Airbnb Host Demands Guest Pay For Damaged Mattress Using Image Taken From The Internet
The Airbnb host attempted to scam their guests out of money by using a fabricated image against them.
Ekateryna Zubal | Shutterstock An Airbnb guest had what could only be called a fraudulent interaction with his host after a recent stay and it's made him wary of using the service again. Posting the situation to the subreddit "r/mildlyinfuriating," the guest claimed that his Airbnb host was trying to swindle him out of some money after messaging about a mess he had made on the mattress. However, after doing some digging, the guest realized that the Airbnb host was clearly trying to pull a scam by demanding payment.
The Airbnb host demanded that a guest pay for a damaged mattress using an image that was taken from the internet.
In his Reddit post, the Airbnb guest claimed that the host messaged him after his stay about damage done to a mattress. In the message, the host claimed that the guest had failed to mention he had "an accident" on the mattress and it was now ruined completely.
Reddit
"We were disappointed to see the damage and not to be informed," the host insisted. "The cost of the replacement mattress was £299 ($400). I will now send a request for the money." Attached to their message was a photo of the mattress, which looked to have a huge stain right in the middle, along with some faded stains around it.
The guest was confused after receiving the request for payment, so he did a little internet sleuthing.
The guest explained that something seemed quite suspicious, considering he hadn't had "an accident" on the mattress. So, he decided to reverse-image the photo and discovered that the photo of the mattress was originally from a forum about four years ago.
He admitted that because his experience at the Airbnb had been enjoyable, he had been planning to stay there again, but that was ruined after the host tried to swindle him out of $400 using a fake photo.
Reddit
In the comments section, the Airbnb customer was strongly encouraged to report the entire debacle to Airbnb customer service, as it was clear the host was attempting a scam on them, and who knows if they had success with previous guests.
Meanwhile, Airbnb as a whole has seen some shifts in the number of people who are actively using the service and booking places with the various hosts. Instances like this could have a lot to do with that.
Airbnb has seen a decline in customers over the last several years.
According to AirDNA, in 2022, hotels reported an average daily rate (ADR) that was 26.6% higher than that of short-term rentals. Today, however, demand for Airbnb is either stalling entirely or slipping in some categories compared to hotels. The share of demand for short-term rentals in suburban markets has remained flat over the past year, at approximately 9% year-over-year. In urban markets, the share of demand for short-term rentals still hovers around 7%.
AirDNA also analyzed five popular vacation spots in Florida, including Daytona Beach and Sarasota, and found demand for short-term rentals was weakest in the categories most likely to compete with single hotel rooms. The demand for one-bedroom short-term rentals in the five Florida markets rose by only 1% from 2023 to 2024, and demand for private rooms inside shared homes fell 8.7% compared with last year.
A lot of that likely stems from the fact that Airbnb rentals are quite expensive and rising exponentially. Not only are you paying for each night you're staying at these short-term rentals, but you're also responsible for paying for cleaning, transportation, and, like any rental, you need to bring your own amenities. At least in a hotel, most extras are included.
But, Airbnb hosts trying to get more money out of their customers by accusing them of mishaps and messes that they didn't cause will do nothing but drive away even more customers and people trying to use the service. With a hotel, those are just things that people know will never happen.
Nia Tipton is a staff writer with a bachelor's degree in creative writing and journalism who covers news and lifestyle topics that focus on psychology, relationships, and the human experience.
