Now for the big question – is Airbnb safe? It’s a question every guest asks before making their first ever Airbnb booking. So that is why I thought I’d create this detailed guide answering this question once and for all.

Yes, Airbnb is safe! They go to great lengths to create a safe and secure environment for all guests. But like anything, you can increase your chances of safety by planning ahead. Airbnb is no different, there are many ways you can make yourself safe when making a booking. In fact, I will show you 19 ways in this article.

There are some okay articles on this topic on the internet, but no one big resource. So I have researched the net for the best ways to keep safe using Airbnb and will list them here for you. I will also give you hints and tips from my personal experiences using Airbnb over the years.

How safe is Airbnb?

How safe is Airbnb? They are super safe! Airbnb recently implemented various safety measures to ensure guests have a secure experience. Those safety measures include:

• Conducting background checks on all hosts & guests
• Verifying the identities of all users
• They provide a secure payment system
• A secure and encrypted messaging platform
• Algorithms to identify fraudulent accounts

However, it’s important to note that no platform is entirely immune to safety risks. While Airbnb does a great job screening guests, there have been cases of fraudulent listings, theft and other safety concerns. Airbnb mitigate these risks by asking users to take precautions.

For instance, reading reviews, asking questions, and booking with highly-rated hosts. While there will always be some risks involved, Airbnb is a safe and reliable option for travelers and hosts alike. In fact, it would do you well to check out the Airbnb safety process at this link. This will give you a good idea of how safe is Airbnb for guests.

Safety Tips for Airbnb Guests

Below is a quick summary showing how you can stay safe as a guest on Airbnb:

I will go into a lot more detail on each category below and show you that Airbnb’s are safe!

#1 – Reviews & Ratings

Without doubt, the number one way to be safe on Airbnb is to look at reviews. I would never, ever book an Airbnb without looking at reviews first, and nor should you!

The first thing I do is check out the average ratings and total stays hosted. For example, I like seeing a host that has hosted many stays (above 50 is ideal). On top of that, I like seeing their average rating above 4.8+ stars.

Picture this. You find a house that averages 4.95 stars and they have hosted 130 stays. There is a good chance that staying in this Airbnb is going to be very safe, right?

The next thing I do when I find a place that appeals is to read the guest reviews. You can learn a lot from reading reviews! If a guest has a bad experience, they are often compelled to write about it in their review.

By reading reviews, you may notice some patterns emerging. Guests may keep mentioning the unsafe stairs leading into the Airbnb. Perhaps guests are writing that the neighbourhood is unsafe. These things will stand out quite clearly.

Also, guests are happy to expose unsafe Airbnb hosts very quickly. If a host continually gets bad reviews, Airbnb will step in and remove their listing. That’s why the review system is so important.

Tips for finding safe Airbnbs:

• Look for hosts who have hosted 50+ stays
• Hosts that average 4.8+ stars are likely to be safe
• Read guest reviews and look for patterns

I have written a detailed guide on how Airbnb reviews work here if you’d like to read more on the topic.

#2 – Use the review filter

I am going to continue on with the theme of Airbnb reviews in this section. The Airbnb review filter is such a handy tool it deserves its own section.

Did you know Airbnb enables you to filter all reviews by keywords? It’s a good way to find reviews with certain keywords and discover patterns, like I discussed in section #1.

In addition, it drills down the average star rating in more detail, into six categories. Those being location, communication, check in, cleanliness, accuracy and value. Looking at these values can straight away point out a potentially unsafe Airbnb.

Let’s take the image below, for example. This is a random review I found from a listing in Spain. I noticed an average review of 4.38 stars from a total of 56 reviews. This is not good! Next, I filtered the word ‘bad’ and the below review appeared.

This doesn’t sound like a safe Airbnb to me. What do you think?

You can see what a very handy tool this little guy is! A good idea is to search for words like safe, unsafe, bad, dirty, and so on. Any word that can help you determine if it may not be a safe Airbnb to stay in.

The category ratings tell a story too. In the above example, a cleanliness rating of 4.5 is bad. Add to that an accuracy rating of 4.4 stars. If guests are saying this listing is not accurate, how can you trust this host?

#3 – Read Airbnb host profiles

Another good recommendation to keep safe is to read Airbnb host profiles. You can learn quite a lot from a host’s profile page.

For starters, good hosts will go into detail about themselves in their description. If they are making the effort to create a good profile, it’s safe to say they are good Airbnb hosts.

Secondly, it’s wise to cast your eyes to the identification a host provides to Airbnb. A government ID, phone number and email is the minimum you should expect. Check out the example below.

Finally, you can read all a hosts reviews on their profile page. That also includes all their reviews from their time spent as a guest as well. If this host has multiple properties, you can read reviews from all their properties on this page.

To sum up, always be sure to check a hosts profile before making a booking. It’s the perfect place to spot red flags early before making a mistake. I encourage you to read my detailed guide on Airbnb profile examples at this link. Who knows, maybe it will help you write an awesome profile for yourself!

#4 – Airbnb Superhosts are a safe bet

Worried about your safety when booking an Airbnb? A great idea is to only book with Superhosts. Okay then, so what is an Airbnb Superhost I hear you ask?

Airbnb rewards the very best hosts with something they call Superhost status. In other words, you have to be an elite host to qualify for this special program.

To qualify for Airbnb Superhost, you must achieve four things. First, average 4.8 stars or above in your guest reviews. Second, never ever cancel bookings. Third, have completed at least 10+ stays in a calendar year. And fourth, maintain a 90% response rate. In other words, be a great communicator.

As you can see, becoming an Airbnb Superhost is no easy task! Another benefit for hosts is more visibility in the search results.

So how can you tell if someone is a Superhost? Just look for the little Superhost badge next to their display photo. Also, if you look on their listing, as Airbnb displays it prominently.

In summary, if you want to remain safe on Airbnb, then I urge you to book with a Superhost!

#5 – Look across different platforms

There are many different short term stay platforms out there. It’s common for hosts to list across different platforms, so you can use this to your advantage.

Once you find a property on Airbnb that you like, see if you can find it on other platforms. I always do this when I am looking for places to stay as a guest.

Often I’ll find a new listing on Airbnb that looks good, but I am not sure if it’s safe or not. New listings wont have many reviews or ratings to go off, so you are taking a chance. However, if you can find it listed on another platform, you may be able to read some reviews.

It could be the property has only just been listed on Airbnb, but has been on HomeAway for years, for example. The good thing about doing this is the prices may be cheaper across different platforms. This is a great way to snag a bargain!

Other platforms to consider

• HomeAway
• VRBO
• FlipKey
• HomeToGo
• Booking.com

The above five platforms are the place I would start. There are plenty more out there though, so be sure to check them out.

#6 – Pictures tell a thousand words

Ever heard the saying a picture tells a thousand words? Well it is especially true when it comes to searching Airbnb’s. Carefully looking at photos is a great way keep yourself safe from booking a bad Airbnb.

The first thing you should do is ensure there are plenty of photos on the listing. The more the better, as it will give you a good idea of what you can expect on arrival. Be sure to cast a very close eye over bathroom and bedroom photos. If a listing doesn’t have any photos (which happens from time to time), I would steer clear of booking it.

Secondly, I would suggest looking at the accuracy rating in the review section (remember #2 above?). If guests rate a listing low for accuracy, most of the time it’s because the pictures didn’t match reality.

Third, look for photos that are missing, as this tells you a story. The bedroom, kitchen, bathroom and living area are common rooms right? If you were trying to advertise your property, these are the rooms you’d show off. So if these rooms are not shown on the listing, it’s time to ask questions.

Excluding photos of key rooms is a sign that an Airbnb may not be safe. Some hosts may try and hide flaws in their property by omitting certain photos so they don’t lose a booking. This is why it’s common for hosts to have low accuracy ratings on their listing.

Also, look for external photos of the property. Things like the front door, any staircases to the property, safety railings, etc. You don’t want any nasty surprises once you check in.

Example of good Airbnb photos

Below is a good example of what good Airbnb photos should look like. It shows each room of the property clearly and in good light. Plus they use captions to help paint a clearer picture. Would you feel safe staying in this Airbnb? I certainly would.

I have written a good article about Airbnb photos at this link if you’d like to read more on the topic.

#7 – Always pay on Airbnb!

Another way to be safe on Airbnb is to always pay on the platform. What do I mean by that, I hear you ask?

As a host, I’ve seen all kinds of weird and wonderful questions that guests send my way. But one of the most common is guests asking if they can book my place off the Airbnb platform. In other words, pay cash.

It totally makes sense in theory. As a guest, it means you will avoid paying the Airbnb service fee, as will the host. So a property that may cost $2,000 for the week on Airbnb may drop to $1,600 without fees. Sounds good, doesn’t it?

But think again. This is not a safe way to use Airbnb and will cost you in the long run. If something goes wrong during your stay, you will not be covered by Airbnb insurance.

Nor will you be liable for a refund if something goes wrong during your stay. Or if your listing is not as advertised, Airbnb will not refund you. Why take the risk? Be safe and always pay on Airbnb!

#8 – Communication goes both ways

A good Airbnb host is one that talks with guests well. So if your host is not replying or is impolite, then it’s a red flag. But also remember, it goes both ways. As a guest, you must also be active when chatting to your host.

The first thing you should do is communicate early and often with your host. When I book an Airbnb, I will introduce myself straight away and go into a bit of detail. I will also show interest and ask lots of questions. As a host myself, I love it when a guest is proactive like this, it’s always a good sign.

Questions you could ask your host may include things to do or stuff to see in the city. Perhaps you could ask them if their Airbnb is in a safe neighbourhood. There are many questions you can ask, but the idea is to build a rapport with them.

By asking the proper questions, you will quickly figure out the type of host you’re dealing with. For starters, good hosts reply to messages quickly. Let’s be honest, we all have our phones on us these days. There should be no reason for a host to take hours to respond.

When a host ignores your questions, or replies with short and sharp responses, it’s a red flag.

Tips for good communication

• Always message on the Airbnb app for your safety
• Communicate with your host early and often
• Ask plenty of questions and build a rapport
• Hosts that reply slow are a red flag
• Don’t book with hosts that average less than 4.8 stars for communicating
• A good host will respond in detail, rather than short and sharp replies

A good way to filter for good hosts is to use the review section I discussed above in section #2. Take a look at the hosts average star rating for communication. If they average less than 4.8 stars, then I would reconsider booking with them.

I cover the topic of host communication in this detailed article. Simply scroll down to section #5. Below are some of the key points you should look for when messaging a safe Airbnb host.

#9 – Keep safe with Airbnb Community Standards

Airbnb claims that your safety is their priority and that they go to great lengths to do this. On any given day, two million people stay in Airbnb homes from 100,000 cities all over the world. That is a lot of people they need to keep safe!

To keep you safe, Airbnb has something they refer to as safety by design, which you can read more about at this link. But below I will give you a quick summary about this to give you an idea.

How Airbnb keeps you safe:

• Risk scoring
• Watchlist and background checks
• Preparedness
• Secure payments
• Account protection
• Scam prevention

First, let’s start with risk scoring. Airbnb score every reservation for risk before it’s confirmed. They have a predictive analytical machine that learns the behaviours of its users. Therefore, they can instantly evaluate every booking a guest makes. This is also how they utilise scam protection, which they do a great job of.

Second, Airbnb run global background checks on all hosts and guests. While they claim no system is perfect, their background checks are highly accurate.

Third, Airbnb constantly run safety workshops for hosts. This prepares hosts so they’re up to date on providing a safe experience for guests. All hosts receive a free smoke detector and carbon monoxide protector also.

Finally, you can rest easy knowing your Airbnb account is safe! They facilitate safe and secure payments via their platform. On top of that, they take a number of measures to protect your account. Things such as multi-factor authentication and alerts when a new device signs in.

In summary, you can be very confident Airbnb is taking the latest measures to keep you safe at all times. Because if they didn’t, their whole business would collapse.

#10 – Online house manuals

Did you know Airbnb hosts can upload their house manual to their listing for you to read? This is a valuable piece of information that can keep you safe.

When I make an Airbnb booking, I always like to check if a host has uploaded their house manual. It’s a good idea to give this a quick read through to check what their Airbnb house rules are.

If you are unfamiliar with what an Airbnb house manual is, you can read about it here. In short, it’s a document hosts provide to outline all the information about their space.

A good host will go into quite a lot of detail and the purpose is to help keep you safe during your stay. There will be nuggets of gold teaching you how their house works. Plus useful information about WiFi passwords, and so on.

#11 – Research the neighborhood

Researching the neighborhood is yet another way to stay safe when using Airbnb. It sounds like a simple idea in theory, but it’s a common one that many guests totally forget about.

The first thing I do when researching a neighborhood online is to make sure it’s safe. A quick Google search can help with this, or a website like Tripadvisor.com is a goldmine. There are topics on that site that will have specific answers on how safe certain cities are.

Next, I look out for public transport from the place to the main attractions in town. If you don’t have a car, you’ll need to rely on public transport. You also don’t want to be walking around unsafe areas at night if there’s a lack of transport.

Another good idea is simply to reach out to the host and ask them questions. You can ask them questions, such as, can you secure all doors and windows in the property? In other words, just general questions about how safe their Airbnb is.

Finally, I would recommend you go read their reviews. Guests will write if they felt unsafe in the area in their reviews. Use the search filter to find reviews that contain the word ‘neighborhood’. I explain this above in section #2.

Oh, and check out their average rating for location. Airbnb asks guests to leave a rating out of 5 on location. This will give you a great indication of what previous guests thought of the area.

#12 – Use Airbnb Support

Airbnb support is always there to keep you safe, so be sure to utilise them! They are available 24/7 either via the phone, or the online chat service.

You can rely on them to keep you safe when unexpected things happen during stays. For example, if you arrive at a place that is not as advertised, contact them immediately.

If an Airbnb is unsafe, or not as advertised, they can provide you with a solution. Usually they will provide you with a full refund, or can move you to another Airbnb nearby.

Airbnb has a global support team that is standing by 24/7, even on public holidays. In addition, their team provide support in 11 different languages. You can get help with things like rebooking assistance and refunds.

This is a big reason why Airbnb is a safe platform, as guests will expose any unsafe properties very quickly. So if anything happens during your stay, make sure you contact them straight away. It will also give you some peace of mind knowing they are just a phone call away.

#13 – Do a safety check

Once you arrive, you should always do a safety check as soon as you check in to your Airbnb. By that, I mean ensuring you know where a host keeps all the emergency and safety info. It’s always a good idea to give each room a once over.

The first things I look for are little things such as smoke detectors and secure locks on doors and windows. You also want to be sure where the safety exits are should you need to escape quickly.

You should then check for the little things, such as if the linen is fresh. Check the use by date on milk or any foods that a host has made available for you. I always like to check if the host has cleaned the cutlery and plates properly too.

But like anything, just use your common sense. Nothing is going to be perfect and Airbnb is no exception. It’s not like a hotel where maintenance people are on hand. Just be weary and always remember that you have Airbnb support available if you don’t feel safe.

#14 – Local travel warnings

Whether using Airbnb or not, it’s always a good idea to keep an eye on local travel warnings. While this is not Airbnb specific, it is still one of the best ways to keep safe during your travels.

For starters, you can research your travel destination ahead of time, so you know what to expect on arrival. Check out local embassy’s or browse government websites.

As an example, if travelling to the USA you would do well to read the Department of State website. A website like this lets you know any travel warnings and how to prepare yourself.

A great recent example was the Coronavirus outbreak which caused chaos around the world. This is a time when you should be checking travel warnings.

#15 – Look up hosts on social media

Okay, this suggestion is a little creepy, but hey, it’s something that I know guests are doing. If something seems a bit off with your Airbnb host, maybe you could search for them on social media?

Perhaps your host is being rude in their messages to you. Maybe their profile photo looks a bit off and there’s something you don’t trust. It could be any number of factors. But maybe there is a reason that makes you want to look them up, to see if they are who they say they are.

You could look them up on social media platforms like Facebook, X, Instagram and so on. It’s quite easy to tell what somebody is like from their social media. And if you want to keep safe on Airbnb, knowing your host is trustworthy is a good start.

Again, this is not something I do, but I’m just throwing it out there as an option. If it helps ease give peace of mind, then it is a good idea. Anything that helps, right?

#16 – Are Airbnb experiences safe?

Airbnb Experiences is a brand new service and yes, it is safe! In fact, I have written a detailed guide explaining what Airbnb Experiences are at this link. They really are fantastic.

In short, Airbnb now allows hosts to act as their very own tour guide. Guests can book from a range of different tours across a range of categories. In fact, there are 398 types of tours you can do ranging over 26 different categories.

Think of it as a way to experience a city, with a different flavour to a typical city tour. Your host is a local, so that means you are truly immersed in the local culture. They will know all secrets and hidden treasures to show you.

But to answer the original question, yes, Airbnb experiences are safe. Think of them like the usual Airbnb booking experience. Ensure you read reviews and ratings in detail. Also, you should pay close attention to photos and how well the host communicates with you.

#17 – Airbnb and Pets

Guests should be aware that some Airbnb properties allow pets, whereas some don’t. If you are allergic to pets, then you’ll need to keep safe by filtering out Airbnb listings that don’t allow pets.

When searching for a property, always remember you can exclude properties that allow pets. Take a look at the screenshot below:

If you are indeed allergic to pets, I encourage you to take caution. I am an Airbnb host that does not allow pets, but that doesn’t stop some sneaky guests bringing in dogs.

On multiple occasions I have caught a guest bringing in their pet dog. On another occasion, I had a guest ring me saying they needed to leave as they had an allergic reaction to dog fur.

Please be aware that hosts do the best they can. But you should also exercise some caution when checking into a new Airbnb, better to be safe than sorry.

As Airbnb and pets is big topic, I’ve written a detailed article on the subject if you’d like more info.

#18 – Free fire alarms

You may not be aware that Airbnb provides hosts with a free fire alarm to keep guests safe. On top of that, they also provide a free carbon monoxide detector.

When searching Airbnb listings, always stay in properties that advertise a smoke alarm. This is one of the key items I look for when searching for places to stay. In fact, there is even a search filter that you can click.

If Airbnb is providing free detectors, you have to ask yourself why would a host not utilise this? This is just another way you can increase your chances of finding a safe Airbnb.

#19 – Hosts that write detailed listings

This should come as no secret. Airbnb encourages hosts to write detailed listings with as much information as possible. They also want them to post a lot of photos.

In other words, Airbnb wants the booking experience to be as seamless as possible. The more bookings that guests make, the more money that Airbnb earns!

Therefore, the hosts that write the best listings will rank higher in the search results. It’s common sense really. If these hosts keep doing things right and being safe, Airbnb will reward them.

The registration page for hosts listing their property is quite detailed. In fact, I explain how to become an Airbnb host in this article. But given it’s a detailed process, the best hosts will go into more detail.

So next time you do a search, cast your eye to the top of the search results. These properties are near the top for a good reason. It’s because they have great listings and people book with them often.

There’s no way an unsafe property will get near the top of the searches. Or if they do, they certainly won’t stay there for long!

Airbnb Safety Tips

So are Airbnbs safe? Of course they are! If you have stayed with me this far, you will know that Airbnb is safe. I’ve given you 19 good reasons why it is safe in fact.

This was a very long article with a lot to take in. Therefore, I’m going to summarise the key information in five quick points.

Top 5 ways to be safe using Airbnb:

1. Always read reviews and look at ratings
2. Read a host’s profile to get a snapshot of what they’re like
3. Always communicate and pay for stays via the Airbnb platform
4. Pictures tell a thousand words. Never book properties that don’t have many photos
5. Communication goes both ways. Always introduce yourself in the messages

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