Atlanta woman sues Airbnb for allegedly refusing to rent in a "peaceful white neighborhood".

A woman in Georgia is taking legal action against Airbnb, an Atlanta property owner, and two individuals identified as a host and co-host. She claims that she was denied the chance to rent a home because she is Black. The incident occurred when she revealed her race during the booking process, as reported by WSBTV Atlanta.

The incident took place in 2024, when Sharonda Stewart attempted to make a reservation for a property on Manhasset Drive in Dunwoody. According to the complaint, Stewart was in search of temporary housing in metro Atlanta after relocating. During the booking process, Airbnb prompted her to introduce herself to the property's host before her reservation could be approved.

In her introduction, Stewart mentioned that she is a businesswoman, explained the purpose of her stay, and even included the name of her company, which has a logo depicting a Black woman. However, she alleges that the host never responded to her booking request or her follow-up message, resulting in the reservation window expiring. Upon returning to the listing, Stewart noticed that the language used to describe the surrounding area was "peaceful white neighborhood." Combined with the unanswered booking request, she felt that she had been denied lodging because of her race.

This prompted her to take legal action. Civil rights attorney Bataski Bailey, who is representing Stewart, believes that the listing raises concerns about unlawful discrimination. "You can't describe something as peaceful and white and then act in a way that signifies you intend to keep it that way," Bailey stated.

In response to the incident, Airbnb has removed the host from its platform. "Discrimination has no place on Airbnb, and we removed the host from the platform," the company said in a statement to the outlet. However, the lawsuit also alleges that Airbnb failed to promptly remove the listing even after Stewart's legal team notified the company.

According to Bailey, they had to send a demand letter requesting an investigation, but the advertisement allegedly remained online for months. Stewart's legal team plans to seek subpoenas to identify everyone responsible for creating and managing the listing, as they allegedly used pseudonyms. They intend to pursue the case before a jury.

Stewart hopes that this lawsuit will prevent similar incidents from happening to other travelers. In a related incident, an Airbnb guest recently called out the company after a Superhost used fake AI photos to claim $16K in damages. It is essential for companies like Airbnb to take action against discrimination and ensure that all guests are treated fairly and equally.