Last week, we set out to test a worrying trend: the rise of unregistered homestays cropping up on online platforms like Airbnb, particularly in tourist-heavy regions like Goa.
These listings often bypass regulations and accountability, raising questions about safety, legality and platform responsibility.
So, we decided to find out for ourselves just how easy it is to list a completely fake property on the platform.
The Birth Of Our Fictional Property
In less than ten minutes, we created a bizarre property listing straight out of a horror movie.
Our imaginary property had just one room but, inexplicably, three bathrooms and a hot tub. We added a few basic amenities like WiFi, air-conditioning, and claimed it was nestled in a quiet part of Borim, Goa, chosen via Airbnb's own inbuilt map suggestions.
Our fictional listing. Photo: Airbnb/Author
Next, we uploaded a series of completely unrelated images, skyline shots from Delhi NCR, the ceiling of our office, a laptop, and even a photo of a hotel we found online. Strangely enough, there was no red flag from the system.
For identity verification, we submitted a selfie of a colleague and their PAN card ... and the verification process worked without a hitch. Airbnb accepted it.
As a final step, we added a Noida residential address as the "official" location. Moments later, the property was live. Our fake listing, in all its bizarre glory, was now visible to users looking for accommodation in Goa.
What Airbnb Did Next
After our fake listing went live, we reached out to Airbnb for a comment but have not recived any response as of now.
Meanwhile, in less than 48 hours, we received an email with a subject line - Airbnb: Airbnb Account Inquiry.
"We've removed you from the Airbnb platform because your account hasn't followed our policy on interacting honestly," the email read. Airbnb further gave us a link to their policies, listed under their "Community Policies" section.
What Are These Polices
Airbnb has a list of polices, according to which they can remove any account that they see not following:
- Misrepresentation is explicitly prohibited
Hosts are not allowed to list homes or experiences that are not real or that do not match the description provided. In our case, both the listing and the images were fictitious, a direct violation of this rule.
- Identity misrepresentation is also a no-go
According to the platform, all submitted documentation must be "true and accurate", and the use of falsified or doctored documents is banned.
Point to note: Our test passed the verification process with a PAN card and selfie of someone entirely unrelated to the fake property, which was later removed.
False reports and claims, as well as any abuse or manipulation of the platform, are also grounds for removal or suspension.
Why This Matters
The rapid growth of online homestay platforms has made travel more affordable and flexible, but it has also created loopholes that some can exploit.
In tourist hubs like Goa, the rise of unregistered homestays has drawn concern from local authorities, who point to the lack of licensing, tax compliance, and security measures.
According to data shared in the Goa Legislative Assembly last year (as reported by Indian Express), only 230 homestays and Bed and Breakfast establishments were officially registered with the Department of Tourism. The number of registered hotels stood at 7,538.
State Tourism Minister Rohan Kahunte recently tabled the Goa Tourist Places (Protection and Maintenance) Amendment Bill, 2025. Photo: Unsplash
A quick online search revealed over 1,000 homestays currently listed across travel platforms like MakeMyTrip and Airbnb - far more than what is officially accounted for. This matter was also raised in the Legislative Assembly this year.
Airbnb, like other major platforms, does have systems in place -- at least on paper -- to verify properties and ensure listings are authentic. They claim to require business identification if the host is a company, and they prohibit representative inventory unless very specific criteria are met. But our experiment suggests that these rules are not always strictly enforced.