London, UK – July 31, 2018: The buttons of the travel app Airbnb, surrounded by Amazon, ebay, News and other apps on the screen of an iPhone.
Airbnb may choose not to allow you access to the platform if one of your friends is also blocked.
Airbnb appears to have a policy in which users can be blocked due to the behavior of their acquaintances. The measure was introduced for the sake of safety: are you friends with someone who is considered a risk by Airbnb? Then there is a chance that you will not find a place to sleep through the popular service.
Security measure
The rental service confirmed to Motherboard that it is maintaining the security measure, although the company says the procedure should not be oversimplified. You can only regain access to the platform if your blocked acquaintance sends a message to the helpdesk. You can also try to prove yourself that you have nothing to do with the person Airbnb seems to have a problem with.
In recent years, the rental platform has focused more on safety. In August 2020, for example, the company already decided to no longer allow parties at rental locations. At parties, visitors would pay too little attention to safety rules and Airbnb itself. After there were even deaths during an Airbnb party, the company decided to completely ban partygoers. In the summer of 2022, the company announced that the temporary party policy will become a permanent rule. So you can no longer rent an apartment to have a party there.
Re-entering is difficult
Motherboard tells Amanda’s story. She planned to rent an Airbnb, but was notified that she was associated with someone who was not welcome on the platform. Calling the helpdesk didn’t immediately yield anything – until the helpdesk itself contacted Amanda’s friend. When ordering the Airbnb, she had used his credit card, which triggered a call at the platform. The only way Amanda could regain access to the platform was if her boyfriend was also re-admitted.
That can be quite difficult in some cases, such as when you have a criminal record. Airbnb carries out checks on everyone who wishes to rent a place to sleep. If your friend has a criminal record, as Amanda did, you will no longer be able to rent an Airbnb yourself.
However, it makes sense that the platform tries to guarantee the safety of its landlords. In some cases, a block will be justified. The only question is how far Airbnb can and may go: being blocked because one of your acquaintances is, simply feels unfair.
