Why is this woman’s Airbnb host trying to raise the price?

A woman who has a Airbnb Eight months in advance, she accuses her host of trying to raise the price after hearing about an event taking place in the area.

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TikTok user Morgan (@morgannnorris) posted a video this weekend with the details. She says she booked an Airbnb for a company event she had known about for a long time. “I came here to rant,” she says at the beginning of the video.

Morgan continues, “Because there’s no reason why an Airbnb host would call me personally and say, ‘Hey, I see the day you booked something. There’s a big event planned that weekend.’ I literally had inside information about when this date was for that event because I work with the company.

What the Airbnb host called to ask

Morgan says: “Please note that I had already booked the reservation eight months in advance. I paid for the whole thing in full. And what did they do? He says, “Hey, sorry, I can’t rent it to you for the price we agreed on earlier through Airbnb. Now I can get triple the amount. So I’m going to double it. Are you willing to pay that?’ And I thought, ‘Is this allowed?’”

Morgan then asks for advice from people who have more experience with Airbnb policies. “Is this allowed? Could a host suddenly try to cancel or change your reservation for the price you quoted?

The TikToker also notes that the host contacted her outside the app. “And he didn’t do this through the Airbnb app,” Morgan adds. “They called me personally. I don’t think I should, but I feel like I have to pay the price anyway because there is virtually nothing else available for the number of people I have with me.

She concludes the video: “I literally hate people who appreciate. This is ridiculous.”

Viewers give advice

The video was viewed more than 264,000 times on Tuesday. In the comments, users offered advice on how to proceed.

“Do not allow communication outside the app,” one user wrote.

A second user wrote: ‘They can cancel but the dates will be blocked so they can’t list it anymore. That’s why they will harass you until you pay more because they can’t do anything.”

A third user said: “DO NOT CANCEL! Contact Airbnb. They can be banned from the app for this.”

Someone claiming to be an ex-Airbnb employee wrote: “No, they can’t. Many hosts have tried that, but once the reservation is made, they can’t double the price. No conversations are allowed outside the app. Don’t pay!”

Can Airbnb hosts cancel?

It is difficult but doable. There is a minimum $50 fee from Airbnbwhich in this case would be worth it to the host if they can really get triple that for their rent. Per Airbnb, there are other considerations: “In addition to cancellation fees, other consequences may apply, such as preventing the Host from accepting another reservation for the Listing on the dates in question by blocking the Listing’s calendar. Hosts who cancel confirmed bookings without a valid reason may experience other consequences, as explained in our Terms of Service And basic rules for hosts. For example, Hosts may have their Listing or account suspended or deleted, and they may lose their Listing or account Superhost status.”

Can Airbnb hosts raise prices?

It depends. They may send ‘requests’ after a booking that updates the prices. A similar situation Reddit received advice from commentators. As one Redditor noted: “Don’t accept new price increases. Do not cancel. Make sure you only communicate via the app, take photos/videos upon arrival and again at checkout, in case the host tries to convince you after you leave.”

A key does not allow communication outside the app, making it easier to freeze last-minute price change requests.

Two follow up videos

In a sequel videoMorgan said she contacted Airbnb support but posted the original video while she waited for a response. When she did eventually hear support, Morgan said she was told the host would face consequences if she canceled.

However, the next day she received a message from the host via the Airbnb app stating that they could no longer rent her. Although she was told by Airbnb that the dates of her first booking would be blocked, Morgan saw that the dates appeared available to book for a total of $4,000. She initially booked her stay for $1,200.

In a third videoMorgan said she ended up booking a nicer rental and even got a discount code from Airbnb. She said “clearly” that what the previous host did was not allowed under the terms and conditions.

@morgannnorris You’re kidding, right @airbnb #airbnb #airbnbexperience ♬ original sound – Morgan | CrimsonCustoms

The Daily Dot reached out to Morgan via TikTok comments and direct messages for comment. We also reached out to Airbnb for comment via press email.

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