When you post photos, reviews, or other content on Airbnb, you give Airbnb a permanent, worldwide, royalty-free right to use, copy, modify, and distribute that content to operate and promote its platform.
This analysis describes what Airbnb's agreement states, permits, or reserves. It does not constitute a legal determination about enforceability. Regulatory applicability and practical outcomes may vary by jurisdiction, enforcement context, and individual circumstances. Read our methodology
The license establishes Airbnb's operational authority to use user-generated content (listings, photos, descriptions, reviews) for platform operations, marketing, and promotional purposes without requiring additional compensation or per-use permission. The perpetual and transferable nature of the license means these rights extend for the duration of applicable copyright protection and can be assigned to other entities.
Interpretive note: The interaction between the perpetual irrevocable license and GDPR erasure rights for EU users creates interpretive uncertainty that may depend on regulatory enforcement and judicial interpretation.
The updated Terms of Service no longer explicitly state that users must be at least 18 years old to book a reservation or host a place on Airbnb. Previously, this age requirement was stated as a binding community policy. The removal of this language creates operational uncertainty about Airbnb's age eligibility requirements and enforcement. While Airbnb's actual booking and hosting practices may not have changed, users can no longer point to an explicit contractual age restriction in the published terms.
View change record →The agreement states that any content users post, including listing photos, profile pictures, and reviews, is subject to a perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide, royalty-free license that Airbnb may sublicense and transfer, and may be used to promote the platform in any media.
How other platforms handle this
If you believe Your Content was removed in error, you may submit an appeal. More information is available here.
Chat messages, content and other interactions using Interactive Features (together, "Interactive Content") are the sole responsibility of the person who posts or initiates them.
reserves the right to limit or remove User Generated Content if it is not compliant with the terms of the Agreement.
"By making available any Member Content on or through the Airbnb Platform, you hereby grant to Airbnb a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free, irrevocable, perpetual (or for the term of the protection), sub-licensable and transferable license to such Member Content to access, use, store, copy, modify, prepare derivative works of, distribute, publish, transmit, stream, broadcast, and otherwise exploit in any manner such Member Content to provide and/or promote the Airbnb Platform, in any media or platform.Excerpt from Airbnb's Terms of Service
1) REGULATORY LANDSCAPE: This provision engages GDPR where submitted content constitutes or contains personal data, requiring that the legal basis for processing be clearly identified and that data subjects retain rights of access, correction, and …
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The license establishes Airbnb's operational authority to use user-generated content (listings, photos, descriptions, reviews) for platform operations, marketing, and promotional purposes without requiring additional compensation or per-use permission. The perpetual and transferable nature of the license means these rights extend for the duration of applicable copyright protection and can be assigned to other entities.
The agreement states that any content users post, including listing photos, profile pictures, and reviews, is subject to a perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide, royalty-free license that Airbnb may sublicense and transfer, and may be used to promote the platform in any media.
ConductAtlas has identified this type of provision across 141 platforms. See the full comparison.
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