Long-Term Guest Nightmare — Airbnb Failed to Help or Enforce Payment

[Azadeh22]

We trusted Airbnb and it turned into the worst experience of our lives.

My husband and I live in a brand-new townhouse in Richmond Hill, Ontario, with my elderly, disabled parents. We rented our separate furnished basement suite through Airbnb, believing it would be safer than having a long-term tenant.

In May 2025, we received a one-year reservation request (May 5, 2025 – May 5, 2026). Before accepting, I called Airbnb because I was worried about what could happen if the guest refused to pay or move out. Airbnb promised me they had special teams to handle payment collection and guest removal, so we accepted the booking trusting their assurance.

The guest paid only the first month, then delayed the second payment and stopped paying altogether. Later, he falsely claimed there were bedbugs — but Airbnb investigated and confirmed the photos he sent were fake and not from our property. Despite this, Airbnb cancelled his reservation for non-payment, but did nothing to remove him or collect the money.

Now, this person continues to live in our unit for free, ignoring all calls, emails, and messages from Airbnb. We contacted the police, but they said since it’s now a long-term stay, it falls under the Landlord and Tenant Board. We’ve hired a lawyer and have a court date in December, but meanwhile, this stranger lives in our home while we live in constant stress and fear — especially for my elderly parents.

Airbnb completely failed to protect us after promising support. They did not screen the guest properly, did not enforce payment, and refused to take responsibility for the situation they created.

We trusted Airbnb’s name and policies, but they abandoned us when we needed them most. I strongly warn other hosts — do not accept long-term stays on Airbnb. Airbnb takes their fees and leaves you to deal with the nightmare alone.

[Mehrnaz2]

That’s awful! So apparently we don’t get any support from Airbnb in case the guests don’t pay their rents! This is horrible! 

Thanks for sharing your experience 

[Azadeh22]

Thank you so much for your support and understanding. Yes, it was a very stressful experience for us. We truly hope Airbnb improves their policies to better protect hosts in cases like this

[Mehdi429]

It is ridiculous! I’ve heard the same story from my friends! Airbnb is becoming a real scam these days!

This is such a shame how much they charge users and hosts while taking ZERO responsibility! 

This platform has become a playground for scammers and thieves.

I personally won’t use their service anymore.

[Azadeh22]

Thank you for your comment — unfortunately, I completely agree with you. We trusted Airbnb for safety and support, especially because they promised to handle payment issues and guest removal if anything went wrong. But when our guest stopped paying and refused to leave, Airbnb did absolutely nothing. We’ve been living under stress for months while a stranger stays in our property for free. It’s heartbreaking to see how little responsibility Airbnb takes, especially after collecting all their fees. I hope more people speak out so real hosts don’t have to go through this again. 🙏🏻

[Pegah13]

This is so frustrating. I thought Airbnb was a trusted company, especially when hosts have problems with their guests. You should be getting more support from them. 

Thank you for sharing your experience. I’ll definitely keep it in mind.

[Azadeh22]

Thank you so much for your kind words and understanding 🙏🏻

Yes, we also trusted Airbnb and believed they would protect hosts, especially in serious situations like this. But when our guest stopped paying and refused to leave, Airbnb offered no real help, even after admitting the guest was at fault. It’s been months of stress for our family — especially with my elderly parents living here too. I truly hope no other host has to experience what we’re going through. 💔

[Joan2709]

@Azadeh22 

So sorry this happened....

Unfortnately, Airbnb does very little to explain the dangers of a long term rental on their platform. Airbnb is not well suited for long-term rentals and provides little protection for Hosts. I generally do not recommend my clients use Airbnb for mid to long term stays. They do not provide security deposits, background checks or rental agreements. Other platforms are more suited for long term stays and do provide those protections. 

Scammers target new Airbnb Hosts knowing they are not experienced and exploit the Hosts and some Hosts end up with squatters. This guest most likely never intended to continue paying after the 1st month and knew it would take you months to evict while they lived rent-free in your place. Airbnb does not do a good job of explaining the pitfalls of long term stays and the limitations of Aircover. They will not help you remove a squatter.

Sadly, once a guest establishes tenancy (usually 30+days in most states), you have to go through the court process to evict. Even if you successfully do that, you many times are unable to be compensated for the rent they didn't pay, nor damages to the property. 

This is a bit late, but I created a Guide to Long Term Stays on Airbnb with lots of cautionary tips for Hosts. 

Airbnb Long Term Stays - Guide

https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Host-guides/Monthly-Stays-on-Airbnb-Guide-Revised/m-p/2066547#M2...

Hoping this all gets resolved soon for you...let us know how it goes.

[Azadeh22]

Thank you for sharing your experience and insights. I completely agree—Airbnb is not well-suited for long-term rentals, and unfortunately, hosts often face challenges with security, agreements, and protection when renting for extended periods. It’s frustrating how easily scammers can exploit new hosts, and the legal process for evicting non-paying guests can be long and difficult.

I appreciate you taking the time to create a guide for long-term stays—resources like yours are really helpful for hosts to understand the risks and protect themselves better.

[Helen3]

I'm so sorry this happened to you. @Azadeh22 

It's really important as business owners that we understand 

1. cancellation policies we use and their împlications

2. our liability if we choose to accept long term guests in terms of potentially giving them access to tenancy rights 

the only certainty you have when choosing to accept long term bookings is that the guest will pay for the first month.

I do hope you are successful in getting the guest out you inadvertently gave tenancy rights to.

[Houman9]

I’m truly shocked that something like this could happen in a developed and law-abiding country like Canada.
I used to think Airbnb was a trustworthy and reputable company, but after reading this, their credibility is seriously damaged in my eyes.
If this is how they treat hosts in Canada, I can only imagine how unsafe it would be elsewhere.
A company that profits from trust should never abandon its users when they need real support

[Helen3]

this is nothing to do with airbnb @Houman9 this is to do with the business owner of the listing not checking tenancy laws in their country before accepting a long term booking and not carrying out proper vetting of a long stay guest 

Airbnb is a marketing platform. 

[Azadeh22]

That’s not true. Airbnb is absolutely responsible in cases like this. Many lawyers have confirmed that Airbnb can be held liable because they were the ones who accepted the guest without verifying their credit or payment information. Before I accepted the booking, I even asked Airbnb what would happen if the guest didn’t pay or refused to leave. They told me not to worry — that they had a “special team” to handle these issues.

But when everything went wrong, all they did was try to contact the guest, who then blocked their calls and emails. After that, Airbnb completely stopped responding to me and even closed my messages.

Hosts like us end up spending thousands on lawyers and waiting months for a resolution, while Airbnb takes no real responsibility. At the very least, they should have a legal team to guide hosts in these situations.

So yes, Airbnb is responsible — and if you think otherwise, it honestly sounds like you’re defending them or working for them.

[Evelina30]

I don't believe this is accurate. Airbnb doesn't provide hosts with direct access to payment details or full ID verification before a booking is confirmed. As the intermediary in the financial transaction between host and guest, Airbnb is responsible for verifying guest information and ensuring the system is secure. Verification should go beyond something as basic as confirming an email address (which can be created in minutes). Unfortunately, the platforms vetting standards have declined over time and it's one of the many reasons hosts are choosing to delist their properties. 

[Azadeh22]

Thank you for understanding and for your support. I completely agree — it’s unbelievable that something like this can happen here, especially when Airbnb claims to protect both guests and hosts. Unfortunately, they allowed a guest with an empty credit card and no proper vetting to book a long-term stay, and now they refuse to take any responsibility. Every lawyer I’ve spoken to says Airbnb should be liable since they facilitated the booking and collected the payment. It’s truly disappointing to see a company of this size turn its back on honest hosts.