Family Books Philadelphia Home on Airbnb, but Owner Never Listed It

A Christmas night mix-up outside a Fitler Square home in Philadelphia has led to questions about how Airbnb handles fraudulent listings. Homeowner Molly Flaherty returned from visiting relatives to find Nicole Brunet and her family trying to get inside. Brunet had booked the house through Airbnb for her parents, who were in town for the holidays. Flaherty had never put the property on the platform.

Flaherty had to convince the group she was not trying to scam them. She explained that the lockbox on the property was meant for a pet sitter, not for renters. Over the following week, she tried to get Airbnb to take the listing down, with little success.

The posting was removed over New Year's weekend, after The Philadelphia Inquirer asked the company about its procedures for such cases. In a statement on Tuesday afternoon, Airbnb said fake listings are rare and that it "provided support to the guests at the time to help make things right, including a full refund." The company did not explain how it investigates these incidents, but said it tries to keep those involved updated when it can. A spokesperson said the listing had been deactivated, though Flaherty said Airbnb never told her.

"I still worry because they haven't confirmed anything with me," Flaherty said Tuesday. "I don't know if this [listing] is going to pop back up or if there's still people that have future reservations and think they have a reservation in my home."

Scammers have exploited rental platforms in other cases. In 2020, three renters in Philadelphia believed they were leasing an apartment, only to find it was an Airbnb rental. Last year, a California family discovered that someone had used open house photos to list their newly purchased home, and that listing stayed up for weeks until reporters asked the company for comment. Flaherty's home appears to have been legitimately listed until 2020, when she bought it. The original lister's account was somehow revived in what Airbnb calls an "account takeover."

Screenshots Flaherty provided show days of messages with Airbnb support. She was told a member of a "specialized team" would follow up, and eventually someone asked her to put her complaint in a letter to be shared with the listing's "host." Worried the fraudster might learn more about her, she kept the letter short and signed it with her initials. Airbnb replied that it does not "own, manage or control accommodations" and cannot arbitrate disputes or private contract terms. It said the simplest approach was to contact the host directly, and added that it had reminded the account holder of their "obligations as an Airbnb host."

Flaherty doubted the scammer would admit wrongdoing, and said the company's handling left her in despair and looking for a lawyer. She posted a handwritten note on her front door telling would-be guests the $140-a-night listing was fraudulent and her home is not available. She plans to leave it up in case others show up.

Brunet said she had hoped for a more responsive company, particularly since the listing had once been a real rental. She said it had more than 100 reviews and an average rating of 4.7 out of 5, with previous guests praising the location through 2020. "There really was no way to tell" it was fake, she said. "It looked just like any other listing, which is kind of the most scary part about it. I'm just like, well, I can't trust anything."

Brunet is expected to receive a refund, but said the experience left her uneasy. Her family stayed in a hotel for the holidays. "It just seems like their safety mechanisms really aren't foolproof," she said.