A London reader has described how an Airbnb booking for a Paris ‘flat’ turned out to be a room in a family home with an 8pm curfew—details that only emerged after the cancellation period had expired.
The host texted the critical information an hour after the free cancellation window closed, revealing that the property was actually a single room shared with pets and babies, and that guests could not enter or leave after 8pm. This was buried deep within a 400-word description, accessible only by clicking “show more” under “About this place”.
The host, listed as an Airbnb “superhost”, refused a refund, and Airbnb initially told the reader they were bound by the host’s cancellation policy. The reader was also unable to leave a review to warn others because they decided not to stay.
After the reader contacted the Observer's consumer column, Airbnb investigated and reversed its decision. “We expect hosts to clearly indicate key information about listings, and have suspended the host while we investigate,” a spokesperson said. The company has now agreed to refund the booking.
