Ontario family travelling to Italy has Airbnb account frozen a week before trip
As summer travelling ramps up, many are finding a place to stay using short-term rental carriers like Airbnb.
While most bookings go off without a hitch, what can you do if the host cancels your reservation at the last minute?
"We've been using Airbnb for years and years and this is the first time something like this has ever happened,” Lidya Malekov, of East Gwillimbury, Ont., told CTV News Toronto.
- Download our app to get local alerts to your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
Lidiya and her husband, Anton Malekov booked a trip to go to Italy for a full month with their baby, Maya Ellie. They planned to stay at one location for the entirety of the trip.
About a week and a half before they were set to depart, they got a notice that their Airbnb account had been suspended.
"My account with Airbnb is locked so I can't even get into it to see who cancelled it and to see what happened," Malekov said.
When they contacted Airbnb, they said the company sent them a note that read,“after reviewing your account, it appears it was suspended in error. We’ve reactivated it so everything should be in working order and we apologize for any confusion.”
When the family was able to get back into their account, they said the host had become suspicious as to why their account was locked and gave their booking to someone else.
Now, the couple said they are scrambling to try and find a place to stay, reservations are now limited and prices at the last minute have more than doubled.
“We don't know what we are going to do. We don't know if we are going to be able to go or not,” Lidiya Malekov said.
“It is their fault because it was their system error and they have admitted it was an error on their site," Anton Malekov added.
CTV News Toronto reached out to Airbnb, who called the situation "unfortunate."
They agreed to help the couple find a new listing, stating, “the Canadian guests travelling to Italy have been successfully rebooked and they have been issued a full refund.”
The Malekov's were also given a voucher to pay the difference on a more expensive rental property. They are now enjoying their holiday in Italy and were pleased they were able to salvage their trip.
CTV News Toronto reached the family in Italy and they said in a statement, “We are happy to be here and we are enjoying ourselves and would recommend people come to Italy for a visit."
The couple said they're concerned their account was locked and they hope Airbnb reviews its practices to see why it happened.
On Airbnb’s website, its terms of service shows accounts can be deactivated for a number of reasons. If it happens to you, you'll need to contact the website right away.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Half of Canadians have negative opinion of latest Liberal budget: poll
A new poll suggests the Liberals have not won over voters with their latest budget, though there is broad support for their plan to build millions of homes.
Twins from Toronto were Canada's top two female finishers at this year's Boston Marathon
When identical twin sisters Kim and Michelle Krezonoski were invited to compete against some of the world’s most elite female runners at last week’s Boston Marathon, they were in disbelief.
opinion Why you should protect your investments by naming a trusted contact person
Appointing a trusted person to help with financial obligations can give you peace of mind. In his personal finance column for CTVNews.ca, Christopher Liew outlines the key benefits of naming a confidant to take over your financial responsibilities, if the need ever arises.
Ottawa injects another $36M into vaccine injury compensation fund
The federal government has added $36.4 million to a program designed to support people who have been seriously injured or killed by vaccines since the end of 2020.
Senate expenses climbed to $7.2 million in 2023, up nearly 30%
Senators in Canada claimed $7.2 million in expenses in 2023, a nearly 30 per cent increase over the previous year.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
NASA hears from Voyager 1, the most distant spacecraft from Earth, after months of quiet
NASA has finally heard back from Voyager 1 again in a way that makes sense. The most distant spacecraft from Earth hadn't sent home any understandable data since last November.
Australian police arrest 7 alleged teen extremists linked to stabbing of a bishop in a Sydney church
Australian police arrested seven teenagers accused of following a violent extremist ideology in raids across Sydney on Wednesday, as a judge extended a ban on social media platform X sharing video of a knife attack on a bishop that started the criminal investigation.