We never thought it would happen to us—but it did.
Airbnb unexpectedly shut down three AirBnB accounts for a total of 8 listings under one of our investors’ names. No warning. No communication. Just an abrupt email citing a vague violation of “Trust and Safety” and a full cancellation of every upcoming reservation. Hundreds of hours of work—gone in a click. Future revenue—wiped out.
For many hosts or property managers, this would be catastrophic. For our team at FIBI, it was go time.
No Warnings, No Chance to Fix It
What made this so frustrating? We had no opportunity to correct the issue before the shutdown. Airbnb never reached out with a warning. No phone call. No email to clarify the violation. They acted unilaterally and shut down all three accounts, canceling every future booking and leaving our investor stunned.
We immediately began working to figure out what went wrong. As a software-connected host, we have a dedicated account representative at Airbnb. We contacted them within hours, asking for specifics, requesting the reason for the removal, and asking for the opportunity to appeal.
Getting Ghosted by Trust and Safety
Airbnb’s Trust and Safety department is notoriously difficult to contact, and this situation was no exception. Despite daily follow-up emails, calls, and messages from both our team and our dedicated rep, we were met with silence. The accounts remained deactivated. Our appeals went unanswered.
It quickly became clear that this wasn’t just a glitch—this was a full-on shutdown with no clear path to resolution.
What We Did Next
We kicked into high gear:
- Created replacement listings from scratch
- Updated OTAs to shift visibility and booking traffic to the new accounts
- Contacted affected guests directly, explaining the issue and helping them rebook
- Coordinated with cleaners, vendors, and pricing tools to mirror the original setup
- Continued daily outreach to Airbnb to advocate for reinstatement
All the while, our client never had to pick up the phone. We handled the entire process—frustrating as it was—because this is what we do.
No Promises, Just Action
Let’s be clear: we don’t guarantee revenue. Things can and do go wrong in short-term rentals—sometimes even outside your control. But what we do guarantee is that we will act immediately and decisively to protect your portfolio.
This experience showed, once again, that Airbnb doesn’t always get it right. Human reviewers and AI systems can (and do) make mistakes. That’s why our clients trust us to be proactive, relentless, and resourceful when things go sideways.
Stay tuned for [Blog 2: “The Harsh Truth: Airbnb Isn’t Perfect — Why Your STR Needs a Management Partner Who Can Navigate the Chaos“] to learn how platform decisions can affect your investment—and how we help mitigate the risks.
