Questions about Airbnb's Nondiscrimination Policy

What if I’m uncomfortable with a prospective guest? Is that discrimination?

We encourage you to use the trust features and communication tools we've built to help give you peace of mind. When considering a guest’s booking request, it’s important to comply with our Nondiscrimination Policy and to reflect on your reasoning to ensure bias isn’t a factor.

Do I have to accept guests of the opposite gender?

If you share living spaces (for example, bathroom, kitchen, or common areas) with your guests, you can choose to rent to guests of your same gender and not the other. However, if no living spaces are shared, you can’t decline a guest based on their gender.

I’ve had bad experiences with guests from a certain country. Am I allowed to stop hosting guests from that country?

Hosts may not decline guests based on their nationality or ethnic background, or otherwise discriminate against users from a given country. While you may have had a bad experience with a previous guest, it is important to remember that each person is different. It is unfair to prejudge someone new based on the behavior of a past guest. Instead, we suggest exchanging messages with all of your upcoming guests to clarify house rules and set expectations.

I have a listing that is hard to access. I’ve previously stated that the space isn’t suitable for the elderly. What should I do now?

Instead of prohibiting all older guests, be descriptive about the nature of your listing (i.e., a treehouse, a walk-up with no elevator or ramp, a loft bed) so prospective guests can make an informed decision about whether it will suit their needs.

Can I decline guests with disabilities if I don’t think my home is suitable for them?

In many cases, Airbnb hosts are not required to make their homes compliant with the standards set out in the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) . However, you can’t decline a guest based on any actual or perceived disability. You should do your best to provide accurate information about your home’s accessibility features (or lack of them), allowing for guests with disabilities to decide for themselves whether the home is appropriate to their individual needs.

I have strong religious beliefs that do not allow me to host LGBTQ guests. What should I do?

Hosts may not decline guests based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. While your views may be different than those of your guests, please remember that being an Airbnb host does not require that you endorse all of your guests’ beliefs, but simply that you respect the fact that such differences exist and be inclusive despite the differences.

I am allergic to dog hair. How should I handle requests from guests with service animals?

It’s important to be empathetic to guests with service animals and to make every effort to accommodate them. However, if a service animal would jeopardize your health, or that of a roommate or family member, you do not have to host the guests. Please be clear and polite when communicating with guests about this. We also suggest you include this information in your listing description in order to better inform prospective guests.

Read more about service animals on Airbnb

Am I allowed to charge a separate cleaning fee for a service animal?

No, under the policy hosts cannot charge extra fees to guests with service animals.

There are laws in my area about vacation rentals for people under 25. Am I allowed to post this restriction on my listing?

Yes, but please be clear that it is a legal requirement in your area and that you are complying with local law.

I live outside of the US and EU. Do I have to break my local laws if they conflict with the Nondiscrimination Policy?

No. We don’t require hosts to violate local laws, nor to accept guests that could expose the hosts to a real and demonstrable risk of arrest, or physical harm to their persons or property. Hosts who live in such areas should communicate any restrictions due to local laws using clear, factual, non-derogatory terms. Slurs and insults have no place on our platform or in our community.

What if I don’t agree to the policy?

The principles of inclusion and respect are important to us and to our community, and we require that all our users abide by this policy. If you do not agree to comply with the policy, you won’t be able to host or travel using Airbnb. If necessary, you can learn how to cancel your account.