"unsafe" is a bit ambiguous. If the place didn't meet building codes so you were likely to fall off of stairs without a railing, file a complaint with the city

"unsafe" is a bit ambiguous. If the place didn't meet building codes so you were likely to fall off of stairs without a railing, file a complaint with the city. If you actually fell off the stairs and hurt yourself, file a lawsuit against the owner. He'll make a claim against his insurance, and probably will have higher premiums. If it was a shared unit and there were other dangerous tenants(ex-felons or sex offenders), then maybe Airbnb could screen people better or at least make it an option on the listing. I think somebody is required to disclose this fact to you(either the felon or the owner), or else they're liable. If it was unsafe in a way that wasn't illegal, then there's not really an Airbnb-specific problem. You wouldn't sue the local newspaper for listing an apartment that ended up unsafe, you would sue the landlord. It's unclear why the rental being short-term would or the choice of listing venue would change that. And it's not like Airbnb loses legal rights just because they're larger than the local newspaper, or incorporated, or accepted VC money.