Community policy
Avoiding fraud, scams and abuse
Avoiding fraud, scams and abuse
We take steps to protect Airbnb's platform's integrity and mitigate the risks and losses associated with fraud, scams and abuse by taking action against violators.
What we do allow
- Select off-site payments: Certain off-site payments are permitted only when permission has been granted in advance by Airbnb and guests are made aware prior to booking. This includes but is not limited to: collections of local tax or occupancy tax, 'all-inclusive' fees at timeshares or resorts, security deposits or incidental fees such as pet fees, valet parking, Wi-Fi charge, gym fee, breakfast fee, etc.
What we don’t allow
- Extortion: Hosts and guests must not use direct or indirect threats to coerce an intended outcome (e.g. a payment, review, etc.) from an individual or group.
- Off-platform activity: Hosts and guests must not communicate, share personal contact information, pay or request payment for a reservation or experience outside of Airbnb’s platform.
- Gift card abuse: Hosts and guests must not attempt to misuse Airbnb’s gift cards. Airbnb hosts must not ask guests to pay for a booking with an Airbnb gift card, and must not ask guests to send gift card details either within or outside of the Airbnb website or app.
- Coupon and referral abuse: Hosts and guests must not attempt to misuse Airbnb’s coupon and referral programme.
- Non-fraud chargebacks: Hosts and guests must not attempt to misuse or make false chargeback claims to obtain a refund.
Learn more about our policy for collecting fees in person.
We're here to help
If you witness or experience behaviour that goes against our policies, please let us know.
While these guidelines don’t cover every possible scenario, they’re designed to offer general guidance on Airbnb’s community policies.
Did this article help?
Related articles
- Guest
Who can have an Airbnb account
Individuals who threaten or pose a safety risk to others have no place in our community. - Guest
How to check if an Airbnb email or website is authentic
Fraudulent emails and websites often have an urgent tone and threaten account suspension. When in doubt, start at the Airbnb home page. - Guest
Report suspicious messages
If you get a suspicious message, let us know by contacting us or flagging it in your Messages.