1-855-424-7262
AirBnB is a website which lists properties to rent, specialising in short term rentals.
Why would I need to contact AirBnB?
- To report a safety concern as a traveller or host.
- To report a missing deposit.
- To get a refund for a cancelled trip.
- To question delayed payment as a host.
- To ask a query about pricing, either as a host or traveller.
- To ask a question about references and reviews.
- To ask about the Superhost badge.
- To arrange alternative accommodation.
- To complain about the service you have experienced.
Air BnB Phone Numbers
| Air BnB | Phone Number |
|---|---|
| Head Office | 0844 248 2567 |
| Booking Line | 0844 248 2567 |
| Complaints | 0844 248 2567 |
Air BnB Phone Opening Hours
| Air BnB | Opening Hours |
|---|---|
| Monday – Friday | 8am – 8pm |
| Weekend’s | 10am – 6pm |
AirBnB Services
How it works
Hosts who have a room in their home that they wish to rent out, or a second home, can list their property on the AirBnB website to share with travellers. The website uses personal profiles to help guests and hosts learn more about each other. Every AirBnB rental listing is unique- it could be a spare room, a tree top pod or a castle. Hosts will describe their listing in detail, including amenities and arrival/departure times. Guests will also leave a review on the listing, both of the space itself and the host.
Search rentals
There are AirBnB hosts with spaces in over 190 countries with over 34,000 cities to choose from. To find your ideal rental, all you need to do is enter your destination and specific dates. Some hosts will wish to get to know a guest before they accept a reservation, whilst some use the Instant Book feature to make the process quicker. A host will generally state on their profile that they wish for you to message first before booking.
Safety
AirBnB will verify both personal profiles and the listings themselves, so you can be sure that they are genuine when booking. The website also has a smart messaging system which protects contact details, ensuring guests and hosts can communicate with certainty that their privacy will be protected.
Customer Service
AirBnB maintains a 24/7 helpdesk, so in the unlikely event that your rental is cancelled at short notice, you will be able to contact them and find alternative accommodation. You can use the phone number on this page or the online help centre.
Payment
You can pay for your rental directly through AirBnB. This will help ensure that you are protected under the Terms of Service. For host, it will also mean that you are protected under the Host Guarantee. This means that if a guest causes damage to your listing, you are insured free of charge for up to £1 million, excluding valuable artwork, large amounts of cash or pets. Payment outside of AirBnB makes it harder for the company to ensure that you are protected and you may not get your money back if anything goes wrong.
Cancellation and refunds
The Guest Refund policy will support guests in the event of a travel issue. A travel issue is defined as the host cancelling the reservation shortly before check in is due to take place, the listing has been misrepresented or is not as described. If you are a host and you cancel a reservation, you will be charged a penalty unless there are extenuating circumstances, such as a death in the family, property damage, maintenance issues which affect your ability to host or a natural disaster/political unrest in your area which make it unsafe to travel to.
Taxes
For hosts
If you decide that you need to collect local tax, you can add it into your nightly price or request that your guests pay it in person. However, it is important to inform guests of the tax amount before booking. If your country of residence is part of the EU, you may have to collect VAT. It’s recommended that you consult a tax adviser in your country for advice on whether or not you need to collect VAT.
For guests
For some areas, AirBnB may be automatically required to collect local taxes on behalf of hosts. When you book a listing in one of these areas, the amount will be displayed when you pay and on your receipt. AirBnB is also required to collect VAT for countries in who are in the European Union as well as Iceland, South Africa and Japan.
About AirBnB
AirBnB has over two million listings across 190 countries. The company was founded in the summer of 2008 and is based in San Francisco, USA. The idea came around after two men couldn’t afford the rent for their loft in San Francisco, so they made their living room into a bed and breakfast, accommodating guests on an air mattress and serving them homemade breakfast. Initially, to help fund the site, the creators developed special edition breakfast cereals such as the ‘Obama O’s’ inspired by the presidential campaign. The boxes were a huge success and netted them $30,000 in the first few months. By 2010, the company had 15 employees and were working out of the original loft apartment. One of the apartment’s residents even moved out and used AirBnB to find beds until the office space was ready. In 2011, the actor Ashton Kutcher made a significant investment in the company and announced his position as a strategic advisor for the brand. Some cities such as New York City have made AirBnB pretty much illegal, due to the high volume of illegal rentals that were taking place in the city. For customer service, AirBnB scores low on TrustPilot with a score of 2.4 out of 10, although they are working to improve their service.
Frequently Asked Questions
“Is Air BnB safe to use?”
Air BnB’s aim is that every host and traveller uses it in confidence, making the most out of their experience. When you wish to use AirBnB, whether it be to host or to travel, you have to download the app. Once the app is downloaded you will be asked to verify your ID. This means you will connect to your social media profiles so pictures can be seen, and also scan your passport using your phone camera, so the person you are communicating with knows it is definitely you, and Air BnB has your details on file. Once your personal details are confirmed, you are free to use the app. If you are searching for somewhere to stay, reviews of accommodation and hosts can be found on every listing, with previous travellers usually giving detailed accounts of their time in that particular location. They will rate the listing (and their host) out of 5.
“Where are the best Air BnB’s in the UK?”
Air BnB offers accommodation is just about anywhere, and the UK is definitely no exception when it comes to some amazing hosts, properties and locations. If you type your location into the Air BnB app it will bring up listing after listing for you to choose from, some within a mile of your chosen destination, and some a little bit further out. If you are open minded and don’t mind where you go, there is always featured listings that you can find on your home screen, which are usually Air BnB’s favourites. These change weekly. Listings on Air BnB are anything from five star hotels to caravans and yurts, and if you’re really adventurous you can even stay on a boat. There really is something for everyone. The listings will have reviews from previous guests, so make sure you read them to get a true view of the location, is it in a quiet rural area? Is it a central location? Browsing on Air BnB is exciting and the app makes it extremely easy. When searching, you can filter out your searches, so for example if you know you definitely don’t want just a room in a house, and you and your party want an entire home to hire, then you can select for listings to appear where they just offer the entire home. The UK offers some amazing properties, think castles, cottages and country manors galore. If you are open to any kind of accommodation, you don’t have to filter out any of the searches, this will mean you are more likely to get somewhere to stay for your chosen dates, particularly if you are a last-minute booker!
“How much does Air BnB cost?”
The cost of an Air BnB you stay at is very much up to you, as the app lets you filter out so you are shown only listings in your price range. Air BnB is generally very good value for money, as you pay for the price per night of the room or house, rather than per person, which means if you are staying with a big party, the cost can be split between you all. If you are travelling on a budget, Air BnB is definitely a great option, as it also has a quick and easy booking system if you find yourself without accommodation…no forms or bits of paper, just your phone. On the other hand, if you are looking to go travelling in a little bit of luxury, or want to book a romantic getaway, Air BnB definitely also offers a lot of upmarket accommodation, and with honest reviews, you know you will be definitely getting that five star rating. Paying with Air BnB is simple, you pay for the entire time upfront before you arrive, and the payment is made after the host has accepted your booking. Air BnB support several payment methods including major credit cards, debit cards, PayPal and Apple Pay. Your payment method will be saved to your profile so Air BnB can take the payment automatically. If you have requested a booking but it has not yet been accepted, you are able to change your payment method. Once the booking has been accepted, it is too late to change the payment method. If you’re planning to stay somewhere for a month or more, providing the listing is available for that amount of time, you will be charged payment for the first 28 days, and any time you stay after that will be charged on a monthly basis. If your listing requires a security deposit, this will not be taken straight away and will only be taken from your account if there is a successful claim cleared within 48 hours of your checking out.
“How do I Cancel an Air BnB?”
When selecting a listing it is worthwhile looking at the host’s cancellation policy. Some can have a strict cancellation policy, which may even mean cancellation for a refund is not available at all once the listing has been booked. others can be slightly more flexible, where if you cancel your booking within a certain amount of time, you may be eligible for cancellation with a full refund. To find a host’s cancellation policy once you have made a reservation, log into your Air BnB account and go to ‘your trips.’ Next, click ‘view itinerary’ where you will find all the details you need to cancel a booking. If you decide you want to cancel, you simply just click ‘cancel reservation’ and your host will be notified. 
“Does Air BnB Accept Dogs?”
If you need pet-friendly accommodation, you will need to find a listing that says they will accept pets before you go ahead and book. You can do this by checking the amenities of each listing that has come up in your chosen location. If pets allowed is listed, then you are good to go. If you don’t see it, or it has been crossed out, then you will have to look for different accommodation. This is likely to include service animals. If the accommodation you are choosing is pet friendly, it might be worth contacting your host and warning them that you’re bringing a pet, just to make sure. They may also be willing to make exceptions, so if you do have your heart set on somewhere, it might be worth asking, even if they do not say that they accept pets. Sometimes, particular if you are staying at a host’s family home, there might be pets already at the property. You will usually be warned about this in the description, and usually just because the host has a pet on the premises, doesn’t mean you are also entitled to bring your pet.
