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Airbnb

Airbnb leaves highly rated UK hosts baffled after delisting them

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By Tony Connelly, Sports Marketing Reporter

February 15, 2016 | 2 min read

Airbnb has delisted a number of its highly rated UK hosts without any explanation.

The accommodation website has reportedly told many UK hosts that their property would be delisted and that they would be unable to appeal.

There are around 52,000 UK-based hosts and while it is unclear how many have been affected by the cull the BBC has reported that it could be in the hundreds.

One user named William Perraudin who had had has London property pulled from the service received an email from Airbnb which said the “determination was not made due to a single attribute, but an overall combination of various criteria."

When questioned about move Airbnb told the BBC: “We routinely carry out initiatives for quality purposes and adherence to this mission.

"This is not unusual or unique. It's routine activity that happens around the world.”

Perraudin however appeared baffled by the move which he summed up as “insulting".

He told the BBC that he had provided a good experience over the years with fresh flowers and breakfast for his guests which culminated in “uniformly positive reviews over three years."

Paul Maher from Positive Marketing has speculated that the property removals could be Airbnb preparing for new regulatory restrictions which would begin enforcing taxes similar to those payable by hotels and guesthouses.

The company’s worth is currently estimated to be around $25bn, leading to speculation that it could soon be listed on the stock market. It also recently partnered with Disney’s ‘Jungle Book’ and Bear Grylls to launch its first promotional campaign.

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