Airbnb Host Allegedly Edited Images to Make False Damages Claim Against Guest
An Airbnb guest who stayed at an apartment in New York City has been refunded $5,730 (£4,300) and received an apology from the company after the host allegedly manipulated photos to make false claims against her.
The Guardian reports that a “London-based academic” left a long-term rental early due to not feeling safe in the neighborhood and when she did, the host told Airbnb that she had caused over $16,000 (£12,000) in damages.
The guest denied all allegations, maintaining that the apartment was left in good condition and that she had only two visitors during her stay. She reviewed the images that the host had submitted as proof and noticed discrepancies in them, leading her to believe that they had been edited — possibly with AI.
Two images of a coffee table show similar cracks on the top but are not quite identical which, the guest says, are “simply not possible in genuine, unedited photographs of the same object.”
After the host had submitted the photos to Airbnb, the company told the guest that she would have to pay $7,082 (£5,314) for the damage. She appealed.
“I informed them that I can provide testimony from an eyewitness who was with me during checkout and can attest under oath to the condition in which the property was left: clean, undamaged, and in good order,” she tells The Guardian. “I also clearly demonstrated visual discrepancies in images of the same object (wooden table) provided by the host that show clear signs of fabrication.”
The woman says that the photo should have “immediately raised red flags and discredited the host’s claims.” But the guest says she was ignored until she contacted Guardian Money which pressed Airbnb on the case, after which the platform reversed its decision. She was eventually offered a full refund of $5,690 (£4,269).
“My concern is for future customers who may become victims of similar fraudulent claims and do not have the means to push back so much or give into paying out of fear of escalation,” the guest says.
“Given the ease with which such images can now be AI-generated and apparently accepted by Airbnb despite investigations, it should not be so easy for a host to get away with forging evidence in this way.”
A security expert tells the newspaper that the barrier to manipulating photos and video is now lower than ever before; software is inexpensive, widely available, and requires little skill.
Image credits: Header photo licensed via Depositphotos.
