Locked out and charged $385 for getting into my Airbnb is that fair?

"Airbnb should have dismissed this claim immediately. Its Terms of Service says hosts aren't liable for issues beyond their control, so why not guests as well? When the locksmith attributed the problem to rain, Airbnb had all the evidence it needed to side with you. Your case raises an interesting question, which I seem to answer with some regularity: Who is Airbnb's customer, really? Are they on your side or on the host's side?"

"In your case, it appears Airbnb almost reflexively sided with the host. In fairness, I've had cases where the opposite happened. But generally, Airbnb favors the host in my experience and that's something guests don't really understand. They think they're the customers, but they aren't. You did everything right by documenting the issue with videos, texts, and timely communication. You were patient and allowed the process to work maybe a little too patient."

Guests staying at an Airbnb experienced a keypad lock malfunction during heavy rain that prevented full code entry. The host assumed guest error and summoned a locksmith hours later, while the locksmith concluded rain damage and provided a manual key. Airbnb later sought $385 from the guests for lock repairs despite video evidence and locksmith texts attributing the failure to weather. Airbnb sided with the host. The situation highlights potential bias toward hosts, the importance of timely escalation, and the effectiveness of documented evidence and contacting executive-level support to resolve disputes.

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