Airbnb Suspended My Account After I Reported Indoor Camera

Hey everyone,

I’m having a serious issue with Airbnb and I’d love some advice. Here’s what happened:

On Dec 20, 2024, I checked into an Airbnb in Lake Forest, CA where I was staying at a host’s home. The house rules didn’t mention any restricted areas, but while the host was away for the holidays, I received a text saying she saw me go upstairs, which she claimed was off-limits to guests.

I was immediately concerned because the host wasn’t at the property, yet she knew what I was doing. After investigating, I found an indoor camera on the second floor. Airbnb’s policies prohibit indoor cameras, and I felt unsafe knowing I might have been recorded.

I decided to leave the property two weeks early on Jan 4, 2025 because I no longer felt comfortable staying there. I reported the issue to Airbnb customer support, provided photos of the camera and text messages with the host admitting she watched me, but instead of taking action against the host, Airbnb banned my account on Jan 9, 2025 for a “privacy violation” without any explanation of what I did wrong.

I appealed the decision, but on Feb 5, 2025, they denied it and refused to refund me at all even though I left early due to safety concerns.

I’m just looking for advice on how to move forward, as I feel like Airbnb is siding with the host in a clear case of privacy invasion.

Thanks for reading!

Edit 3/5: Clarified that Airbnb did not give me any sort of compensation or refund.