Founded in August 2008 in San Francisco, California, Airbnb was formed to give folks traveling in for the Industrial Design Conference held by the Industrial Designers Society of America a place to stay outside of the typical hotels booking experience. It allowed for anyone with a spare room or property to make some extra bucks offering temporary lodging solutions for tourists.

Now, the application serves 150 million users with over 6 million active listings worldwide, connecting guests with hosts all over the globe. Hosts usually fork over anywhere from 3%-15% of their booking subtotal to Airbnb, which includes the nightly rate, whatever cleaning fee the host associated with their property, and any other extra guest costs.

Although the application started off as what seemed like a low-cost alternative to hotels for guests looking for cute or charming living situations on their travels, a number of social media users have expressed that the application has become far too expensive, citing unrealistic host expectations of customers and excessive fees have made them cost just as much, if not more, than a traditional hotel.

Airbnb hosts explains that they have to wrangle drunk guest

‘Now that’s hospitality!’: Airbnb hosts have to wrangle drunk guest

'You’re such a good host most people would have just thrown them out.'

On May 17, 2023 by Tiffanie Drayton

Woman books 'scary airbnb' in Philadelphia to afford Taylor Swift Eras tour tickets

‘Ticketmaster is liable for this I swear to god’: Taylor Swift fans book ‘scary airbnb’ in Philadelphia to afford Eras tour tickets

'You have to cut expenses when you get floor seats for Taylor Swift.'

On May 15, 2023 by Maya Wray

hardware store counter with toilet seat with caption 'So we got an Uber to a small hardware store and bought some supplies' (l) toilet with damage with caption 'That time I put my curling iron on the toilet seat of our Airbnb' with Airbnb logo at top (c) man replacing toilet seat with caption 'Handy husbands installs new & upgraded toilet set so we don't get in trouble!' (r)

‘The way they probs would have charged $400 for that $20 lid’: Guest fixes toilet themselves after damaging it in Airbnb

'The host said it was better than before.'

On May 10, 2023 by Braden Bjella

Airbnb guest in dirty house with caption 'we supposed to check out in like 4 hours and this place is a blank mess' (l) Airbnb keys with house accessory on string in front of white wooden background (c) Airbnb guest speaking pointing left (r)

‘Doing chores on vacation is wild’: Airbnb guests get charged a cleaning fee of $850

'If you don't leave a vacation with substantial debt... did you even have fun?'

On Apr 27, 2023 by Stacy Fernandez

Airbnb host speaking with image of painting on wall with caption 'here's what our River House apartment Airbnb has always looked like' (l) room with different painting on wall with caption 'I have never seen this picture before in my life' with Airbnb logo at bottom c) Airbnb host speaking with caption 'I gotta say I was a little creeped out' (r)

‘I have never seen this picture before in my life’: Airbnb host says artwork was swapped by a guest

'The weirdest thing a guest has ever done.'

On Apr 19, 2023 by Stacy Fernandez

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‘There’s no ceiling’: Guest shares ‘nightmare’ Airbnb booking in unfinished house. It’s fake (updated)

'Chandeliers with no ceiling is CRAZY.'

On Apr 17, 2023 by Tiffanie Drayton

Airbnb guest running outside at pool with caption 'when the airbnb asks if there's still only 6 people at your reservation' (l) Airbnb guests running outside at pool with caption 'when the airbnb asks if there's still only 6 people at your reservation' with Airbnb logo at bottom (c) Airbnb guests running outside at pool with caption 'when the airbnb asks if there's still only 6 people at your reservation' (r)

‘And then people wonder why they charge so many fees’: Guest books Airbnb for 6 people—14 people show up instead

'This is why I don't host anymore. Guests should be more honest.'

On Apr 1, 2023 by Charlotte Colombo

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‘What I never have to buy as an Airbnb cleaner’: Airbnb cleaner shares all the food she gets for free

'The place we stayed at said we would be charged if we left any food.'

On Mar 31, 2023 by Braden Bjella

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‘Mr. Tyler, born in May 1996’: Customer finds out Airbnb is fake, finds out everything she knows about the ‘host’ to expose him over phone

'I would’ve showed up at his parents house.'

On Mar 31, 2023 by Braden Bjella

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‘I still will be out $600’: Customer slams Airbnb’s insurance Aircover for paltry effort at reimbursing her for canceled stay

'Has Airbnb just completely gone off the rails?'

On Mar 29, 2023 by Phil West

hand pointing to sign on door that reads 'Employees Only' (l) cleaning supplies unorganized in closet with Airbnb logo at bottom with caption 'I'm so mad!!! Freaking AirBnB people got in locked AirBnB closet. They found a key. I normally hide the key pretty well, and they found it.' (c) Persil laundry soap with very little inside container over washing machine (r)

‘I guess they got their money’s worth for the cleaning fee’: Airbnb cleaner complains that guests broke into the cleaning closet—it backfires

'You have to admit, some of the cleaning fees are ridiculous.'

On Mar 24, 2023 by Vladimir Supica

Airbnb guest flushing toilet with caption 'When it turns out the Airbnb you booked is just the upstairs bedroom in someone's house' (l) hand holding Airbnb logo keys in front of light wood background (c) Airbnb guest closing door with caption 'When it turns out the Airbnb you booked is just the upstairs bedroom in someone's house' (r)

‘The stress levels to keep quiet are HIGH’: Airbnb guests find out they booked the upstairs bedroom in someone’s house

'I booked an Airbnb that literally lied about having the whole place to myself.'

On Mar 22, 2023 by Phil West

Airbnb customer speaking with caption 'A few weeks ago, I stayed in a beach house rental with a bunch of other creators' (l) Airbnb customer speaking with caption 'After our first night there, we all woke up with sore throats and foggy heads and chalked it up to the fact that the weather was less than perfect' with Airbnb logo at top left (c) Airbnb customer speaking with caption 'The water heater had been leaking for what he estimated to be at least 3 months and mold had grown EVERYWHERE around it and through the walls' (r)

‘We got sick almost immediately’: Content creator says Airbnb he stayed at had mold, causing his friend to be hospitalized

'I’ve gone back to hotels. Way too many problems with AirBnb.'

On Mar 5, 2023 by Brooke Sjoberg

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‘Those pictures had to be from 10 years ago’: Customer shares Airbnb experience that led her to delete the app

'I deleted that app after the first booking.'

On Feb 28, 2023 by Brooke Sjoberg

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‘This is why I stay in hotels’: Man calls out Airbnb hosts who charge cleaning fees but still expect the guests to do the cleaning

'I’m not going on vacation to clean and pay to clean.'

On Feb 27, 2023 by Melody Heald