I applied to stay at an Airbnb property in Montego Bay, Jamaica. The host completely ignored my request, and did not respond in any way. Fair enough… although this behaviour is very disrespectful and rude in my opinion. Anyway, that’s not really my issue with Airbnb. I did not realise that even though the host ignores your request and you don’t actually fully book, the funds are restricted and frozen for whatever the amount is. In other words, even with no contact from the host after requesting to book their space, your money is being frozen until it is deemed suitable for release. This affects my ability to live whilst alone abroad… even though the money appears to be in my account. In other words, if a host decides to be inhospitable, or covertly racist they could ignore your request merely based on what you look like. What other reason could there be if the space is showing availability and your reviews are totally positive? It’s not rocket science. Be very careful not to request any booking unless you have more than sufficient funds in your account. This aspect needs to be revised ASAP.
A better idea is to book at a hotel, where you can see legitimate reviews on TripAdvisor and most likely book directly on line or through a service like Expedia, and not be subjected to the whims and quirks of amateur hosts and a greedy law breaking platform
There could be lots of legitimate reasons why a host cannot respond to a booking. If they do not respond, the reserved funds on your card will be released after 24 hours. But as many banks take several days to remove the reservation, it is a good idea to use a credit card or a prepaid card to pay for Airbnb reservations – the money won’t be removed from your bank account, as they would happen when using a debit card.