De-Listing without explanation ?

De-Listing without explanation ?

Received an automated email that my property will be delisted on a certain date because of hospitality standards and/or terms and conditions. 

I made an enquiry to understand what this was all about, and an email came through to me 2 days later merely saying that checks have been done and that the delisting cannot be undone. 

 

Important to note that every single review ( I now have 20 ) has had 4.5 stars and above, and not a single guest has made a complaint to me nor airbnb. I know this as airbnb customer services have confirmed this to me. 

 

QUESITON: has anyone else experienced this bizarre and unjust encounter ???

41 Replies 41
Martin0
Level 2
London, United Kingdom

Are you absolutely sure that Airbnb did this? My listing was hacked last year but the hacker did not delist irt but changed the property, prices and all the photos . I had over 400 enquiries as a result of the prices being the equivalent of £15ish pn.
Thomas24
Level 2
London, United Kingdom

Yes the same just happened to me, I'm just below superhost qualification, so it's not about quality. Airbnb confirmed as much via their customer service - the guy I spoke to said he knew this strange culling was going on but didn't understand why. Clearly it seems to be some legal thing. Is it people with over 90 nights per year (a London thing)? Or is it about high turnover in terms of cash? 

Karim0
Level 1
London, United Kingdom

Me too ... no explanation, just the same email talking about hospitality standards.

I have more than 40 reviews and a 5 stars rating

I can't understand this unfair decision.

 

Maybe we're not good enough for them.

Because of their overgrowing success they can now afford to lose some of their hosts and sort out who should remain on their top listings.

 

K.

Hi Karim,
I was de-listed also and had 700 positive reviews on Airbnb. I differ a little from yourself in that I operate a registered hotel. I want to escalate this issue and if possible bring together as many individuals as possible and then plan a class action lawsuit suing for loss income and possible damage to my reputation. You, I and others have spent sometimes years developing a good image on Airbnb and perhaps even solely depended upon them for our income and then to have all mysteriously and callously destroyed is not morally acceptable and I doubt if legally also. Perhaps we can network more with other hosts and then formulate a good stratigy to gain back our loses and insure this doesnt happen again. The airbnb people just don't give a **bleep** what they have done you and me. It's time to give them a wake up call.
Chris [phone number removed]

Sara2
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

Saw on BBC news yesterday THAT THE uk Law is 90 days per year we are allowed to host they seem to be working on it loads of neighbour complaints ; especially about property owners pretending it's their home for holiday let.  I had an email 3 weeks ago that in neat my 90 days that came from ABB it was a FYI type polite notice.

Peter0
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

I wonder if Airbnb is now moving to meet the authorities' concerns and to delist what it believes are illegal listings.  It would not surprise me if they have categorised those who are being delisted as breaking the regulations and are taking them down. They have publicly said they are doing this in New York.  So if it is a whole home you don't live in, I suggest that might be the reason that Airbnb has discovered the situation and won't service it as a listing any longer.  I really hope that Airbnb will remain a home SHARING site.  

Thomas24
Level 2
London, United Kingdom

Is that what it is about, home sharing versus renting out a whole house? 

 

The thing is, I DO live in the house, on the floor below. I have it listed as "whole flat", just because they can use my kitchen and bath, but then in the description I explain that I live there too.

 

Does anyone else know if home sharing versus renting out entirely is what this is all about?

This just happened to me, too. First, with one property ony (yesterday) and then today I got another one with all of my others that are in London, even ones that were deleated over two years ago. I have three total listings now that I list as whole properties, all have great reviews. I called Airbnb Europe and they couldn't tell me anything. But today I called the US number and they said they think its a hoax and are forwarding it on to trust and safety. Though now that I have found this thread, I suspect it isn't a hoax after all. I just want to know what's going on. Weird they aren't telling us the reason, right?  

Martin0
Level 2
London, United Kingdom

So, Peter, if the limit is 90 days/nights per year, when does the year start? If Jan 1st, does Airbnb wait until the 91st night is booked and then de-list for the rest of the year? What if local councils (London) are not sticking to the letter or the spirit and are quite happy to let self-contained properties be let for more than 90? And, is Airbnb's action, if that is what it is, contrary to individuals' freedoms? The fact that Airbnb/CS seem to be less than knowledgable and less than open about what is going on makes me think that this is a scam. Airbnb seems to be a regular target for hackers in my experience.

Maxine0
Level 10
Brighton, United Kingdom

This is really worrying. It appears not to be a hacker/spam but Airbnb genuinely de-listing without being transparent about why. Instead emails suggest that the host is no suitable to the 'guest experience sought' irrespective of those hosts - some with superhost status - having 4 and 5 star reviews and happy guests, no complaints reported.

 

It has caused mass confusion.

 

Airbnb need to give a clear communication to all hosts - What is considered to be an illegal listing - e.g is it 

1. Entire apartment / house where host doesn't live there as their primary residence

2. Hosts that rent a room or own home or 2nd home on airbnb for more than 90 days -

3. Hosts in Cities / towns where their Councils set the rules and prohibit homeowners from renting their properties when they are not present, such as going on holiday and renting out whilst away

4. Hosts with more than one property listing

5. Commercial hosts with rental property portfolios

6. Commercial single BnB's

7. Realtor Estate Agents

8. Homes that do not meet health and safety rules (smoke alarms etc)

9. Homes and rooms rented in towns and Cities that require them to have a license

10. Anything else

 

Whatever the reasos are Hosts worldwide need to know

 

The obtuse emails being sent to hosts telling them they are being de-listed as they do not meet the standards expected by guests and then refusing to offer any real explanation or means to overturn the delisting decision by advising the host what the resason is and how they can make changes - is just unfair, distressing and disrespectful to hosts

 

I rely on my airbnb income and whilst this has not happened to me, I would be horrified if it did, particularly if I didn't know why and they wouldn't tell me.

 

I do own my own home and have a floor I rent out on airbnb with it's own street entrance, set up as an entire self-contained apartment but it remains part of the main house via an interconnecting staircase and door, where I live on the upper two floors.

 

I had a very busy year (until we hit Dec/Jan) and may well have had total bookings nudging or just exceeding 90 days - does that put me over the limit? When was this 90 day limit set and where can I find communication that details that limit? Is it a 90 day April to 6th April tax year limit or a January to 31st December limit.

 

Where is @Lizzie0 the UK Airbnb Community Manager - we need an explanation and assurances urgently.

 

 

 

 

 

Fiona0
Level 5
Bournemouth, United Kingdom

 

My thought is that Airbnb cannot say 'we have deleted you because your listing is illegal' because their lawyers have told them that if they do is, they could be sued themselves for promoting illegal listings.

 

It seems to be a London thing, although a similar thing seems to have happened in Barcelona in November.

 

I'm in Bournemouth, Maxine, where everyone rents out rooms to foreign students and holiday makers.  The council is very keen to keep the tourists coming, and has even refused planning permission to people wanting to turn rundown hotels into flats. So I'm hoping they won't come for us seasiders, although I guess if the hotels complain that the Airbnb-ers are putting them out of business, it might come to that.

@Maxine

many thanks for your answer, at least I know I'm not totally talking alone!

 

The problem seems to be not only in London but at least in Rome, Barcelona and Amsterdam at least.

It's not related to law-adherence as me, personally, spent a lot of money to get proper licenses and to be fully compliant with the local law.

 

It seems to be due to a big mistake on Airbnb's systems, but if not properly managed by hosts listings are effectively disabled.

Beside pushing hard on customer care (CX dept), who will inoltrate the communication to the "Marketing and Quality department" it seems that there isn't so much to do.

 

The "Marketing and Quality department" is not answering at all.

 

No solutions found yet. Just keep pushing and moving my LinkedIn contacts looking for people working in this department and try to have a personal contact.

 

If other hosts will have this issue can try write directly to quality@airbnb.com, but do not expect a fast / proper response.

99% of their answers are not personal (e.g. template only) and will not answer to your personal inquiry.

 

 Another horrible way I'm following is advising ALL of my future guests and asking them to push on Airbnb too. And it's working, as only today I received 4 calls from CX department. But it has not (yet) fixed the problem. I wish I will reach the critical mass soon. But this should not be the way to follow, but it seems the only one feasible right now.

@Pietro-And-His-Friends-0 - I can't imagine it could be a technical glitch as airbnb are instigating the emails to hosts advising them they are to be de-listed and airbnb are confirming they have instigated the emails stating that 'the host property does not meet the expected guest experience'.

So the element I think you could well be right about, is that airbnb do not wish to state 'illegal listings' in their communication for the reason you state. Instead the message is ' airbnb brand is focused on the shared economy and guests sharing their home with strangers who become friends'. Home owners can generate additional income which supports the local economy and contributes further to retail and tourism but does not displace local businesses nor affordable housing, as owners properties are not full time rentals.

 

Thereby culling properties that are full time rentals, with host not present, that potentially or definately displace (due to price) local businesses or housing, is a response to the criticism airbnb has been attracting around the world from Councils, businesses and law enforcers.

 

It may also be why airbnb have been focused on pushing prices down - noted the pricing tool many hosts have said is nonsense as they proposed pricing is often far less than what the host is charging and guests are paying.

 

Airbnb just need to be more transparent with the hosts affected

Yes, I can see that full time rentals are not really what Airbnb wants to promote as a "sharing experience". Hosts who live in their listings can offer a better experience to guests by showing them how locals live, giving advice, and maybe participate in meals. Full time rentals, like mine, are not as personal. I give the door code, a quick tour on check-in if the guest wants, an tour of the dairy farm if the guest is interested, but that is all.

 

That being said, there are many listings like mine on VBRO, Homeaway, Flipkey, and others that are established full time, commerical listings. Perhaps it is not a bad thing to do a "purge" so that Airbnb is back to having the image it wants to promote. Hence their statement that says something like "providing the experience our guests expect"....in the notices of termination of lisitngs.

 

It probably is better for guests as well to know that if they book with Airbnb they get a personal experience and interact with the host, and if they book with the others it is a commerical endeavor and they will have privacy.