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You’re browsing through the listings on Airbnb and then suddenly you’re hit by a listing that’s “hidden by Airbnb”.
In a nutshell, if a listing or site is hidden by Airbnb it means that the site’s algorithm found it dangerous. The site might be a scam, unavailable, or others.
On the other hand, this might also be a mistake. If you’re a host, and this happens to your listing without any apparent reason, can you ask Airbnb to remove this tag from your listing?
What Does Hidden by Airbnb Mean?
In practice, a listing on the Airbnb website may be automatically obscured by the platform’s algorithm. This action is typically triggered when the content in the listing is deemed offensive by Airbnb’s algorithm.
For example, if the listing contains objectionable language or includes information that is irrelevant to the property.
Moreover, as a host, you have the option to hide your own listings. You can manually adjust the settings of your account to enable this feature.
Some of the most common reasons you might want your listing hidden include:
- You are having repairs done on the property.
- You will be using the property yourself.
- You want to step away from renting out your property for a while.
When you hide your listing, guests won’t see your property when they search for rentals in your area. However, if your previous guests view your listing, they still can do so.
But they won’t be able to book a stay as it will be disabled.
What Kind of Content Does Airbnb Hide?
Airbnb protects the private information of its members. So even when you communicate with a host regarding reservations, Airbnb will block their email addresses and phone numbers.
Instead of the private information, you will be seeing italicized text stating that it’s “hidden by Airbnb”.
However, this is only the case when the booking isn’t final yet. Airbnb will provide your host with your email address and phone number once you confirm your booking.
This will make it easier for both of you to contact each other.
What Can Get You in Trouble with Airbnb?
To avoid an Airbnb host’s account suspension or getting banned, it is crucial to steer clear of certain actions.
This is especially important for hosts who rely on their Airbnb property as a significant source of income.
Here are some of the things to avoid:
Have a Very Low Guest Satisfaction Rating
One of the biggest things that can get your account suspended and hidden by Airbnb is to have very low customer ratings.
If you are in the bottom 1% of Airbnb hosts with regard to overall customer ratings, then you will soon find your account getting banned.
You Infringed on Airbnb’s TOS
You need to study the Terms of Service of the thing that you will be using to earn extra money.
These rules are necessary to provide the guests with the best experiences, which in turn will result in return customers.
If you don’t pay any heed to the TOS then not only will hide your listing, but it might also likely get you banned.
Multiple Suspensions
If your Airbnb account has been suspended multiple times, it is highly likely that Airbnb will eventually ban your account.
If you receive multiple suspensions within a certain period of time, Airbnb may choose to permanently ban your account instead of providing you with another opportunity to comply with their policies.
Therefore, it is essential to take immediate corrective action when you receive a warning or a suspension.
You Ignore Messages
A good host will always keep an eye out for messages from guests and potential guests. Ideally, you should reply with an acceptable answer within 24 hours or sooner.
If you don’t reply, your guests will feel ignored and increasingly frustrated. This will result in the following issues.
You Let Your Ratings Drop
As mentioned earlier, if you have the lowest ratings on Airbnb, you will get banned. If your guests are increasingly unhappy with the service that you provide, it will reflect on your ratings.
If you notice that your ratings are dropping at an alarming rate, don’t ignore it. If you don’t do anything to stop the decline of your ratings, a banning will be in your near future.
You Cancel Reservations Often
Although emergencies do happen, canceling reservations frequently by making excuses is not a good practice.
When you cancel bookings frequently, Airbnb’s algorithm will detect it, and you may get labeled as an unreliable host.
Additionally, your account may even get hidden by Airbnb. Therefore, emergency cancellations should only be done in genuine situations and should be avoided as much as possible.
You Let Your Account Go Dormant
Consistently receiving requests for your listing without accepting any of them may raise a red flag to Airbnb.
It is important to keep your listing availability up to date to avoid this issue.
If you know you won’t be accepting requests for a certain period, make sure to update your listing’s availability to reflect that.
Failure to update your listing’s availability and not accepting requests may result in account suspension by Airbnb.
What Can You Do If You’ve Been Banned?
Even if your account does get banned it is not the end of the world. There is still a way to reinstate your account so you can continue to earn money.
When you receive the notice of suspension or banning, you need to immediately submit a formal appeal to Airbnb.
While you’re there, you should also ask for a review form. The reason you need to do this immediately is that it could take some time before Airbnb replies. In addition, the reply might not be favorable to you.
If by some stroke of luck, your hidden Airbnb account gets reinstated, don’t mess up your second chance at using the platform.
What if your account does not get reinstated? Even if Airbnb does not unban your account, or if it takes a while before they unsuspend it, you still shouldn’t fret too much.
Although Airbnb has the largest user base, it is not the only platform where you can list your property for rent.
You can create an account on rival websites, and do your best not to do the things that got you banned on Airbnb in the first place.
Getting banned on Airbnb might make you feel really bad for a while, but you should pull yourself together and move on.
There are other avenues that you can use to turn your property into an income-generating machine, but you will need to work hard until it does.
Takeaway
Encountering a hidden listing on Airbnb signifies that the platform’s algorithm detected something dubious.
As a host, a hidden listing implies that your account might have been suspended. Therefore, it’s crucial to check your messages to clarify what transpired.
To prevent a similar incident from happening, it is essential to abide by Airbnb’s terms of service and prioritize your customers’ needs.
Maintaining excellent customer satisfaction can boost positive ratings, leading to increased reservations and more revenue for you.
