Is this host legit?

[Tara1153]

Hello all! I am new to Airbnb and as I am looking through listings there is several pretty good listings for cheaper than i expected.
1. The host is un verified

2. a couple weeks ago, I tried to look at the host’s reviews and there were like maybe four. Then the next week there were pages of reviews. @_@@

3. Airbnb  states it’s been hosting for eight years, but it was only within one week that the reviews started happening and they’re all recent reviews.

4. all the listings that I find from this one host are fairly cheap for way more than all of the other listings from all the other hosts. 
i’m bouncing from ‘am I jumping the gun?’ To ‘that seems like a scam’ to ‘ maybe it’s legit!’.

[Patricia2526]

Hi @Tara1153 

Unverified hosts cannot publish a listing on Airbnb. The platform requires hosts to complete identity verification before a listing can go live.

If the listing you’re looking at already has guest reviews, that’s usually a strong sign that it’s legitimate and not a scam. Reviews mean that previous guests have successfully stayed at the property and completed their trips through the platform.

Sometimes you may notice that a profile says a host has been “hosting for 8 years,” even if the listing seems new. This can happen when someone created an Airbnb account or started the hosting process years ago but never actually finished setting up or publishing a listing. Their account age continues to show from when they first joined Airbnb, even if they only recently completed their listing and started accepting bookings.

If you still feel unsure, it’s always a good idea to read through the reviews carefully, check the host’s response rate, and communicate with the host directly through Airbnb before booking. These steps can help give you more confidence about the listing.

[Tara1153]

Thank you very much for your reply!! That is something I will take in account and check more into reviews.

[Elisa]

Hi @Tara1153 😊, 

Thank you for asking such an important question here in the Community Center.

Have you had a chance to check the reviews?
What did you end up deciding about that listing?

Looking forward to hearing from you!

[Tara1153]

After reading through different listings from the same host we still were not sure. My husband and I are gonna look elsewhere just to be safe. some listings look more legit others looked super suspicious so it made me wonder about it in a hole and that saying of if it’s too good to be true really looms on me.

[Elisa]

Hi @Tara1153 😊, 

Thank you for your kind reply!

I understand your feeling, it’s always better to double-check and feel confident about it.

Don’t hesitate to let me know how it goes.