Staying safe: how to check a host and avoid rental scams

The scams to know about

Paying outside the platform. A host offers a discount if you pay them directly, or says the site's payment system "isn't working". Airbnb, for example, says that paying off the platform means you lose its AirCover protection and puts you at greater risk of fraud, and that a reservation paid by wire or bank transfer may be fraudulent (Airbnb Help Center).

Fake listings. Real photos copied from another property, a low price and a host who's keen to move fast. The place doesn't exist, or isn't theirs.

Look-alike messages. An email or text that looks like it's from the booking site, with a link to "confirm" your booking or payment. Airbnb's own help centre warns about look-alike addresses and messages that pressure you to act at once, and suggests going to the site or app yourself rather than through a link (Airbnb Help Center).

The switch on arrival. You turn up and the room isn't the one you booked, and you're offered something worse.

How to check a listing is real

Run the main photos through a reverse image search. Hosts sometimes advertise the same place on several sites, so a match isn't proof of a scam. But if the photos turn up under a different name or in another city, ask the host about it, and don't book until you're satisfied.

Read the reviews, not just the stars. Real reviews mention small specifics, like the noisy tram or the good coffee, and they're spread over time.

Check the map and the photos match: the view from the window, the street, the neighbourhood.

Be wary of a price far below similar places nearby.

Book through the listing's own page on the site, never through a link someone sends you.

How to check a host

Look at how long they've been on the site and what other guests say about them, especially guests like you. If the platform offers ID checks, see whether the host has done one, while remembering that a verified ID tells you who someone is, not how they'll behave. Then ask a question or two before you book. A real host answers specifically, about the room, the house rules or how you'll get in. For a longer stay, a short video call is reasonable to ask for.

If you're LGBTQ+ and you'll be sharing someone's home, it's also fair to ask how they feel about having you. Our guide to gay Airbnb has a few ways to ask without making it awkward.

When you arrive

Send the address and the host's name to someone you trust.

Know how you'd leave and where you'd go if you needed to, especially late at night.

If the place or the person isn't what you were told, you don't have to stay. Leave, then contact the booking site straight away.

In an emergency, call the local emergency number first.

Before you go, check the local law and the area, not just the country. Our guide for lesbian couples and women travelling alone explains where to find official travel advice.

What the booking sites do

Airbnb offers AirCover on bookings made and paid through the platform, and asks you to report any request to pay off the site (Airbnb Help Center).

misterb&b says it uses reviews, verified profiles, secure messaging and a trust and safety team, and you can report a host with the flag icon (misterb&b Help Center). Our misterb&b (misterbnb) review looks at what guests say about it.

Among Our People checks every new listing as it comes in, and holds back any that push people to talk or pay outside the site. Phone numbers, email addresses and web links are blocked in listings and profiles, every listing, profile and chat has a Report option, and you can block anyone. Members can verify their identity with a photo ID and a selfie and get a Verified badge. There's more on our How we look out for you page.

If something goes wrong

If you've just paid money you shouldn't have, or shared card or bank details, contact your bank or payment provider first, straight away, using the number on your card or in your banking app.

Contact the booking site through its own app or website.

Report it. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, that's Report Fraud, which replaced Action Fraud in December 2025 (0300 123 2040); in Scotland, call Police Scotland on 101 (Report Fraud). In the UK, 159 is a safe way to reach most banks if you're unsure a call is genuine (Bank of England). In the US, you can report fraud to the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov; it collects reports rather than recovering money, so call your bank first.

Questions people ask

Is misterb&b safe? It uses reviews, verified profiles and secure messaging, and you can report hosts. As with any site, check the host and keep payment on the platform. Our misterb&b review goes into more detail.

Can I pay a host directly to save money? Paying outside the booking platform is a common warning sign of a scam. On most sites you also lose your protection if you do, so keep payment on the site.

How do I know if an email from a booking site is real? Don't click links in the message. Open the app or type the site's address yourself, and check whether the booking or message appears in your account.

What should I do if a host asks for a bank transfer? Don't send it. Report the request to the booking site.