Mouse Scam London

[Diogo238]

Good afternoon fellow hosts,

I’ve now, unfortunately, fallen victim to what I believe is an elaborate scam involving two of my properties in London.

The first incident happened four weeks ago. A guest with no prior trips, who had signed up to Airbnb in 2025, booked a one-night stay. The payment was actually flagged by Airbnb, which should have been the first red flag. The day after checkout, the guest claimed they had seen a mouse in the bathroom and even provided photos. Strangely, the flat had been stripped of all personal touches, complimentary items, even the bedding was taken. Airbnb, of course, issued a full refund immediately. I had a professional pest control inspection carried out afterward, and as expected, no signs of rodents or any other infestation were found.

Fast forward four weeks: a different guest, also with no prior trips and a 2025 signup, booked a one-night stay in a different property. Again, they were from the same country of origin as the first guest. And again, after checkout, I discovered that the house had been stripped of all removable items. Everything was shoved into cupboards: duvets, pillows, coffee pods, even oven mitts. The following day, the guest made the exact same claim: they saw a mouse in the bathroom. Mind you, I had a pest control inspection done in that property just a week prior. Still, Airbnb sided with the guest and issued a full refund.

At this point, I strongly suspect this is a scam. I can only guess that the properties are being used for photography, perhaps to create fake listings either on Airbnb or elsewhere. It’s possible they’re even bringing a mouse with them for the photos, or using AI-generated images. There are no mice in either of my homes, and yet I’ve been forced to take the loss, as Airbnb support refuses to acknowledge that this is clearly a scripted scam that has now happened twice in the exact same way.

Has anyone else, especially London hosts, experienced something similar? I had my doubts after the first time, but now I’m absolutely convinced this is organized and intentional.

Any advice on what to do next would be much appreciated.

[Helen3]

Hi @Diogo238 

Sorry to hear of your horrible experience .

Personally I don't accept last minute one night stays particularly from those new to Airbnb. 

I would open a case on Airbnb to be paid for both bookings on the basis that you have confirmed there are no mice at the property (what evidence did the guest provide of mice at your place)

what reason did the guests give for stripping your property

I do hope you left honest reviews of these guests to warn your fellow hosts . 

[Diogo238]

Thank you for your response @Helen3 ! They provided photos of the mouse, although the first time around they did not consent to share the images with me, but this time around the support kindly forwarded me the image. And on the photo you can clearly see the mouse, but it looks like it’s one of those pet mice which you can buy in any pet shops. They weren’t per se last minute reservation, both times they booked around 1 week in advance, but I see how even that could be considered last minute. They gave no reason for stripping the property, and for example I had to find coffee pods and teas and sugar sachets all shoved into the mitts and hidden behind dressers, so it is clear they were in a rush to make the house look absolutely empty. 
What type of case do you suggest I open? A reimbursement claim? Should I have another pest control check carried out asap for proof? As the pest check for the second property was done prior to the reservation (1 week before) and I have sent it to the support when they reached out regarding this claim but they still sided with the guest. I mean this scam has now cost me over £800 as that’s how much they have been refunded for the two reservations. I am very devastated as I spent the entire day yesterday trying to reach a senior support team who would take me seriously and investigate this matter properly as I’m very certain I’m not the only one who has been a victim of this operation at least in London. 

[Kavitha17]

This is precisely what happened to our flat today. The guest stayed for just one night, and we are certain they brought a black rat with them, possibly for photographs or to back up a false claim. All amenities were either taken or hidden; duvets, pillows, and other items were even thrown out onto the balcony.

They then filed a complaint with Airbnb. We immediately engaged a professional pest control company, whose inspection confirmed there were no signs of rats or any infestation. The expert concluded that the animal had likely been deliberately introduced.

The parallels with your experience are uncanny: a short stay, a newly created account, and suspicious behaviour in the property. I am now convinced this is part of an organised scam targeting hosts.

[Georgina333]

hi this has happened to me. it was used for fake rental viewings organised days ahead. I have then had people finding me through aribnb + they collectively have nearly £20k taken through upfront rent. unbelievable. anyway I am pushing hard that Airbnb pay back to me the lost income given all the other supporting evidence it was all part of criminal activity. I also received nothing from them about the pest claiming order to discuss or get reports. did you manage to get anything? thanks

[Diogo238]

This is crazy! Did they also claim they saw a rat/mouse in the bathroom of your place? I’m sorry it has happened to you too! I would recommend in your communication with support to refer to this thread as it only further proves that it’s a scam operation. 
I’m very grateful to the Airbnb community support, as a representative since my original post has reached out and I was reimbursed for both refunds they have issued to the scammers, after they reviewed the case one more time and confirmed my suspicions. I wonder if my apartments have been used for deposit fraud as well…

[STen-Homes-And-Villas0]

Same situation happened to us today, guest stayed on weekend and zero communication. 

few days later they reach out with visible fake rat (also black colour not grey) 

but most worryingly they striped out bed of linen and entire flat of personal touches. 

[Emilie]

@STen-Homes-And-Villas0 I'm sorry to hear you've had some issues with a recent reservation! Did you talk to the guests further about this, or contact the Support team to see what the best way forward is?