Eurovision 2023: Airbnb host tried to increase rent from £465 to over £2,000

Airbnb hosts successful Liverpool are being warned not to effort to hike prices connected stays already booked up of the Eurovision Song Contest.

Roy Henry said his big tried to rise the terms from £465 to £2,046 erstwhile they realised his enactment was for the event.

Airbnb said it had "zero tolerance for this behaviour" and was taking enactment to halt hosts cancelling bookings and relisting astatine a higher price.

Liverpool is expecting an other 150,000 visitors during Eurovision.

All tickets person sold retired for the 2 semis and expansive last of the planetary euphony contention from 9 to 13 May.

With lone 84 hotels successful the metropolis centre, Airbnb partnered with Visit Liverpool to promote much radical to database their properties to assistance header with the monolithic influx of visitors.

But some organisations said they were acrophobic astir "price gouging", wherever prices are accrued to levels overmuch higher than what is considered tenable oregon fair.

After securing his tickets Mr Henry, who lives successful London, booked an flat successful the metropolis for 5 nights "for a steal" astatine £456.

But a time aboriginal helium received an email from the big who asked him to cancel the booking truthful the terms could beryllium amended to £2,046.

"It was unbelievable," said Mr Henry. "If the big said, look, I made a genuine mistake, tin I summation it by a tiny amount, accidental £50 a night, I would person been good with that.

"But my owe successful London is little a period than what radical are being expected to wage for a fewer days."

Airbnb has since allowed Mr Henry to cancel his enactment and is helping him to screen the costs of uncovering alternate accommodation. Airbnb said his big is not allowed to relist the spot for Eurovision.

In a connection it said: "We instrumentality a scope of actions to deter big cancellations, including applying fees, penalties and blocking Hosts from accepting a caller booking for the aforesaid dates.

"The mean terms per nighttime of a booked enactment during Eurovision is £260, providing affordable accommodation for guests and helping section families boost their income."

Airbnb said it had seen an summation successful radical listing their properties since Liverpool was announced arsenic the Eurovision big metropolis due to the fact that it would beryllium "an economical lifeline for galore battling rising surviving costs".

The metropolis is utilized to hosting ample events but Chris Brown, manager of Marketing Liverpool, said Eurovision was "probably the biggest, high-impact, high-profile lawsuit we've ever had".

"The country we person a occupation with is landlords and backstage bookings, we person nary quality to modulate them. Our proposal is: If it's expensive, don't bargain it," Mr Brown said.

But Simon Bennett, caput of the Eurovision Fan Club OGAE UK, said "everybody needs to instrumentality a heavy breath".

Hotel prices were stabilising astatine astir £200 to £300 per nighttime aft going "berserk" erstwhile Liverpool was archetypal announced arsenic the big metropolis and radical made precautionary bookings, helium said.

Many fans had simply booked accommodation elsewhere, successful adjacent Manchester, Warrington oregon Southport and would thrust oregon instrumentality nationalist transport, the 59-year-old added.

"Prices are starting to settee due to the fact that not everyone got tickets," helium said.

Delegates from the participating countries, broadcasting media and associated organisations are each present accommodated and metropolis hotels are releasing immoderate remaining availability, but weekends are sold out.

Vacation rental information analytics institution AirDNA said the median complaint for disposable properties for the nighttime of the last was astir £1,000. It said galore volition person to trim their rates arsenic the contention nears.

Booking.com is listing a two-bedroom flat successful the metropolis centre for the 5 days of the contention for £8,145. The pursuing week it is disposable for £2,218.

Other spot owners are advertizing connected societal media and accidental renting to the nationalist is simply a "new thing" for them.

Sara Roberts said she had lone ever fto retired her level to "family and friends for shot weekends" oregon the races astatine Aintree.

"How overmuch bash radical looking for accommodation deliberation is tenable to pay?" she asked. "Many radical person ne'er rented their homes before... let's each beryllium transparent from some sides."

Tom Jackson, who is besides letting retired his home, said: "I person nary thought what I should charge, truthful I conscionable enactment unfastened to offers."

Meanwhile, Mr Henry, who has been to different Eurovision contests successful Europe wherever his accommodation was overmuch cheaper, is inactive looking guardant to his clip successful Liverpool, wherever helium ends up staying.

"Eurovision whitethorn ne'er travel backmost to the UK again. I conscionable emotion it, I've got the bug," helium said.