US Representatives sent a letter addressed to Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky demanding answers and requesting information about misleading listings that have left customers in poor housing conditions. The letter seeks a meeting with Airbnb executives in the next two weeks.
US Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ), along with Reps. Barbara Lee (D-CA), Robin Kelly (D-IL), G.K. Butterfield (D-NC), Emanuel Cleaver II (D-MO), and Yvette D. Clarke (D-NY) demanded Airbnb explain its plans to deal with deceptive limited liability corporations disguising themselves as โhostsโ on the platform to market short-term rentals out of compliance with local laws and the companyโs own policies.
โDespite Airbnbโs stated โOne Host, One Homeโ policy, media reports have raised concerns about the proliferation of limited liability corporations on your platformโฆ deceptive and misleading listings have also led to customers being scammed by โhostsโ who abuse Airbnbโs cancellation policies to trick guests into unsuitable housing conditions for monetary gain. While we appreciate that you have frequently stated that Airbnb has a โzero toleranceโ policy, it also seems clear that you have failed to authenticate host identities in a way that would prevent bad actors from continuing to rent through your platform under false identities after being banned,โ the Congressmembers wrote.
The letter includes 20 questions intended to clarify Airbnbโs policies and practices, including:
- How the company intends to define a โhost,โ and how the company vets its hosts;
- How the company will enforce policy violations from hosts who mislead customers and the public about their identities or listings;
- How the company will verify that units meet so-called โbasic safety protocols;โ
- And whether the companyโs efforts to categorize โhigh-risk reservations,โ will consider age, race, gender, or other personal traits.
To see the full letter,ย click here.