What happened? The luxury villa turns out to be a basement flat, or the photos in the listing were completely outdated? If the property does not match the description, you are entitled to a significant price reduction.
A nightmare stay instead of “live like a local”? Whether the host cancelled without good reason, the property was filthy, or it looked completely different from the listing photos: in theory, Airbnb offers strong guest protection through AirCover. In practice, however, support often pushes back. Use our generator to submit your claim regarding False Information & Fake Photos to Airbnb (Ireland).
Editorially reviewed on: 05/07/2026
Was the holiday home a nightmare and did you have to rebook locally? With proper travel credit cards, you can often pay for replacement accommodation abroad without foreign transaction fees and, through the chargeback process, you may also have a useful fallback if the original provider refuses a refund.
Compare the best free travel credit cardsAirbnb has revolutionised the way we travel. But when problems arise, many guests feel let down by the platform’s support. The automated chatbot rarely helps, and hosts often deny any responsibility. In particular, where False Information & Fake Photos is concerned, acting quickly and keeping proper records is crucial.
AirCover is Airbnb’s own buyer protection for guests. It is automatically included free of charge with every booking. AirCover applies, among other things, where the host cancels within 30 days before check-in, where you cannot access the accommodation, or where the listing was materially misdescribed. In theory, Airbnb promises you a refund or alternative accommodation. In practice, however, those who do not persist and make their demands in writing are often fobbed off with small vouchers.
Probably the most common mistake guests make is communicating with the host via WhatsApp or SMS. Airbnb has no access to those messages. If the host promises on WhatsApp to fix a problem but then fails to do so, you cannot prove that to Airbnb Support. Deal with complaints exclusively through the Airbnb message thread! That is your most important evidence for this claim letter.
Airbnb has extremely strict deadlines: under the current policies, you must report a problem within 72 hours of discovering it (it used to be only 24 hours). If you only complain after check-out, the terms and conditions often mean you lose any entitlement to a refund through AirCover.
If the host cancels at short notice, Airbnb will refund your money. In addition, AirCover helps with finding similar accommodation. If Airbnb cannot find an alternative and you have to book a more expensive hotel, you can try to claim the price difference as damages (additional costs). Airbnb does not always pay this voluntarily, but legally the host will often be liable for those losses.
If you live in Europe, your user contract is with Airbnb Ireland UC. This is your legal contracting party for payments, fees and AirCover buyer protection. The UK or German marketing entities are often only responsible for marketing and may not be the correct legal addressee for claims.
Whether it is a flight delay, hotel defect or roaming trap, our experts have prepared the right guide and template letters for almost every travel niche.