A fake Airbnb profile allowed journalists at Belgian newspaper De Standaard to publicly list the Federal Government's headquarters for rental under the name of Prime Minister Bart De Wever.
The investigation sought to uncover the identities behind Airbnb hosts in cities such as Antwerp, Bruges, Brussels, and Ghent. De Standaard found that host profiles on the platform included private individuals, small businesses, and major property companies, with some operating under false identities.
In April, the newspaper created a fictitious Airbnb account in Bart De Wever's name within minutes. Using photos from Wikipedia and Belgium's Régie des Bâtiments, the account listed the federal headquarters at 16 Rue de la Loi, rebranding it as the 'Law Street Lodge'.
During the two months it was live, the listing described the building as an "ideal pied-à-terre for an unforgettable stay" in Brussels. All booking requests were rejected by the newspaper.
After the fraudulent listing was exposed by the journalists, Airbnb launched an internal investigation. The platform stated that payments to hosts are only released 24 hours after a guest's arrival.
However, Airbnb has not commented on how a public figure's identity could be impersonated or how a political building went unnoticed as a rental property for months.
