Arbitrating with Airbnb

Take Legal Action

Airbnb might have a clause in their contract that stops you from filing a full lawsuit against them. But there are still options. Aside from pressing a claim in small claims court, you can pursue arbitration against Airbnb if you have a serious grievance.

You can pursue arbitration over the phone or through emails by speaking with a neutral third-party who arbitrates the disagreement between you and Airbnb. Or you can use a claim processing service like FairShake; we’re here to make things simpler and easier for you.

Here’s how you can start the binding arbitration process in a dispute with Airbnb.

Step 1: Get Your Information Together and Describe Your Claim

Firstly, take some time to get all your relevant information together and ensure that you can describe your claim clearly and concisely. Basically, make sure you understand the story you’ll tell to the arbitrating organization so that Airbnb doesn’t have a leg to stand on when they tell their side of the story.

Furthermore, you need to write this down as clearly as possible since the Airbnb contract requires you to send them a description of the claim before you file for binding arbitration. This gives Airbnb a chance to handle things outside of the arbitration process (though they will likely ignore it if things have already gotten this bad).

You can do this using the “Contact” page of the Airbnb website.

Step 2: Download the AAA Form

The Airbnb contract states that all arbitration will be carried out by the American Arbitration Association, or AAA. This organization is a neutral party that will appoint a third party arbitrator for your dispute. They can leverage a binding agreement for both parties. The AAA form you need to fill out for the claim can be downloaded here.

Be sure to enter all your information correctly and enter the contact information for Airbnb, which is:

888 Brannan St.

Floor 4

San Francisco, CA 94117

Step 3: Calculate Your Fee

Next, calculate how much money you’ll need to pay to start the arbitration process. Airbnb will not pay this for you. You can find how much you’ll need to pay by looking at the AAA filing fee document here.

Step 4: Download Your Airbnb Contract

Now you need to download your actual Airbnb contract. This is to provide the AAA so they can see the arbitration clause for themselves. You can find your Airbnb contract right here. Download a copy and title it something relevant like, “Airbnb Customer Agreement and Arbitration Clause”.

Step 5: Upload All Documents to the AAA Website

Now you need to file your claim with the AAA in full. Go to their website – www.adr.org/FileOnline – where you’ll find a “Fast File” option that will allow you to provide all the relevant documents quickly and easily.

Enter all your contact information and specify that you are demanding arbitration with Airbnb. You can use the box at the bottom of the page and upload the Demand that you filled out in step two of this process. Also upload the Airbnb contract that you downloaded in step four.

Step 6: Send Airbnb a Copy of Your Filed Demand

The AAA will send you a confirmation email that includes all the information you submitted. You must print this email and send a hard copy to Airbnb at their mailing address:

888 Brannan St.

Floor 4

San Francisco, CA 94117

Note that the email might take a few days to arrive.

Step 7: Wait for Instructions from the AAA

At this point, all you need to do is wait for further instructions from the AAA. A case administrator will be appointed and the AAA will contact both you and Airbnb via email. They will arrange an arbitration hearing and will ensure that you sent all the required documents in a timely manner. The overall arbitration process will likely take several months from start to finish.