As others have said, it happens. The most memorable case for me was this one:
What really struck me was his conclusion after all that was the last post about trying to run a rental business without Airbnb:
We struggled so much. They represent 7 bookings for everyone we get else where. We even joke. If a Airbnb client wants to punch a hole in the wall. Give them a hammer.
I don’t advocate letting guests walk over you in that way but its a vivid description of how at least one host feels about the value of listing on other platforms. Airbnb is the market leader for more STR’s and they make life so much easier for most of us.
It’s a horrible situation to be in but not a surprising one. There are many threats to Airbnb, that’s one reason why some banks don’t count Airbnb income (@Josiah and I were just discussing this) and insurance companies don’t make it easy.
This is a risky game. Your Airbnb account can be closed any time without warning