How To Ensure Your Airbnb Stay Is Safe In Colorado
Airbnb provides a marketplace for owners and managers of private vacation properties to find paying guests. However, it also exposes customers to a range of dangers, from scams to slip-and-fall accidents. The following Airbnb safety tips can eliminate some risks, and improve your legal position if something goes wrong.
Check The Reviews And Ratings: What To Look For And What To Avoid
Airbnb is largely a community-verified system. In other words, the company relies primarily on user reviews to verify that listings are real and accurate. Before you book, check the ratings, and read both the positive and negative reviews. A listing with no reviews, or a small number of reviews might be suspicious.
Also, guests are more likely to leave a review after a negative experience. Listings with no negative comments might be too good to be true.
Airbnb has rolled out a listing verification system in the U.S., Canada, U.K., Australia, and France. This system requires the host to verify the location of the listing using GPS, and take photos of the inside of the property. Although the system will reduce the risk of fake listings, a dedicated scammer may still find ways to beat it. Thus, you should still read the ratings and reviews carefully before booking.
Verify The Host’s Identity: Protect Yourself Before You Book
Airbnb requires hosts to verify their identities before posting a listing by submitting a scan of a government identification. Outside of the U.S., the company may also ask for additional information from businesses that host Airbnb rentals. However, these steps are generally not required for listings in Colorado.
You can take additional steps to verify a host’s identity. You can send the host a message on the Airbnb platform to discuss the rental, and use that opportunity to verify that the host is real and matches the person or business that posted the listing.
Always Use Airbnb’s Secure Payment System
You should never pay an Airbnb host outside of the site’s payment system. The system has a built-in delay designed to protect guests from scam listings. The host receives payment from Airbnb roughly 24 hours after check-in, so the guest has time to dispute the charge due to false listings. Thus, any host who asks to be paid outside of the system will deprive you of the right to dispute the charges.
Double-Check The Listing: Spotting Fraudulent Listings
There are several red flags to look for when searching listings for your next stay. Try to stick with verified listings. Airbnb requires hosts to take additional steps to verify listings before giving them the “verified listing” badge. This process can help you avoid scam listings.
Check the address on a mapping app to verify that the address is real. Additionally, applications, like Google Maps, include street views that show the buildings at the address. Make sure the building on the mapping app matches the photos in the listing.
Once you book a stay, some red flags that might suggest a scam include the following:
- Requesting additional money, such as unlisted security deposits or fees
- Asking to communicate off the Airbnb platform
- Trying to switch you to a different location
If you encounter any of these situations, consider canceling your stay, and booking elsewhere.
Know Your Rights: Local Regulations For Airbnb Stays In Colorado
Colorado does not regulate Airbnb rentals at the state level. Instead, individual communities and homeowners associations are allowed to pass ordinances and rules to regulate them.
For short stays, it might not be worthwhile to delve deeply into local regulations. However, for longer or more expensive stays, consider reading about local short-term rental laws, and verifying that the host has complied with them. Although the city might not evict you for a host’s violation, it could commence an enforcement action against the host, and force them to evict you.
Additionally, you should know that Colorado law protects your rights in two other areas. First, consumer protection laws may apply if the listing is fake, or the property does not reasonably meet the description. Second, premises liability law sets the requirements for the safety of Airbnb rentals and the liability of hosts for guest injuries.
Safety First: Emergency Protocols And Legal Protections
Colorado premises liability laws require hosts to reasonably protect guest safety. Specifically, they are liable for any hazardous conditions they know or should know about. In other words, hosts must fix or warn about hazards they know about and reasonably search for hazards that guests may encounter.
When an emergency happens, focus first on safety. Call 911 if you require immediate assistance for fires or medical emergencies. Once everyone is safe, contact the host to report the problem, and document the accident.
Communicate Clearly With Your Host: Legal And Safety Considerations
Your communications with the host can prevent issues from arising. They can also provide valuable evidence if you need to pursue legal remedies. Try to use the Airbnb platform for your communications before your stay to document your discussions. If you run into any problems, call the host for any urgent safety issues, and follow up with a text message or email to preserve what you talked about.
When To Contact Airbnb Support Or A Lawyer
Airbnb support can help with payment issues. For example, if you cannot find the rental, and believe the listing is fake, the company can contact the host and if that fails, refund your money.
Airbnb also provides liability insurance for hosts who choose not to opt out of the coverage. If you suffer an injury during a stay due to a hazardous condition on the premises, you can file an insurance claim. However, while Airbnb support can tell you how to file a claim, you may choose to hire a Colorado premises liability lawyer to advise and represent you in your claim.
Trust Your Instincts: Knowing When To Walk Away
If a listing seems too good to be true, it may be. If you cannot satisfy yourself that a listing is genuine, be willing to walk away. Scammers are highly sophisticated and will use techniques that guarantee any money you pay for a stay disappears forever if you fall into their traps.
Staying Safe And Legally Protected During Your Airbnb Stay In Colorado
Airbnb hosts have legal obligations to meet their hosting responsibilities. However, scams and injuries still happen. When you suffer an injury or other losses on someone else’s property, the personal injury attorneys at Bachus & Schanker can assist you.
