# What the fuck has happened with Airbnb?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-fuck-has-happened-with-airbnb/1032261
**Category:** The BBQ Pit
**Created:** [August 10, 2026, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-fuck-has-happened-with-airbnb/1032261 "2026-08-10T02:55:26Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 3
### Author:  [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)
#### Post date: [August 11, 2026, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-fuck-has-happened-with-airbnb/1032261/41 "2026-08-11T04:10:21Z")
I booked an Airbnb in March of 2025 and I didn’t have to go through any of that. It was in Hollywood, CA.
I made another on last January in St Louis and canceled it a couple of days later and also didn’t have to do that.
My account is ten years old though. Maybe that’s why
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### Author:  [@ASL\_v2.0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASL_v2.0)
#### Post date: [August 11, 2026, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-fuck-has-happened-with-airbnb/1032261/42 "2026-08-11T04:35:56Z")
I will just say that the use case for AirBnb for me is as a long term rental that isn’t \*long enough to warrant an apartment with a lease. To that end, I have used AirBnb three times, thankfully without incident:
1. For about 2 months during a summer internship.
2. For about 2 months while studying for the bar exam.
3. For about 2 months while looking for and closing on a house.
I personally wouldn’t want to risk an AirBnb in the short term. Too many unknowns, never mind any requirement to upload ID (which seems reasonable enough to me).
\*Even then it may be a toss up with an extended stay hotel, albeit with less space in the hotel.
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### Author:  [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)
#### Post date: [August 11, 2026, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-fuck-has-happened-with-airbnb/1032261/43 "2026-08-11T04:39:54Z")
Not sure if this helps or has been addressed but - I only use AirBnb for international travel. I have been doing this twice a year for at least 10 years and have had no problems. Most of the horror stories I have read about booking with them have been about domestic bookings.
For domestic bookings I have found VRBO to be excellent.
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### Author:  [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)
#### Post date: [August 11, 2026, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-fuck-has-happened-with-airbnb/1032261/44 "2026-08-11T04:56:55Z")
Too late to edit the previous comment but - If I remember correctly it has been common practice for international bookings to give passport information for a while. I remember having to do it to book a couple of places in Portugal in 2018.
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### Author:  [@FinsToTheLeft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinsToTheLeft)
#### Post date: [August 11, 2026, 10:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-fuck-has-happened-with-airbnb/1032261/45 "2026-08-11T10:17:41Z")
I just checked my AirBnB account and I have 13 completed stays and 2 booked for the spring in Prague and Budapest. I’ve also completed a couple of stays with VRBO.
I prefer Airbnb for multi-day stays, especially if it’s the whole family. I’ve never had problems with ID verification or canceled stays. I have had a few issues, including an apartment in Paris where the heat didn’t work and they had to give us plugin electric heaters. Then again, I’ve stayed in major brand hotels like Hilton that were absolute shit shows.
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### Author:  [@aruvqan\_myers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan_myers)
#### Post date: [August 11, 2026, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-fuck-has-happened-with-airbnb/1032261/46 "2026-08-11T12:44:15Z")
They are the vendors selling the DVD sets, and they are acting like AirBnB folks with insane requirements. [though requesting the social security number AND all the credit card and billing info is absolutely screaming I am going to steal and sell your shit]
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### Author:  [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)
#### Post date: [August 11, 2026, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-fuck-has-happened-with-airbnb/1032261/47 "2026-08-11T12:47:31Z")
Is this just limited to AirBnB? Reason I ask is that my (admittedly limited) understanding is that there’s not _that much_ difference between AirBnB and VRBO, and I don’t see nearly as many complaints about VRBO.
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### Author:  [@chela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chela)
#### Post date: [August 11, 2026, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-fuck-has-happened-with-airbnb/1032261/48 "2026-08-11T13:29:32Z")
> [@Tamerlane](#):
>
> How are people feeling about Vrbo?
VRBO has been in business longer, their fees may be higher for both renters and owners. I’ve seen the same rental listed on both sites and the pricing is different, but I got the feeling there were more guarantees/ protections with VRBO. Just my opinion
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### Author:  [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)
#### Post date: [August 11, 2026, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-fuck-has-happened-with-airbnb/1032261/49 "2026-08-11T20:07:13Z")
> [@aruvqan\_myers](#):
>
> They are the vendors selling the DVD sets, and they are acting like AirBnB folks with insane requirements. [though requesting the social security number AND all the credit card and billing info is absolutely screaming I am going to steal and sell your shit]
Well because that is clearly a scam site. I am not seeing the connection to Airbnb. Of course a scam site will try to scam you. That’s not a mainstream legit company suddenly requiring sensitive information. It seems that series never had a US DVD release so anything you find is likely to be shady.
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### Author:  [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)
#### Post date: [August 11, 2026, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-fuck-has-happened-with-airbnb/1032261/50 "2026-08-11T20:20:20Z")
I suspect that the ID is required for new customers for insurance purposes. Whenever my daughter rents a car online, be it Turo or Enterprise, she has to send over her Drivers License with a photo of her holding it to show she’s the same person.
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### Author:  [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)
#### Post date: [August 11, 2026, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-fuck-has-happened-with-airbnb/1032261/51 "2026-08-11T20:36:15Z")
> [@hajario](#):
>
> I booked an Airbnb in March of 2025 and I didn’t have to go through any of that. It was in Hollywood, CA.
>
> I made another on last January in St Louis and canceled it a couple of days later and also didn’t have to do that.
>
> My account is ten years old though. Maybe that’s why
Airbnb doesn’t always need to get your ID if they are able to verify you through other means, what they refer to as “trusted third-party sources”. In my case, I had originally connected my Airbnb account to my Facebook profile, which was probably enough to verify me. Or maybe it connected me through my credit card? Who knows, but it’s not a simple as “everyone must provide a picture of their government ID.”
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### Author:  [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)
#### Post date: [August 11, 2026, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-fuck-has-happened-with-airbnb/1032261/52 "2026-08-11T20:46:41Z")
> [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](#):
>
> Well because that is clearly a scam site. I am not seeing the connection to Airbnb. Of course a scam site will try to scam you. That’s not a mainstream legit company suddenly requiring sensitive information. It seems that series never had a US DVD release so anything you find is likely to be shady.
Exactly. And this isn’t some new phenomenon. They’ve been around as long as the web has existed. In other words, it’s a completely unrelated complaint and has no reason to be brought up in this thread.
@aruvqan_myers I suggest you take this over here:
> [@Fucking scammer motherfuckers](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fucking-scammer-motherfuckers/977240):
>
> The wife was doing her monthly review of accounts and sees a withdrawal on our checking account of over $16K. Some miserable fuckwad somehow got our account number, created a forged check with all the account data on the bottom, and wrote a check to himself on our account. Sorry cocksucker. Wife’s on the phone right now with the bank’s fraud department. I’m sure they’ll make it good, but I suspect we’re going to have to go through the pain of them closing the account and opening a new account, g…
That’s the thread for complaining about scammers in general. This thread is about Airbnb.
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### Author:  [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)
#### Post date: [August 14, 2026, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-fuck-has-happened-with-airbnb/1032261/53 "2026-08-14T03:40:42Z")
> [@ASL\_v2.0](#):
>
> \*Even then it may be a toss up with an extended stay hotel, albeit with less space in the hotel.
Depends on the hotel. I stayed in one for about 3 weeks, and the suite was bigger than my whole house. More closet space too.
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### Author:  [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)
#### Post date: [September 12, 2026, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-fuck-has-happened-with-airbnb/1032261/54 "2026-09-12T23:46:15Z")
> [@Tamerlane](#):
>
> How are people feeling about Vrbo?
We had a good experience a couple of years ago with a nice mountain cabin that was as advertised, with a competent and accessible owner. We’re going back for another stay later this fall.
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### Author:  [@mtnmatt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mtnmatt)
#### Post date: [September 13, 2026, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-fuck-has-happened-with-airbnb/1032261/55 "2026-09-13T00:57:46Z")
I recently did a VRBO where the owner, a few days before we (3 couples and 2 singles) arrived, told us we were required to both be gone by 11am, and wash, dry, fold and return to the linen closet all sheets and towels before we left.
We needed this space for our family reunion will likely need it again so I was pretty stressed about complying since I had no idea how good their appliances were, and how long it would take.
I walked out at 1059 with the stuff folded on the dining room table (we found all the stuff folded on our unmade beds) after taking a picture for proof (the owner sent all her correspondence from her law-office work account).
Although I made it work, that seems like an unreasonable requirement after a $300 cleaning fee.
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### Author:  [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)
#### Post date: [September 13, 2026, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-fuck-has-happened-with-airbnb/1032261/56 "2026-09-13T01:17:14Z")
With the $300 cleaning fee, how does the cost compare to a hotel? Because neither Hilton nor Marriott (nor any other hotel company) expect you to do laundry for them.
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### Author:  [@bengangmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bengangmo)
#### Post date: [September 13, 2026, 10:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-fuck-has-happened-with-airbnb/1032261/57 "2026-09-13T10:36:32Z")
Four beds worth of linen washed, dried and folded by 11 and theres still a $300 cleaning fee?
That doesn’t sound very reasonable to my ears.
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### Author:  [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)
#### Post date: [September 13, 2026, 10:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-fuck-has-happened-with-airbnb/1032261/58 "2026-09-13T10:50:38Z")
What else do they need to clean? It shouldn’t cost $300 to sweep the floor.
I agree that it sounds excessive.
Maybe the rental is so cheap that it’s worth it, but even so, what a weird way to structure the pricing. And it’s really unfair to throw that kind of requirement on you right before you arrive. That should be in the upfront contract.
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### Author:  [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)
#### Post date: [September 13, 2026, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-fuck-has-happened-with-airbnb/1032261/59 "2026-09-13T13:21:16Z")
All of the places I have rented (via Airbnb) have made the opposite request. They have specifically said to leave all the bedding and towels out so they can wash everything after we leave. I’ve never seen a place that expected the renters to do the laundry and put everything away before leaving.
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### Author:  [@ASL\_v2.0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ASL_v2.0)
#### Post date: [September 13, 2026, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-fuck-has-happened-with-airbnb/1032261/60 "2026-09-13T13:34:57Z")
> [@mtnmatt](#):
>
> the owner sent all her correspondence from her law-office work account).
You might have called her on it. See if her law office likes her using their business email for her personal business.
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