

This happened to me about 2 weeks ago. I was a super host within a month and a half and then I got an email saying I was permanently banned without an explanation .  I sent them an email and got a response saying that they didnt not have to give me a reason.  It was extremely odd.