Airbnb Host Listing Suspension or Paused? Here's What to Do

Has your Airbnb listing ever been hit with a suspension or even more stress-inducing, a permanent ban? If you've stumbled upon that dreaded "Airbnb Listing Suspended" message, you might first feel a wave of panic. You're not alone.

Many hosts have been in your shoes, puzzled and seeking answers, especially when the suspension seems to come out of the blue.

The key is to take a step back and tackle the situation with a calm and collected approach. Many suspensions result from simply overlooking Airbnb's terms and conditions, leading to unintentional rule violations.

Understanding the Pause: Why My Airbnb Got Suspended?

Airbnb routinely reviews host accounts to ensure listings meet their standards. If your listing falls short in a few areas, you might get a temporary "time-out."

This pause simply means you won't be able to accept new bookings until issues are resolved. Here’s what could trigger a pause:

• Maintaining low overall ratings
• Slow response time
• A few accepted reservations or too many cancellations

The good news? Airbnb will notify you about the suspension's cause and how you can reactivate your account. But remember, if improvements are not made, further suspensions or even a permanent ban could follow.

The big no-nos leading to Airbnb bans

While most reasons for Airbnb bans are clear-cut, there can be unforeseen issues. To steer clear of trouble, be aware of the red flags:

• Multiple suspensions or serious complaints
• Landing in the bottom 1% of Airbnb review ratings
• Violating Airbnb’s terms and conditions repeatedly

Even if you are banned, there's a bit of a grace period. Airbnb lets you honor reservations for guests arriving within two months of the notice. However, any reservations beyond that timeframe will be cancelled by Airbnb, offering those guests alternative listings.

Also, suspensions come in different severities. Minor infractions might only result in a temporary 5-day suspension. During this time, your existing bookings are safe. This temporary pause gives you a chance to fix the problem and get your hosting back on track.

Steering clear of trust and safety suspensions

Airbnb’s got a whole list of no-nos that could land you in hot water. These include:

• Host address document is incomplete confirmation
• Unable to satisfy email confirmation
• Unable to activate or edit the host listing
• Unable to please phone confirmation
• Unable to activate listings
• Experienced Account Takeover which is incapable to gain access to the account
• The account is taken over by Bad Actor and has added a new listing or a new unknown payout method
• The account is flagged as an account that has been taken over
• The account could be a potential fake listing
• Inappropriate Content
• Taking guests off the platform in order to complete bookings or making payments offsite
• Performing fake reviews or requests for removal of reviews
• Removal of actual listings are due to being marked as test listing
• Report of phished for user data including login credentials and credit card information
• Report of hosts plagiarizing of photos/listing
• Suspected of being connected to an account that has been removed from the platform
• Account or listings show automated snooze actions
• Account or listings that do not comply or complete payment tax information
• Account or listings that has license issues for the properties
• Enforced on when hosts are found to be committing Bait & Switch- an action of advertising a superior listing which is an apparent bargain with the intention of replacing lesser listings upon guests’ arrival
• Enforced on when the host listing contains party or event-friendly language
• Enforced on when they are found to be address dodging to circumvent opting into the Friendly Building Program. Listings are usually at a listing-level only
• Enforced on when the host listing is found to be in a prohibited address or it is a questionable investigation and needs to request documentation to validate the listing address

What To Do When Your Airbnb Listing Hits A Bump

Here’s what you can focus on:

• Existing reservations: These will generally proceed as planned. But it’s your chance to shine and prove the high-quality experience you offer.
• Guest feedback is gold: Use this time to reflect on guest reviews. Perhaps, there’s room for improvement in your hospitality or listing details.

Can You Appeal?

Yes, you can appeal the decision, but it requires some legwork. First, gather some key information like your listing name, reservation codes for relevant reviews and a solid explanation of why you think the suspension isn't fair. Once you've got everything together, hop over to the Appeals Form on your Airbnb account. With everything prepared, you can make your case and hopefully get things sorted out!

Appeal process

Under limited circumstances, listing suspensions and removal appeals may be granted. Though justifying situations can be a reason to appeal, remember that most appeals are based on guest review policy violations.

According to Airbnb, circumstances that are not accepted upon appeal include:

• "The guest review was unfair." The appeal process isn’t meant to appeal unfair ratings. Consider updating your listing description and photos to help set guest expectations following the suspension.
• “This was a one-time issue.” Suspensions are typically based on multiple occurrences of a problem or issue. In other words, one guest review alone wouldn’t have resulted in a suspension against the basic requirements.

If it is proven that a poor guest review on a listing violates Airbnb review policies, the review will be overturned. Additionally, if the removal of any inappropriate reviews leads to a considerably large increase in a listing’s overall rating average, that listing could be reinstated.

Pro Tips To Navigate Through Suspension

1. Diversify your listings: Use a reliable channel manager or an all-in-one vacation rental software like Hostaway to list your property across multiple platforms. This keeps your bookings flowing even when one channel hits a snag.
2. Stay persistent: Keep reaching out to Airbnb through various channels — email, social media and chat. Persistence pays off.
3. Consider a new start: Sometimes, creating a new account is the quickest route back. Just make sure your new listing looks distinct from the old.
4. Document everything: Keep a record of all interactions and compliance with Airbnb’s policies to support future appeals or inquiries.
5. Craft a compelling appeal: Be clear, professional and concise when communicating with Airbnb. Highlight the steps you’ve taken to improve and provide any relevant evidence.

In a Nutshell

Suspensions are a hiccup, not the end of your hosting journey. With the right approach, you can navigate through, whether it's improving your Airbnb listing or branching out to other platforms.

Hosting is about creating great experiences and every challenge is an opportunity to do just that.