Eurovision 2023: Airbnb host tried to increase rent from £465 to over £2,000
BBC News April 9, 2023 –Airbnb hosts in Liverpool are being warned not to try to hike prices on stays already booked ahead of the Eurovision Song Contest.
Roy Henry said his host tried to raise the price from £465 to £2,046 when they realised his stay was for the event.
Airbnb said it had “zero tolerance for this behaviour” and was taking action to stop hosts cancelling bookings and relisting at a higher price.
Liverpool is expecting an extra 150,000 visitors during Eurovision.
All tickets have sold out for the two semis and grand final of the international music competition from 9 to 13 May.
With only 84 hotels in the city centre, Airbnb partnered with Visit Liverpool to encourage more people to list their properties to help cope with the massive influx of visitors.
‘An unpleasant experience’
After securing his tickets Mr Henry, who lives in London, booked an apartment in the city for five nights “for a steal” at £456. But a day later he received an email from the host who asked him to cancel the booking so the price could be amended to £2,046.
“It was unbelievable,” said Mr Henry. “If the host said, look, I made a genuine mistake, can I increase it by a small amount, say £50 a night, I would have been fine with that.
“But my mortgage in London is less a month than what people are being expected to pay for a few days.”
