Criminal convictions and proceedings

The safety of the Airbnb community is a top priority. That’s why we may limit, suspend, or remove a user’s account when we receive information that the user has a criminal conviction or is the accused party in an ongoing criminal proceeding.

We can receive this information in four ways. We may:

• learn about an individual’s criminal convictions or proceedings from third parties (e.g., law enforcement entities) or Airbnb community members.
• work with third-party vendors to review publicly available information relating to criminal convictions or proceedings for US-based users.
• receive criminal background checks from third-party vendors on US-based users and India-based hosts.
• receive background checks from third-party vendors on users who apply to offer select types of services in Canada, Mexico, and the United Kingdom. (See here for more information.)

We do not run background checks on all users. When users are suspended or removed due to a serious criminal conviction or involvement in a serious criminal proceeding, we generally tell them why they were suspended or removed, what information was used to make the decision, and where the information came from.

We also recognize that the information we receive may not tell the whole story, and so we provide an appeals process for users who want to provide more information about the individual circumstances of a case. We also give an opportunity to users to appeal and challenge the accuracy of a report.

Users should use their own judgment when making and accepting reservations, as our efforts to check for connections to criminal activity have limitations.

The process we follow

When we learn about an individual’s criminal convictions or proceedings from Airbnb community members and other third parties such as law enforcement entities, we assess the reliability of the information and, as appropriate, take action in accordance with our policies.

For US-based users and India-based hosts, we follow the below steps to obtain information about users’ criminal convictions or involvement in ongoing proceedings:

1. We submit a user’s limited identifying information to an approved vendor.
2. The vendor checks the person’s identifying information against certain publicly available information, including court records and sex offender registries, to determine if the person has a criminal conviction or is a target of an ongoing criminal proceeding.
3. Airbnb reviews information provided by the vendor for reliability and accuracy and may take action on the account in accordance with our policies.

Account actions and appeals

We may restrict, suspend, or remove user accounts based on the information we receive. Removals may be permanent or for a period of time after the offense.

If you receive a suspension or removal notice because of a reported criminal record, you can appeal by challenging the accuracy of the report of criminal behavior or by providing us with more context about the criminal offense and evidence of rehabilitation.

We appreciate that there are many factors that could lead someone to have a criminal record. That’s why we make space for people to demonstrate rehabilitation, and we have a process in place to reinstate users on the basis of the information they provide. We consider a wide variety of factors, such as:

• The number of prior convictions a user has
• The amount of time that has elapsed since a conviction or release from incarceration (if applicable)
• Documented evidence of rehabilitation. This can include, but is not limited to:
  • Participation in re-entry programs
  • Sustained employment or sources of income
  • Educational pursuits, including certificate or vocational programs
  • Community service
  • Letters of recommendation

Limitations

Our efforts to check for user connections to criminal activity have limitations and don’t guarantee a person won’t break the law or behave in an unsafe manner in the future. So, while they may help identify past criminal conduct, please keep in mind:

• The information we receive may not be comprehensive.
• Local laws may limit the public records that are available for review, or the ability to access or use those records for background checks.
• There may be gaps in record searches due to the way certain sources are collected or maintained.
• Criminal data might only be updated periodically by local governments—which Airbnb doesn’t control or direct.

Given these limitations, you should continue to use your own judgment when making or accepting bookings on Airbnb and follow these sensible safety tips.

How we manage your data

Criminal records are handled according to our Privacy Policy. Only authorized Airbnb personnel and approved third-party service providers may access your information. We only keep your information for as long as it’s needed to support the original purposes for which it was collected, subject to any retention required for legal compliance purposes.