Airbnb Guest Says Host Threatened to Send Private Investigator After Them

An Airbnb guest said they received "threatening" messages from their host after leaving a four-star review.

Dr. Alex Moore, an assistant professor at the University of British Columbia, posted a screenshot of the messages on Twitter last week in the hopes that Airbnb would remove the host from its website.

Airbnb has since taken action against the host. However, it's worth noting that Moore isn't the first person to lodge a safety complaint against the company.

According to Bloomberg, Airbnb spends an average of $50 million a year on payouts to hosts and guests who've had negative experiences. The company also reportedly faces thousands of sexual-assault allegations a year, but the company works hard to ensure those cases never make it to the public eye.

Person browsing Airbnb
An Airbnb guest says they received "threatening" texts from their host after leaving a four-star review. Airbnb later removed the host from its platform. Yuriko Nakao / Contributor/Getty

Airbnb told Bloomberg that fewer than 0.1 percent of stays involve safety issues, stating that most of its payouts are related to "property damage." However, the company receives "over 200 million bookings a year," which means roughly 200,000 stays could involve incidents related to safety.

Interestingly enough, Moore said they "really enjoyed" their stay at the host's property—so much so that they gave the host a four-star review.

"Really enjoyed my time here and would certainly stay again if I found myself in Vancouver for a few short days," read Moore's review.

Though positive, the review ultimately brought the host's overall rating down "from a 5 to a 4.95," prompting the host to send threatening texts.

"I have your picture, your name and your number. You have 48 hours to remove your review or I'm hiring a private investigator to obtain your address and then the fun begins...You're blocked from messaging me at this number," the texts read, according to Moore's screenshot.

In a plea to Airbnb, Moore tweeted: "Airbnb: Can you explain to me and everyone else why the host who sent me this message is still active on your platform? This person is clearly a threat and should not be allowed to host guests."

Moore spoke to local law enforcement, as well as Airbnb's customer support and safety teams. After some back-and-forth, Moore announced Monday that the host had officially been removed from Airbnb's website.

"Thank you so much for bringing this to our attention and for your patience as we investigated," read an email to Moore from Airbnb support. "We have concluded our investigation and can confirm for you that we have removed the host's account and listing from Airbnb in accordance with our policies on bullying and harassment."

A spokesperson for Airbnb confirmed this information in a statement to Newsweek on Tuesday.

"After a thorough investigation during which the host was suspended, we've now removed the host and his listing entirely from Airbnb in accordance with our community policies. We're thankful to Dr. Moore for bringing this to our attention," the statement read.

Newsweek reached out to the Vancouver Police Department for comment.

Last week, police disputed a woman's viral claim that she found hidden cameras throughout her Airbnb. In February, however, a separate Airbnb guest also claimed she also found hidden cameras in her host's bathroom, prompting a police investigation.

And in 2017, a guest took to Twitter to expose their host's "motion detector" for a hidden camera.

Uncommon Knowledge

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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

About the writer


Sara Santora is a Newsweek reporter based in Florida. Her focus is reporting on viral social media posts and trends. ... Read more

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