Gay Airbnb: how to find an LGBTQ+-friendly stay, and the alternatives
There's no official "gay Airbnb". Airbnb doesn't let hosts turn you away for being LGBTQ+, but you can't search it for LGBTQ+ hosts, so you're trusting the rules rather than choosing who you stay with. If you'd rather choose, use a site built for it: misterb&b is the best-known, and on Among Our People you can stay in an LGBTQ+ host's own home.
If you've ever stood at a stranger's front door with a partner and wondered, for a second, how the next minute would go, you'll know why people ask about this. It's fair to want to know before you book, especially if you'll be sharing someone's home rather than renting a whole flat. Below is what Airbnb promises and how to read a listing, then the other places to look.
What Airbnb promises LGBTQ+ guests
Airbnb's non-discrimination policy, last updated on 24 March 2026, says hosts can't decline, cancel or treat a guest differently because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. That includes refusing someone because the host disagrees with their gender identity, and it covers language too, such as slurs or misgendering (Airbnb Help Center).
There's one exception worth knowing. A host who shares common spaces with guests, such as a bathroom or a kitchen, can choose to welcome only guests of their own gender. Where local law requires something different, hosts don't have to break it.
If a host does discriminate, you can report it through Airbnb's help centre and Airbnb says it will investigate. Under what it calls its Open Doors policy, it also offers help finding somewhere else to stay.
A policy tells you what's allowed. It doesn't tell you whether the person whose spare room you're in will be glad to see you, and there's no filter on Airbnb for that.
How to find an LGBTQ+-friendly host on Airbnb
You can still tilt the odds. None of these is a guarantee, but together they tell you a lot.
Read the host's profile, not just the photos. Hosts often mention a partner, their neighbourhood or the local scene. A host who writes about the gay village round the corner is telling you something.
Search the reviews. Look for other same-sex couples, or guests who mention feeling welcome. Read the dates as well as the stars.
Ask a plain question before you book. "We're two women travelling together. Is the double bed in the main room fine for us?" A warm, quick answer is a good sign. Silence or a sudden change of plan is also an answer.
Book a whole place if you're unsure. If there's no host on site, the question matters less. You lose the local knowledge, but you gain peace of mind.
Keep everything on Airbnb. Messages and payment on the platform mean there's a record if you need to report something.
Gay Airbnb alternatives
misterb&b. The best-known, often called the gay Airbnb, with rooms, apartments and hotels from LGBTQ+ hosts and allies. You can choose an LGBTQ+ host, but check the final total before you pay. We've looked at its fees, safety and guest reviews in detail in our misterb&b (misterbnb) review.
ebab. A Berlin-based site offering rooms in private homes for gay and lesbian travellers since 1996 (ebab). Small and simple, without many of the extras the bigger sites have.
Gaybnb Travel. A newer site describing itself as built by gay people for gay travellers, with hotels and "Gaybnbs", plus a travel-buddy feature. It says it has more than 8,000 hotels and B&Bs (Gaybnb Travel), and hosts must verify their identity with a photo ID and a selfie before their listing goes live (Gaybnb Travel host guide). The 8,000 figure is its own, and we haven't been able to check it.
Gay Sejour. A French guide running since 2001, listing gay and gay-friendly B&Bs, guesthouses, holiday rentals and hotels, mostly in France but also across Europe and further afield (Gay Sejour). It's a guide first, so check on each listing how you book.
Booking.com Travel Proud. Not a separate site but a filter on Booking.com. Properties earn the rainbow suitcase badge after at least one member of staff completes a free 90-minute inclusive hospitality course, and Booking.com says there are more than 150,000 of them in 163 countries (Booking.com). It tells you the staff have had some training, not who owns the place.
Stay with a local on Among Our People. Our own. Hosts list on a platform made for LGBTQ+ people and you stay in their home, with breakfast if they offer it. Each listing says who the host would love to welcome. We check each new listing before it goes live, and hosts who pass an ID and selfie check carry a verified badge. You pay your host and we take no commission. We're new, so look up the city you're going to and see who's there (Stay with a local).
Names you'll see in older articles
Gay travel sites come and go, so check before you rely on an old recommendation. When we looked on 5 November 2026, Purple Roofs, a directory that ran from 1998, had a notice on its home page from its owners saying they've decided to shut it down, signed off "RIP 9/28/26" (Purple Roofs). FabStayz, which some articles still list as a gay Airbnb alternative, no longer leads to a booking site at its old address.
A whole flat or a room in someone's home?
This is the bigger choice, more than which website you use. A whole apartment gives you privacy and your own kitchen. A room in a host's home can cost less, and you get someone who can tell you where they'd actually eat on a Friday night. If you've never done it, our guide to what a homestay is explains how it works and what to expect.
Questions people ask
Is there a gay version of Airbnb? Not an official one. misterb&b is the site most people mean when they say "gay Airbnb". Others include ebab, Gay Sejour and Stay with a local on Among Our People.
Can an Airbnb host refuse me because I'm gay? Not under Airbnb's rules. Its non-discrimination policy bans hosts from declining or treating guests differently because of sexual orientation. You can report it, and Airbnb offers help rebooking.
Can an Airbnb host refuse a trans guest? Airbnb's policy bans refusing a guest because of their gender identity, including because the host disagrees with it. A host who shares a bathroom or kitchen can limit their home to guests of their own gender.
Is misterb&b better than Airbnb? It depends on what you want. Airbnb generally offers a broader range of places; misterb&b lets you choose an LGBTQ+ host. Our misterb&b review compares them in more detail.
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General information. Policies and sites change, so check them on each company's own website before you book.