I Was Unfairly Charged €1300 on Airbnb for Damages I Didn’t Cause in a Rome Apartment

We rented an apartment in Rome via Airbnb for our vacation — the property is listed under L** in Albernode**, hosted by A*******. Unfortunately, we were manipulated and taken advantage of by the host, just like another guest who stayed a week before us. That guest was also forced to pay for damages (a curtain and a chair) they didn’t cause — something I only discovered after the trip by reading their review.

We stayed in the home as a group of eight people, and followed all the instructions. On the day specified, we didn’t use the bathroom at all, and upon leaving, we checked the entire place thoroughly. Yet the host later claimed that water had overflowed in the bathroom, causing damage to the floor and the unit below, and even admitted to entering the property without our permission to perform "repairs" — an act that is both unlawful and invasive.

When I returned to the apartment that day and took photos, it was clear the bathroom had not flooded at all. There was still visible dust on the floors and around the edges, meaning no cleaning or flooding had occurred. I asked the host to provide a video of the incident — he ignored us for an entire week and only submitted photos after we left the country, showing minor water near a toilet and a few vague images of the floor. There were no photos showing our personal belongings or the supposed damage we allegedly caused.

Worse, he falsely claimed we damaged a curtain and chair — the same items he charged the previous guest for. One of the chairs was already broken when we arrived, but since we didn’t need it, we didn’t make a big deal out of it. Now, he’s accusing us of the exact same damage, and Airbnb is backing his €1300 compensation request — even after I submitted clear photos and a move-out video showing everything was left in good condition.

I am deeply disappointed in Airbnb for allowing this to happen. It’s clear this host is recycling damage claims and targeting guests with false accusations to extract money. Airbnb’s system favors the host in these cases, and their trust and safety measures are failing. The platform is supposed to protect both guests and hosts — but in this situation, we were punished for something we did not do.

I urge Airbnb to reject this fraudulent claim, refund any amounts that were withdrawn, and take action against the host for repeated abuse of the compensation process. No traveler should have to go through this, and I’m sharing every detail to make sure others don’t fall into the same trap. I have uploaded all evidence, including comparison photos and videos — Airbnb must do the right thing.