Airbnb promises its users the ability to “belong anywhere” with its room-sharing service; but, according to a growing number of users, the service has a widespread racial discrimination problem that prevents some from booking accommodation at all.
Last week, NPR encouraged users to use the hashtag #AirbnbWhileBlack on Twitter to report incidents of alleged discrimination from Airbnb hosts.
As of Tuesday, the hashtag was still being used widely as hundreds of black users alleged they had been turned down for multiple booking requests because of the colour of their skin.
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While most of the reports do not include the use of racial slurs, or outright rejection due to the person’s race, many users alleged their white friends had an easier time booking properties through the service.
“Everyone in Miami denied my messages #AirbnbWhileBlack then my friend who appears to be white sent the same requests and we finally booked,” tweeted one user.
In an interview with Global News, a Toronto-area Airbnb user said she has been subject to the same type of racial discrimination while trying to book accommodation in the U.S. and even at home in Toronto.
The user – who asked not to be named for privacy reasons – said she had three negative experiences using the app.
“I was told the dates selected were not available. This was not indicated in the host’s calendar. When I pointed out his failure to change his calendar, I did not receive a response. The only time I received an approval on a booking request was from an African-American man based in Dallas,” the user said.
“I gave up on Airbnb after the rejected requests. I haven’t used the app since. To be flat out rejected and offered pitiful excuses is simply unacceptable.”
These online allegations are just the beginning. A recent Harvard study, titled “Racial Discrimination in the Sharing Economy,” conducted an experiment to see if Airbnb hosts discriminated based on names alone.
Researchers sent over 6,000 requests to real Airbnb properties in five major American cities using accounts with the exact same guest information, except for names. Ten of the accounts used “distinctively African-American names” and the other 10 “distinctively white names.”
The report found requests from guests with African-American names were 16 per cent less likely to be accepted than guests with white names.
Incidents of discrimination aren’t just limited to black Airbnb users – one user chimed in on the #AirbnbWhileBlack conversation, alleging she had a hard time booking a rental under her Indian name.
Gay Airbnb users say they have also faced discrimination on the site.
In April 2015, Airbnb removed a Texas bed and breakfast from its listings after the owner kicked out a gay couple. The couple later discovered the listing was labelled as “straight friendly.”
Airbnb does have a strict anti-discrimination policy that states “fair housing laws often prohibit discrimination in the selling or renting of such housing based on race, national origin, religion, sex, familial status or disability.”
The service also bans content that promotes discrimination of any kind.
In a statement to Global News, Airbnb’s head of diversity and belonging, David King, reiterated the company’s stance on discrimination and said the company is taking steps to address concerns of widespread discrimination.
“We are committed to making Airbnb one of the most open, trusted, diverse, and transparent communities in the world. We recognize that bias and discrimination present significant challenges, and we are taking steps to address them,” said King.
“We welcome the opportunity to work with anyone that can help us reduce potential discrimination in the Airbnb community.”
What should you do if you feel you are experiencing discrimination on Airbnb?
According to a spokesperson for the Canadian Human Rights Commission, the hospitality industry falls under provincial jurisdiction – that means any complaints should be placed with the appropriate provincial human rights commission, based on where the rental property is located.
Airbnb users can also flag a renter’s profile, listing, or messages to report anything suspicious to Airbnb – however, according to the company’s support page, this feature is in place to report “suspicious or inappropriate activity.”
Airbnb did not comment on whether users will be helped or refunded if they turn up at a property rental and are turned away, or feel they are treated unfairly.