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Is Airbnb Safe, Legit And Trustworthy? [Plus 5 Scams To Avoid]
Is Airbnb Safe, Legit And Trustworthy?
I’ve used Airbnb for years - all around the world.
In my opinion, Airbnb is one of the best sites for booking accommodation (particularly alternative or apartment rentals). But while the website/app are generally safe to use, there are some important things new and existing Airbnb users should know about.
In this guide, we’ll cover safety and reliability concerns many Airbnb users have.
We’ll explore whether Airbnb is a legit company, three reliability concerns many Airbnb users share, three trustworthiness concerns, five safety concerns, and five scams to avoid as a potential guest using the site.
*Agoda.com provides a wide selection of steeply-discounted hotel rooms. To see today’s deals on hotels in any destination, click here.
Table of Contents
Is Airbnb.com A Legit Website?
Yes, Airbnb.com is a legitimate, reputable website for booking travel accommodation online.
Airbnb was founded by Brian Chesky (current CEO), Nathan Blecharczyk (still an executive with Airbnb) and Joe Gebbia in 2018. The company first started as AirBedAndBreakfast.com, where the founders rented their own air mattresses out to travelers. In 2009, the domain changed to AirBnB.com - a portmanteau of “air mattress” and “bed and breakfast”.
During the past 15 years, Airbnb has added various accommodation types, expanded internationally and included features like Experiences and Adventures. To learn more about Airbnb as a company (including its history and its effects on the travel industry, hotel industry and local markets), read this guide.
As of 2023, Airbnb is ahead of all other competitors in the home sharing and alternative lodging markets. For a complete comparison between Airbnb and its major competitors (including Vrbo.com), click here.
*For the 5 things you should bring to an Airbnb stay, click here.
How Reliable Is Airbnb?
So we established Airbnb.com is a legit website, but what about reliability concerns on the customer’s end?
Common reliability concerns include:
Will My Booking Be Accepted?
What If My Place Isn’t As Described?
What If I Have A Problem?
Reliability Concern #1:
Will My Booking Be Accepted?
Airbnb listings can be booked one of two ways - either via “Instant Book” or booking request. For “Instant Book” listings, the guest’s reservation is confirmed as soon they click “Confirm and pay”.
But if a host hasn’t enabled “Instant Book” on their listing, potential guests must submit a booking request. Hosts have up to 24 hours to accept a potential guest’s booking request before it expires.
As an Airbnb user, if you prefer to stick with Instant Book listings, filter your search by the “Instant Book” filter (shown below). To learn more about Instant Book vs. booking requests, click here.
Reliability Concern #2:
What If My Place Isn’t As Described?
Airbnb doesn’t physically inspect each property that is listed on its site (apart from Plus and Luxe listings).
As a guest, this is why it’s important to know how to spot a quality listing when using the site. Three things to look for in an Airbnb listing are: solid reviews, quality photos and completed listing details. To learn more about these three criteria, click here.
If you’re a new Airbnb user, I recommend you stick to listings with a review rating of 4.8 or higher and with 20+ reviews. The listing’s photos should display your bed, bedroom, bathroom and (ideally) the property’s entrance. The listing’s details and description should also be clearly filled out.
Reliability Concern #3:
What To Do If There’s A Problem?
Airbnb mediates issues between hosts and guests.
If a host or guest has an issue, from a basic complaint or violation (like a host claiming property damage or a guest requesting a refund) to more serious problems (like harassment, extortion or illegal activities), either party can raise a case to Airbnb’s Help Center.
Airbnb will evaluate the case’s details and any proof or evidence, then determine the proper course of action according to its company policies. Airbnb determines whether one party must compensate the other, as well as what that amount will be. For a complete guide to contacting Airbnb, click here.
*To see today’s deals on hotels in any destination, click here.
How Trustworthy Is Airbnb?
So, we’ve established that Airbnb.com is a legit and reliable website. But it’s still important to know how to spot trustworthy hosts and listings on the platform.
Before Airbnb became a well-known travel brand, the idea of staying in a stranger’s home during a trip was certainly considered fringe. To build trust between the hosts and guests in its marketplace, Airbnb makes all users verify their identity prior to booking or listing.
Common trustworthiness concerns include:
How Can I Trust My Host?
Can Reviews Be Faked?
How Can I Trust The Address?
Trustworthiness Concern #1:
How Can I Trust My Host?
As a new Airbnb user, I recommend you only stick to established hosts when booking your first place.
One way to do this is to filter your search so you only see places hosted by “Superhosts”. Superhost status is given to hosts who’ve earned and maintained Airbnb’s highest standards. To learn more about the Superhost program, click here.
You can also read a host’s bio prior to booking. To do so, scroll to the bottom of their listing, where you’ll see how many reviews they’ve accumulated, whether their identity’s verified, text bio (if they’ve written it), language(s) spoken, response rate and response time.
Trustworthiness Concern #2:
Can Reviews Be Faked?
It’s harder to fake a review on Airbnb than on many other booking sites, since only guests who’ve already verified their identity are able to book a place, and only verified guests who’ve already checked out of their stay can leave a review for that listing/host.
Some major booking sites do not require new users to verify their identity (at least not to the extent Airbnb does) before they’re allowed to book, and some sites do not even require users to book on their site before they’re allowed to leave a review for a listing. To learn all about how Airbnb reviews work, click here.
Trustworthiness Concern #3:
When Do I Get The Address?
Hosts choose either “general location” or “specific location” for their listings.
If a host chooses “general location”, users can vaguely see where the property is located on the map and how near it’s located to major attractions. If a host chooses “specific location”, users see a more precise (though not exact) location pinned on the interactive map.
As a guest, you’ll receive a property’s exact address after you’ve booked your stay there (revealed in your booking details). To find the address, click on your booking within your account, then scroll down to the “Getting there” section. For instructions on how to use Airbnb’s interactive map, click here.
As for trusting a listing’s address to be accurate, this is another reason to stick to established listings (as a new user). This way, you’ll already know that previous guests have found the property before you.
Some hosts also include information about the neighborhood, transportation options (bus, train, taxi) and local businesses (cafes, bars, markets) in their listing’s description, details or title.
*To see today’s deals on hotels in any destination, click here.
Is It Safe To Book On Airbnb?
Airbnb bookings are safe - as long as you know what to look for when you’re looking at a listing.
As mentioned, one feature separating Airbnb from other major booking sites is its verification process. When new Airbnb users create an account, they must verify their identity prior to booking. To learn about Airbnb’s guest verification requirements, click here.
Common customer safety concerns include:
Payment Safety (Card Details)
Safety Of Personal Information
Guest Safety At The Property
Is Check-In Safe?
Booking Scams And Fraud
Safety Concern #1:
Payment Safety (Card Details)
On Airbnb, guests can only pay for their bookings via card (credit or debit).
Airbnb handles the payment processing. According to them, your card details are not passed on to the host. Hosts aren’t allowed to ask their guests for payment or money outside of Airbnb (in-person or online) and if a host wants to make a change to your booking (price, dates, etc.), they’ll need your permission. To learn all about how payments work on Airbnb, click here.
Safety Concern #2:
Safety Of Personal Information
Your Airbnb profile is public, but you’ll choose what to disclose on it. Guest and host contact information (including phone numbers) will be hidden until your booking is confirmed. After a booking is made, your host will be able to see your phone number, but your email address will remain hidden.
In my experience, Airbnb hosts typically prefer to communicate via Airbnb’s messaging system rather than via SMS. If you book a hotel on Airbnb, your host may ask you to present your ID at check-in. In my experience, it’s very rare for a host to ask for ID when checking into a house or apartment stay.
Safety Concern #3:
Guest Safety At The Property
One hang-up preventing many potential Airbnb users from trying the platform, is the idea that they’ll be in a stranger’s home (even for private rentals where the host won’t actually stay with them in the property).
If you’ll feel safer in a hotel, select the “Hotel room” filter when searching (shown below). For instructions on how to filter your search, click here. For the full Airbnb vs. Hotels Comparison Guide, click here.
Hosts are not allowed to record guests. While cameras may operate in the hallway of an apartment building, for example, they can’t be inside a guest’s living space. For Airbnb’s rules about security cameras, click here.
Safety Concern #4:
Is Airbnb Check-In Safe?
Every Airbnb host chooses between two options on their listings: “host greets you” or self check-in.
“Host greets you” means your host (or co-host) will greet you at the property when you check in, and may show you around the place and inform you about the important things to know. Self check-in means your host will send you the check-in instructions. These instructions could be for - how to open a keypad, how to retrieve your key from the doorman, how to find your key under the front doormat, etc. To learn about check-in and checkout on Airbnb, click here.
Safety Concern #5:
Booking Scams And Fraud
Airbnb’s safety measures have evolved over the years (age restrictions were implemented in 2020). But as with other online marketplaces, Airbnb’s standards will continue to evolve as unscrupulous users seek out loopholes to exploit and attempt to take advantage of new and inexperienced users. Below, I’ve included 5 scams to avoid/be aware of as an Airbnb guest.
*To see today’s deals on hotels in any destination, click here.
5 Airbnb Scams To Avoid
First off, you should know that Airbnb scams are not common, and most hosts and guests are solid people hoping for a positive experience (in my experience). Also, we can’t broadly paint hosts as always being the “predators” and guests as always being the “victims”. There are certainly guests who try to take advantage of hosts (just ask an experienced host for their stories).
Also, scams exist on all major online marketplaces, even on highly trusted sites like Amazon.com. Large marketplaces attract some unscrupulous users seeking to gain something for nothing, and users aiming to trick the new and inexperienced. Remember, it’s best to message hosts via Airbnb (rather than SMS) when possible, so that there’s clear proof of communication in case a dispute arises between you two.
As an Airbnb guest, here are 5 scams to avoid/be aware of:
1) Host asks you to cancel on their behalf
Regarding cancelled bookings, Airbnb will determine who’s at fault and who deserves reimbursement based on which party (guest or host) took action. In other words, if your host wants to cancel the booking, but you go ahead and cancel it for them, you may become ineligible to receive the refund you actually deserve.
How To Avoid…
If a host requests that you cancel the booking on their behalf (whether it’s an upcoming booking or you’ve already checked in), politely decline the request and tell them it’s ok if they need to cancel, but that you will not do it for them. To learn all about Airbnb’s cancellation policy, click here.
2) Fake listing (or listing with false details)
If a listing seems too good to be true (extremely low price for its location) or something seems off about it (like its “spectacular” amenities aren’t displayed in the photos), keep looking for another listing. By booking a fake or inaccurate listing, you can run into greater problems later on (potentially ruining your trip).
How To Avoid…
The best way to avoid booking a fake listing (or a listing with false details) is to stick to listings with a rating of 4.8 or higher, 20+ reviews and photos showing the bedroom, bathroom and entrance. Listing details and the host’s bio should be filled out.
3) Host asks you to switch rooms
There have been reported cases of Airbnb hosts asking guests to switch rooms (either at check-in or during a stay) by saying there’s a “problem” with the original room. This may be a way to trick guests into booking a place that appears “nicer” than it really is, or even a way to funnel multiple guests through a single listing for the same dates.
How To Avoid…
Regardless of the host’s reasoning, or whether you believe they’re being genuine, you have the right to refuse a request to change from the original room you booked. If a host asks you to switch, feel free to decline their request. If the host still does not allow you to stay in the original room, notify Airbnb.
4) Host asks you to pay outside of Airbnb
Airbnb users are prohibited from paying or accepting payment outside the platform (and the company isn’t responsible for any transaction made outside of it). A host asking a guest to pay them directly, regardless of the reason, is against Airbnb’s payment terms. Also, your host should not request money after you arrive. If a host wants more money for any reason (such as a security deposit or pet deposit), they must complete that request through Airbnb, where you can pay.
How To Avoid…
If your host asks you to pay them directly (outside of Airbnb), deny their request and tell them it is against Airbnb’s terms. If the host makes you uncomfortable and/or still insists, report that host to Airbnb.
5) Host falsely claims damage by guest
There have been reported cases where hosts have falsely claimed damage caused by their guests. For example, a host may submit doctored images or adjust the home to appear damaged as “proof”. Or perhaps the guest did cause damage, but the host overcharged in their reimbursement claim to Airbnb.
*To be fair, many hosts have reported guests trying a similar scheme. There have been reports of guests making a place appear damaged, dirty or dangerous when it actually wasn’t - as a way to receive a free or discounted stay by reporting the “issue” to Airbnb.
How To Avoid...
To lower the chance of a host falsely reporting damage against you, take photos of the property when you arrive and check out. Consider sending the photos to your host at the time of checkout, so there’s also dated proof of the place’s condition.
*For the 5 things you should bring to an Airbnb stay, click here.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Does Airbnb Vet Hosts? (Background Checks?)
In some cases, Airbnb runs background checks on new users. For Airbnb’s words on the topic, click here.
Does Airbnb Cover/Pay For Damages?
Airbnb has measures in place to protect its hosts in case a guest breaks something or destroys their home (Host Protection Insurance and Host Guarantee).
Can An Airbnb Host Kick Me Out?
If you break your host’s house rules, that host can kick you out of their property. To learn about how a host’s house rules work on Airbnb, click here.
What Do I Do With My Personal Belongings?
In a private rental, you can leave your belongings in the property. If you do not feel comfortable leaving your things in a shared space rental, consider taking valuables (wallet, passport) with you when you step out for the day.
*Vrbo.com is the best alternative to Airbnb for apartment and house rentals. For today’s deals, click here.
Conclusion
Hopefully you found this guide helpful.
Airbnb is certainly one of the best places to book travel accommodation. Just use the tips above to find a place that suits your tastes and budget. If you need help, follow our Airbnb Booking Guide. To learn more about Airbnb, explore our other guides below.
Enjoy your travels!
Learn More About Airbnb
Introduction To Airbnb
Understand Your Options
Airbnb vs. Hotels Comparison [Atmosphere, Price, Safety, Amenities]
Airbnb vs. VRBO, HomeAway, FlipKey, TurnKey, OVO [Comparison]
Get Started With Airbnb
Know Before You Go
Specific Types Of Bookings
How To Find An Airbnb With A Specific Feature [Or Unique Stay]
How To Find An Airbnb That Allows Pets [Airbnb’s Pet Policy]
How To Find An Airbnb With A Pool, Hot Tub Or Jacuzzi [Step-By-Step]
Can You Throw A Party In An Airbnb Rental? [Party Policy Explained]
Cancellations, Refunds And Changes
Airbnb’s Other Listing Categories
Airbnb’s Other Features
Help With Your Account
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