Airbnb faced criticism for initially refusing to refund a woman who had booked a stay at a rental property, only to discover that her host had been charged with sex crimes. The host in question is Winston Nguyen, a former “Jeopardy” champion, who stands accused of soliciting sexually explicit images from teenagers while working as a math teacher at St Ann’s School in Brooklyn.
Natasha Harrington, the woman who made the booking, opted to leave the property upon learning about the host’s charges and requested a refund from Airbnb. Initially, Airbnb informed Harrington that the circumstances did not violate their policies and that refund decisions were essentially up to the host.
Harrington became aware of Nguyen’s past when another renter alerted her to Google the host’s name. Despite Airbnb policies not providing last names of hosts, Harrington managed to uncover numerous articles about Nguyen’s arrest using his first name and address.
Airbnb guidelines caution customers that background checks may not reveal a host’s complete history, including any recent criminal activity. While the company does offer refund and rebooking options for listings with safety or health hazards, the policies do not specifically address situations where guests feel unsafe due to their hosts.
Nguyen allegedly posed as a teenager on social media multiple times between October 2022 and May 2024, attempting to convince his teenage students to send explicit photos. All the teens he reportedly messaged were between 13 and 15 years old.
After struggling to receive assistance from Airbnb following her departure, Harrington turned to Reddit for advice. Users suggested she contact local media, leading Gothamist to pick up the story. Subsequently, Airbnb approved a refund for Harrington within hours of Gothamist’s enquiry.
While Harrington eventually received her refund, she hopes that Airbnb will implement policies to prevent similar incidents in the future. In response, Airbnb stated, “The safety of our community is a priority, and we have been in contact with our guest to support them, including providing a full refund. The host was removed from the platform in line with our policies.”
Nguyen’s upcoming court appearance is scheduled for October 17, as he faces charges related to soliciting sexual images from children while teaching in Brooklyn.