Banned after an Airbnb sofa incident. But did I deserve it?

Airbnb banned River Roberts after he accidentally spilled food on his host's sofa. Will he ever be able to book another rental on Airbnb?

I recently stayed at an Airbnb in the United States. While I was there, I spilled food on the sofa. I talked to the host, and he said he would file a claim through Airbnb's insurance.

I heard back from Airbnb, which said that after reviewing the available information on my Airbnb account and reservation, it had determined that my account should be removed from the Airbnb platform. The reason? "You haven't followed our ground rules for guests," it said.

I have ten years of positive reviews. I am also an Airbnb host, which affects my ability to earn money.

Can you help me get Airbnb to reverse its ban?

River Roberts, Lisbon, Portugal

Banning you for an accidental spill on a host's sofa seems like an overreaction.

So what's going on? I reviewed the correspondence between you and Airbnb, and it looks like your communications with the host were cordial. You'd spilled food on a sofa, and it needed to be professionally cleaned. It looks like your host had never filed a claim with Airbnb before your mishap and didn't fully understand how seriously the platform would take a claim.

I didn't know, either. But filing a claim against your insurance (part of the company's AirCover for Hosts program) apparently is taken quite seriously. One of the possible outcomes, as you now know, is that you can get removed from the platform.

Did you violate Airbnb's ground rules for guests? Technically, yes.

Airbnb requires you to keep a rental clean, litter-free, and undamaged. "Guests should not leave the listing in a state that requires excessive or deep cleaning (moldy dishes, soiled carpets, stains from pets, etc.)," it says.

But you did follow Airbnb's guidance regarding damage. Airbnb requires that if there's damage to the home, you inform the host as soon as possible and work to find "a reasonable solution." Based on the correspondence between you and the host, it looks like you agreed to pay for the damage.

So what happened? I suspect Airbnb used some kind of artificial intelligence to review the complaint and decide how to handle it. Because a person would have never banned you from the platform. The correspondence between you and the host shows that you were cooperative.

An appeal to one of Airbnb's executives might have made a difference. I publish their names and numbers on my consumer advocacy site, Elliott.org. But this case would take more than an appeal to resolve.

You reached out to the host and had a conversation with him, host to host. You explained that after your host filed a claim, Airbnb had banned you and disabled your hosting account, so you are completely off the platform. The host was surprised and agreed with you that banning you was an overreaction. He decided to write to Airbnb on your behalf, asking for you to be reinstated.

I contacted Airbnb separately. I was genuinely worried that the same thing could happen to me if I had an accidental spill on a sofa while staying at an Airbnb.

The company reviewed your request and sent you some good news: "After careful review of all documentation and related communication provided by both parties, we’ve decided not to charge you for the damage that occurred during your stay. I have also reactivated your Airbnb account, you should have access to it immediately," a representative wrote. (This time, it definitely came from a real person.)

I hope if the tables are ever turned and someone spills something on a sofa in your Airbnb rental, that you will remember this incident and try to work it out without getting AirCover involved. Otherwise, I will have another case on my hands.

Christopher Elliott is the founder of Elliott Advocacy, a nonprofit organization that helps consumers solve their problems. Email him at [email protected] or get help by contacting him on his site.

© 2024 Christopher Elliott