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
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Quebec police hand out hundreds of tickets to Hells Angels and other bikers before 'first run' meeting
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
Feds hope to table foreign interference legislation next week: LeBlanc
Democratic Institutions Minister Dominic LeBlanc says he plans to table legislation this week to help the federal government address foreign interference, but he wouldn't say whether the proposal will include a foreign agent registry.
Auston Matthews skates ahead of Game 7, status unclear with season on the line
Auston Matthews was back on the ice with his teammates Saturday.
Snakes almost on a plane: U.S. TSA discovers a bag with small snakes in passenger's pants
According to an X post by the Transportation Security Administration, officers at the Miami International Airport found the small bag of snakes hidden in a passenger's trousers on April 26 at a checkpoint.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.
Work stoppage possible as WestJet issues lockout notice to maintenance engineers' union
A lockout notice issued by WestJet to a union representing aircraft maintenance engineers could result in a work stoppage next week.