Implications of background checks

Learn about how the background checks we perform on US-based users and India-based hosts can impact your account.

Booking delays

Background checks in the US and India may limit users’ reservations, including delaying trips booked within 48 hours of the latest possible check-in time. If a booking is affected, we will let the host and guest know and provide information about their options.

Removal

Removal depends on the severity of the criminal history:

• Lesser crimes like petty theft are not removable offenses.
• Other crimes may result in further review, removal, or ineligibility for some time after the offense if it happened within a certain period. These include crimes like felony burglary and fraud. Cases such as murder, terrorism, rape, or child molestation generally result in permanent removal.

Appeals

If your account is removed because of a criminal record, and you’d like to appeal it, you can appeal by challenging the accuracy of the criminal report, or by providing us with more context about the criminal offense and evidence of your rehabilitation after your conviction.

We appreciate that there are many factors that could lead someone to have a criminal record. That’s why we have a process to assess whether someone can be reinstated after removal, even if their criminal record would otherwise make them ineligible.

We consider a wide variety of factors such as the number of prior convictions a user has, the amount of time that has elapsed since a conviction, and documented evidence of rehabilitation. Evidence of rehabilitation can include, but is not limited to, participation in rehabilitation or other re-entry programs; sustained employment or sources of income; educational pursuits, including certificate or vocational programs; community service; and letters of recommendation.

There are, however, some offenses that render an individual ineligible for reinstatement. Offenses that generally render someone ineligible to use Airbnb include:

• Sexual violence and exploitation
• Human trafficking
• Hate crimes
• Terrorism

If you receive a removal notice, and you’d like to appeal it, there are three ways to go about it:

1. You can respond to it directly
2. You can submit an appeal via the link that appears when you try to log in
3. Or, simply contact customer service

Our team of specialists will then review and assess your eligibility for reinstatement.