Airbnb promised a refund for a noisy rental. Then it went quiet.

Tatsuyuki Morishita booked a “quiet” Airbnb in Toronto, only to be jolted awake by noise every night. An Airbnb agent promised a refund if he moved out early, but once he handed back the keys, the company tried to close the case with no refund. Can Morishita get Airbnb to honor its word?

Question

I booked an Airbnb rental in Toronto for a stay of more than two months. The listing description used the words “quiet” and “peaceful” five times, which was exactly what I needed for my stay. 

Unfortunately, the reality was anything but calm. Almost every night, recurring heavy impact noise from the unit above would wake us up at 4 a.m. I didn’t just complain; I documented the disturbance with video and audio recordings. I shared these with the host multiple times, and while they acknowledged the ongoing noise, they couldn’t stop it. 

I also reported the issue to Airbnb within the required 72-hour window. An agent reviewed my evidence and confirmed I was covered by Airbnb’s AirCover guarantee. He gave me a written commitment for a full refund of 12 unused nights and a 30 percent refund for the 20 nights we endured the noise. He even told me he was “currently processing” the request. 

Since we moved out, Airbnb reassigned the file to multiple agents who all contradicted each other. One agent denied our eligibility entirely. Another senior manager claimed the host wasn’t willing to alter the dates, despite the thread showing the host had already approved the early checkout. The agent then tried to close the case without giving us a cent.

I just want Airbnb to honor the written commitment its agent made. Can you help me get them to pay what they promised? — Tatsuyuki Morishita, North York, Ontario 

Answer

Airbnb should have stuck to its word. When an agent confirms AirCover eligibility and provides a specific refund amount in writing, that’s a contract. You relied on that commitment when you packed your bags and left. For the company to play “hot potato” with your case afterward is unacceptable.

AirCover is supposed to protect guests when a listing isn’t what was advertised. Since “quiet” was a central feature of the description, the early-morning noise brigade was a clear violation. 

You documented the noise, notified the host, and got a promise from support before you left the premises. Good job! Many travelers make the mistake of leaving first and asking for money later, but you had the “green light” in writing.

When a company goes silent or starts walking back a promise, you should appeal to an executive. I list the names and email addresses of Airbnb’s leadership on my advocacy site, Elliott.org.

I contacted Airbnb on your behalf. Shortly after that, a member of the senior support team called you. While you rightly insisted on keeping the conversation in writing, they followed up on the platform to apologize. Airbnb honored the original refund of $1,268 and even threw in a $250 coupon for the trouble.

Christopher Elliott

Christopher Elliott is the founder of Elliott Advocacy, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that empowers consumers to solve their problems and helps those who can't. He's the author of numerous books on consumer advocacy and writes three nationally syndicated columns. He also publishes the Elliott Report, a news site for consumers, and Elliott Confidential, a critically acclaimed newsletter about customer service. If you have a consumer problem you can't solve, contact him directly through his advocacy website. You can also follow him on X, Facebook, and LinkedIn, or sign up for his daily newsletter.