ArcaMax

Tatsuyuki Morishita books a "quiet" Airbnb in Toronto, only to be jolted awake by noise every night. An Airbnb agent promises a refund if he moves out early, but once he hands back the keys, the company tries to close the case without a refund. Can he get Airbnb to honor its word?

Q: I booked an Airbnb rental in Toronto for a stay of more than two months. The listing description used the words "quiet" and "peaceful" five times, which was exactly what I needed for my stay. Unfortunately, the reality was anything but calm. Almost every night, recurring heavy-impact noise from the unit above would wake us up at 4 a.m.

I didn't just complain; I documented the disturbance with video and audio recordings. I shared these with the host multiple times, and while they acknowledged the ongoing noise, they couldn't stop it.

I also reported the issue to Airbnb within the required 72-hour window. An agent reviewed my evidence and confirmed that I was covered by Airbnb's AirCover guarantee. He gave me a written commitment for a full refund of 12 unused nights and a 30% refund for the 20 nights that we endured the noise. He even told me that he was "currently processing" the request.

Since we moved out, Airbnb reassigned the file to multiple agents who all contradicted each other. One agent denied our eligibility entirely. Another senior manager claimed that the host wasn't willing to alter the dates, despite the thread showing that the host had already approved the early checkout. The agent then tried to close the case without giving us a cent.

I just want Airbnb to honor the written commitment that its agent made. Can you help me get them to pay what they promised? -- Tatsuyuki Morishita, in Ontario, Canada

A: Airbnb should've stuck to its word. When an agent confirms AirCover eligibility and provides a specific refund amount in writing, this is a contract. You relied on this commitment when you packed your bags and left. For the company to play "hot potato" with your case afterward is unacceptable.

AirCover is supposed to protect guests when a listing isn't what was advertised. Since "quiet" was a central feature of the description, the early-morning noise brigade was a clear violation.

You documented the noise, notified the host, and got a promise from support before you left the premises. Good job! Many travelers make the mistake of leaving first and asking for money later, but you had the "green light" in writing. When a company goes silent or starts walking back on a promise, you should appeal to an executive. I list the names and email addresses of Airbnb's leadership executives on my advocacy site, Elliott.org.

I contacted Airbnb on your behalf. Shortly afterward, a member of the senior support team called you. While you rightly insisted on keeping the conversation in writing, they followed up on the platform to apologize. Airbnb honored the original refund of $1,268 and even threw in a $250 coupon for the trouble.

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Christopher Elliott is the founder of Elliott Advocacy (elliottadvocacy.org), a nonprofit organization that helps consumers solve their problems. Email him at chris@elliott.org or get help by contacting him at elliottadvocacy.org/help/.

(c) 2026 Christopher Elliott

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