Listing suspended, closed or less visible on Airbnb or Booking: why it happens and how to reactivate it

Short answer: there is almost always a specific reason and the platform tells you what it is. On Airbnb it is in "Information" → "Listing issues"; on Booking, in the extranet inbox or in an email. The most common causes are a missing or incorrect tourist licence code (VFT/VUT), on Booking unpaid commission invoices, and on both host cancellations, complaints and repeated low ratings. A suspension is lifted by fixing the cause; a removal is only reversed if you win the appeal. And if the listing is active but "does not show up", it is not a penalty: it is the ranking.

Suspended, closed or removed: what is the difference?

While the case is open, Airbnb expects you to keep honouring confirmed bookings.

Why can they take it down?

1. The licence code. In Andalusia the home has to be registered in the Tourism Registry and its code (VFT/… or VUT/…) has to appear in the listing; Airbnb states this on its regulations page for Andalusia. Booking says it closes the property if a mandatory licence number is missing, if the one you have entered is not valid or has an incorrect format, or if an authority asks it to. In July 2025 the Ministry of Consumer Affairs reported that Airbnb had removed around 65,000 listings without a licence. Where the code goes on each platform and in what format is in The licence code in listings. If the platform asks you in its form for a state registration number, read that guide before filling it in: the NRUA was annulled.

2. Unpaid Booking invoices. Booking asks you to pay each commission invoice within 14 days of it being generated. Otherwise, it can close the property temporarily; before that it sends a suspension warning to your inbox (October 2026).

3. Cancelling bookings. Airbnb, besides charging a penalty, can suspend or remove the listing or the account of anyone who cancels without a valid reason. On Booking, cancelled bookings count against your ranking (see below). The penalties are in Cancellation policies.

4. Complaints and rules for hosts. Airbnb's rules require the listing to be accurate (this includes retouched photos that hide defects), that you do not cancel confirmed bookings, that you reply on time (within an hour if the guest is arriving or has an urgent problem, except at night) and that the flat is clean and free of hazards. Every issue a guest reports counts, and anything repeated or serious ends in suspension or removal. Booking acts the same way if you breach the contract, its rules or the law.

5. Low ratings. Airbnb asks hosts to avoid "too many low ratings" and does not give a figure for the listing. For the account, it says it normally closes it if it has listings suspended several times or an overall rating "lower than 99 % of other ratings" on Airbnb.

6. Verification. Airbnb does not publish a new listing or let you accept bookings until you verify your identity; if it asks you to verify it again, it marks the calendar as unavailable until you do. Booking has a Compliance centre in the extranet with the "Know Your Partner" (KYP) form, which has to be completed to stay open, and it can ask you to verify the location (listing the flat on Booking).

What do I do in each case?

How do you appeal?

On Airbnb, through the link they send you or by contacting Airbnb, before the deadline they give you. Include the name of the listing, the reservation codes of the stays with problems, why you disagree with each one and the documents that prove it. Airbnb considers new or corrected information. Arguments that do not work: disagreeing with a review (if it is unfair, that is requested separately: removing an unfair review) or saying it was a one-off, because the measures are based on repeated or serious breaches (how to contact Airbnb).

On Booking, with the appeal form that comes in the email notifying you of the suspension or termination. You can also request a review to reopen through partner support; Booking assesses it based on new evidence or what you have corrected.

My listing is active but does not show up: have I been penalised?

Not necessarily. Each platform ranks with its own criteria:

• Airbnb takes into account quality (photos, ratings, communication, cancellation data), popularity (saves, bookings, messages), the total price compared with similar listings in the area on those dates and the location. It recommends opening more days, adjusting the price and looking after the content.
• Booking, in its default order, puts properties at the top according to how many people click, how many bookings they receive and how many remain after subtracting cancellations. That depends on scores, availability, policies, price and photo quality. The commission you pay, how quickly you pay it and whether you are in Genius or the Preferred Partner Programme (Genius and deals) also have an influence. In the score, recent reviews weigh more.

Few open days, a high total price, cancellations or a falling rating sink the position without there being any penalty.

What does a manager do with this?

They check the Booking inbox and the Airbnb listing issues every day, make sure the licence code is written correctly on each platform and avoid cancelling. On Airbnb they come in as co-host: the listing stays in the owner's account and, if one day the owner leaves the management, they keep the listing, the reviews and the photos (who holds the listing).