Yes, you can delete your Airbnb account, but the process is permanent and affects your booking history

You can delete your Airbnb account through your account settings on the website or mobile app. Once deleted, your account cannot be recovered—Airbnb will remove your profile, messages, reviews, and booking history. If you have an active reservation, you must cancel it before you can delete the account. The deletion itself is when ready, though Airbnb may take a few days to fully remove your data from their systems.

Before you delete, understand what you're losing. Your past reviews and ratings disappear, which means hosts won't see your history if you ever create a new account. Any credits or gift cards tied to the account are forfeited. If you're a host, all your listings and guest reviews vanish as well. Airbnb keeps some information for legal and tax reasons—they won't delete records needed for past transactions or disputes—but your profile and personal details are gone.

Key Takeaways

  • Account deletion is permanent and cannot be undone; you cannot recover your profile, messages, or booking history after deletion.
  • You must cancel any active reservations before you can delete your account, whether you are a guest or a host.
  • Any unused credits, gift cards, or refunds tied to your account will be lost when you delete.
  • Airbnb retains records of past transactions for legal and tax purposes, but your personal profile and reviews are removed.
  • If you create a new Airbnb account later, you will start with no history or reviews, which may affect your ability to book.

How to delete your account on desktop

Open Airbnb.com and sign in to your account. Click the profile icon in the top right corner and select "Account" from the dropdown menu. Scroll down to find "Settings" and click it. Look for the section labeled "Deactivate or delete account" near the bottom of the page.

Click "Delete account." Airbnb will ask you to confirm your decision and may ask why you're leaving—this is optional. You'll need to enter your password to verify it's really you. Once you confirm, your account is deleted when ready. You should receive a confirmation email, though it may take a few minutes to arrive.

How to delete your account on the mobile app

Open the Airbnb app and tap the profile icon at the bottom right. Tap "Account," then scroll to the bottom and tap "Settings." Look for "Deactivate or delete account" and tap it. Select "Delete account" when prompted.

Airbnb will ask you to confirm and may request your reason for leaving. Enter your password to verify your identity, then confirm the deletion. Your account will be deleted when ready. The app may log you out right away, or you may see a confirmation message.

What to do before you delete

If you have an upcoming reservation as a guest, you must cancel it first. Go to "Trips," find the reservation, and select "Cancel reservation." Keep in mind that cancellation fees depend on the host's cancellation policy—you may lose some or all of your payment. Once the reservation is cancelled, you can proceed with account deletion.

If you are a host with active listings, you must cancel all reservations and remove all listings before deletion. Go to "Listings," select each listing, and choose "Close listing" or "Delete listing." Cancel any guest reservations that are still pending. Only after all listings and reservations are handled can you delete the account.

read or save any information you want to keep—confirmation numbers, receipts, or messages from hosts or guests. Once your account is deleted, you cannot retrieve this information from Airbnb. If you need records for tax or legal purposes, take screenshots or read PDFs before you proceed.

What happens to your data after deletion

Your profile, reviews, and messages are removed from Airbnb's public systems within a few days. Hosts and guests will no longer see your name or reviews on their pages. However, Airbnb retains some information behind the scenes for legal compliance, tax reporting, and dispute resolution. This data is not visible to other users and is kept separate from your deleted profile.

If you had a dispute with a host or guest, or if there was a payment issue, Airbnb may keep records related to that case even after deletion. This is standard practice for any online platform and is required by law in most places. You cannot request that this information be deleted if it relates to an active or recent legal matter.

If you want to keep your account but take a break

Deletion is permanent, so if you think you might return to Airbnb later, consider deactivating your account instead. Deactivation hides your profile and listings temporarily without deleting anything. You can reactivate whenever you want, and your history, reviews, and credits remain intact.

To deactivate instead of delete, go to Account Settings and look for "Deactivate account" as a separate option from deletion. Deactivation is reversible; deletion is not. If you're unsure whether you'll use Airbnb again, deactivation is the safer choice.

What to do if you cannot delete your account

If you have an active reservation or listing, the delete button may be grayed out or unavailable. Cancel or close everything first, then try again. If the button still doesn't appear, try a different browser or clear your browser cache and cookies, then sign back in.

If you're still unable to delete after cancelling all reservations, contact Airbnb Support through the Help Center. Go to Help > Contact Us and describe the issue. Support can sometimes manually process deletions if there's a technical problem, though this may take a few days. Be prepared to verify your identity with your email address and password.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I recover my account after I delete it?

No. Airbnb does not restore deleted accounts. Once you confirm deletion, your profile, messages, and reviews are permanently removed. If you change your mind, you can create a new account, but it will have no history or reviews attached to it.

Will my reviews and ratings disappear for hosts and guests?

Yes. Any reviews you left for hosts and any ratings hosts gave you will be removed from their profiles. Hosts will no longer see your name or history when you delete your account. If you create a new account later, you start with a blank slate.

What happens to my refund if I cancel a reservation before deleting?

The refund depends on the host's cancellation policy. Some policies are flexible and refund most or all of your payment; others are strict and refund little or nothing. Check the cancellation policy before you book. Once you receive a refund, it goes back to your original payment method, not to your Airbnb account.

Can I delete my account if I have a pending dispute with a host?

You can delete your account, but Airbnb will retain information related to the dispute for as long as needed to resolve it. Your profile will be gone, but the case file remains. If the host needs to contact you, they may not be able to reach you through Airbnb after deletion.

Do I lose my credits or gift cards when I delete?

Yes. Any unused credits, gift cards, or promotional funds tied to your account are forfeited when you delete. Use or transfer any credits before you delete if you want to keep that value.