Airbnb has issued an apology to a woman after the host of her accommodation made unfounded claims of damage totaling thousands of pounds and used allegedly manipulated images to support these claims. The academic, based in London, had rented a one-bedroom apartment in New York’s Manhattan for two-and-a-half months this year for her studies, but opted to leave earlier due to safety concerns in the area. Following her departure, the host accused her of causing over £12,000 worth of damages, including a cracked coffee table, urine-stained mattress, and damage to other items like a robot vacuum cleaner, sofa, microwave, TV, and air conditioner. The woman denied any wrongdoing and insisted she left the apartment in good condition, with only two visitors during her seven-week stay. She suggested that the photos provided by the host of the alleged damage to the coffee table showed discrepancies that could indicate manipulation or AI generation, suspecting that the host’s aim was to retaliate for her early termination of the tenancy.
Initially, Airbnb ruled in favor of the host, telling the woman that she would need to reimburse him £5,314 after reviewing the photos. The woman appealed this decision, providing testimony from an eyewitness who could confirm the condition of the property upon her departure and pointing out the inconsistencies in the images presented by the host. Five days after the issue was raised with Airbnb, the company accepted her appeal and refunded her £500. Further complaints from the woman led Airbnb to offer an £854 refund. She declined this and was eventually refunded the full amount of her booking (£4,269), and a negative review left by the host on her profile was removed. She expressed her concern about future customers possibly being victims of similar fraudulent claims and criticized the ease with which such manipulated images could deceive Airbnb’s investigatory process. The host, a “superhost” on Airbnb, did not respond to requests for comment. Airbnb stated that they had warned the host for violating their terms and that the host would be removed if there were further reports. The company also mentioned that they review all available evidence to fairly settle damage claims and that decisions can be appealed.
Serpil Hall, the director of economic crime at the management consultants Baringa, noted that manipulating images and videos is now easier than ever, with affordable and widely available software that requires little skill to use. This has recently led to an increase in false insurance claims involving manipulated photos. Hall suggested that companies are now increasingly skeptical of images presented in disputes and there is a growing need for forensic tools and fraud intelligence models to verify the authenticity of visual evidence.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/aug/02/airbnb-guest-damage-claim-refund-photos
