Homeowners warned of criminal tactic gaining momentum in South Africa
Homeowners are being warned that criminals are increasingly targeting short-term rentals amid the industry’s massive growth in South Africa.
Due to its popularity, Airbnb has become a notable platform for criminals looking for targets, with an increase in hosts reporting theft and fraudulent identities across social media.
The rise in criminal activity in the industry has sparked concerns about safety, accountability, and whether current systems are enough.
Speaking in an interview with 702, author of ‘South Africa Airbnb Playbook’, Lethabo Lee Ntshudisane, said that despite it being an important source of additional income for many South Africans, it has also exposed hosts to unexpected risks.
Ntshudisane noted that measuring the true scale of the problem is difficult. He explained that specific crimes specifically targeting short-term rentals are not formally tracked.
“There isn’t a category from the South African Police Service in terms of thefts from Airbnb properties, and even Airbnb itself hasn’t actually reported any numbers to the public,” he said.
Despite this lack of official data, he added that incidents are becoming more visible. “What we are seeing now is that there’s more social media coverage around this happening.”
While the platforms, such as Airbnb, offer some safeguards, Ntshudisane believes they are not sufficient on their own.
Although he acknowledged that Airbnb provides quite a number of vetting tools for hosts, he highlighted several warning signs hosts often overlook.
“Look for guests who don’t have a clear profile picture, who haven’t had their ID verified. Also, look at how long they’ve been on the platform, reviews from other hosts, and how complete their profiles are—these are potential red flags.”
Another growing issue is third-party bookings, where someone reserves a property on behalf of another person.
Ntshudisane warned that this can open the door to abuse. “From a host perspective, if people say I’m booking on behalf of a friend, it does raise some concerns,” he said.
Keep all interactions on the app
In some cases, those being booked for aren’t really close friends or family, and are actually people who are potentially there for malicious intent.”
He added that hosts face a constant tension between maximising income and protecting their properties. “You’re trying to balance getting revenue, but also protecting and safeguarding your property.”
Ntshudisane also stressed that guests face risks. Ntshudisane cautioned that allowing others to use your account could backfire.
“You can get banned, or you can get bad reviews from people using your account,” he said, which could actually limit your access to other Airbnbs, depending on how effectively hosts vet incoming bookings.
Ntshudisane added that if theft does occur, the options available to hosts are limited and often complicated.
Reporting to the South African Police Service is the number one recourse, but building a strong case can be difficult.
Without adequate security measures, such as external cameras or detailed inventory records, “it becomes very hard for you actually to have a case that stands.”
“If you don’t have a constant check or list of the inventory and even pictures, it’s very difficult to determine what was stolen and have proof.”
Although Airbnb offers a protection programme known as AirCover, Ntshudisane said it comes with strict requirements.
Hosts must still open a police case and provide clear evidence of losses. Additionally, all conversations need to be kept within the platform.
“What people who actually have malicious intent tend to do is try to get the conversations outside of the platform so that you actually lose any proof.”
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