Airbnb Scams: Red Flags to Look For
Renting out your property on Airbnb can be a lucrative business, but problem guests and scams can be a host’s worst nightmare. For example, vacation rental property owners have reported thefts and had guests who used their properties as party venues, paying with stolen credit cards.
Airbnb hosts have also complained about guests making disputes over the last days and blackmailing them with bad reviews if they don’t get a refund. There were reports from hosts about freeloaders who brought in cockroaches or other vermin in ziplock bags and then used this as evidence to obtain a full or partial refund.
There are also numerous stories about scammers with fake Airbnb accounts that often use bots to attempt to clear out a host’s bank account or steal the homeowner’s identity to defraud other guests. The best way to protect yourself from such fake Airbnb guests is to be aware of the signs of fraud and take steps to prevent it from happening in the first place. Here are common warning signs of a scam guest to look out for.
Incomplete guest profile
An incomplete guest profile with limited information and inappropriate photos, or one without any image, can be a red flag indicating that the guest may not be who they claim to be. You should pay special attention to see if the guest has reviews from other hosts. It’s also important to be very careful if your listing is their first-ever booking because scammers often create multiple fake accounts to book rental properties.
Contact you outside of Airbnb
They contact you privately using WhatsApp or texting and insist on communicating with you outside the Airbnb platform because it’s more convenient. Usually, this type of scam comes with a story that a company will cover their expenses or pay in cash. Alternatively, they may request additional information about your property or request to inspect the listing before booking your place for the long term. The excuses are endless.
Don’t waste your time on such requests. Decline them, report them to Airbnb, and delete them as soon as possible. Don’t be tempted by the idea of personal contact with strangers to avoid paying Airbnb fees. The platform has protection built into its services and can verify the identity of its users.
Private transactions with strangers online are risky unless you have a platform that allows you to accept direct bookings. Then you can build your protections into your direct booking website and use it as a tool to build your brand and develop relationships with travelers.
If you don’t have a direct booking website, you can easily create one by using short-term rental software like Hospitable. You don’t need any coding skills to do that, and our system will ensure your calendars stay synced with your OTA listings.
Make overpayment and request a refund
This scam happens when the “guest” gets you to agree to payment by check. They send you the check in the mail, but they make the check amount too much and then ask you to refund them the difference. After you give them some money, the fake check will not clear. That’s why you should never accept payment by check and only agree to secure payment methods.
Airbnb Guest Scamming Hosts: How Does Airbnb Protect Hosts?
Airbnb makes the platform as secure as possible for everyone and uses an ID verification process to identify hosts or guests using fake IDs. In November 2022, Airbnb introduced a new policy aimed at enhancing the hosting experience and fostering trust within the community.
It required all guests from the top 35 countries, including France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, and the US, to verify their identity for a booking to be completed. This represented 90% of all reservations.
Currently, Airbnb requires primary hosts, new co-hosts, and booking guests to complete identity verification for all stays, services, and experiences on the Airbnb platform. Most guests only need to do this once, and Airbnb guides them through any necessary steps. Identity verification for guests typically occurs during checkout—Airbnb provides them with a specific deadline to complete it. If a guest doesn't complete the process in this timeline, their reservation won’t be confirmed.
To verify personal information, Airbnb requests credentials such as a legal name, address, phone number, and other contact details. They may also request a photo of a valid government-issued ID and/or a selfie to verify that people are who they claim to be and to prevent fraudulent activities on the platform. Airbnb may also conduct background checks to ensure safety when someone rents a home.
What Can You Do to Protect Yourself from Airbnb Fake Guests?
Still, identity verification by Airbnb isn’t a guarantee of someone’s identity or an assurance that interacting with that person will be safe. You cannot unquestioningly trust a stranger, so it’s essential to thoroughly screen your guests before confirming a booking.
It is best to check the guest’s profile, pay attention to all the details, read the reviews, and ask for additional information, for example, the reason for their trip. And trust your intuition—if you don’t feel right about a reservation, don’t accept it.
Add an extra layer of protection. Request ad-hoc guest screening when your gut feeling tells you something's off. We highly recommend this step for all long-term rentals.
When you list your property on multiple OTAs and have a direct booking website, it is crucial to have your own vacation rental guest screening process. You may argue that you have numerous responsibilities and are too busy to conduct all these background checks. However, you can automate most routine tasks using vacation rental software like Hospitable, allowing you to focus more on important activities, such as marketing your listing and guest screening.
Communicate frequently with guests throughout the booking process to ensure a seamless experience. For your safety, Airbnb also recommends always communicating through Airbnb until you have confirmed the reservation. If you chat on Facebook Messenger or by text, you’ll lose the protection of Host damage protection, Host liability insurance, Payments Terms of Service, and other safeguards.
Complete your house rules and guest manual in your listing, and include any information you’d like travelers to know before booking. Airbnb also recommends using its messaging system to get to know your guests and share expectations about your space.
To protect users from online fraud, they review and analyze messages on the Airbnb platform. They claim to block potentially dangerous messages that contain words or numbers that may include contact information or references to other sites, including external links.
Airbnb also allows hosts to require guests to sign a contract before staying at their rentals, which can protect them in case of disputes or damages. But hosts are required to disclose the actual rental agreement terms in their listing descriptions. Additionally, hosts must include the full terms in their message threads with guests.