2 'fat-phobic' Airbnb hosts have been slammed for banning guests weighing over 220 pounds

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Bobbit's Lair in Sandwich, Kent, UK.
  • Two Airbnb hosts have been called "fat-phobic" for imposing a 100kg (220 pounds) weight limit on guests due to their property's "very old oak beams."

  • Marcus and Zhu's listing for their cottage in Kent, UK, said "NO persons with eating disorders may book we have a maximum weight 100kg [220lbs] PP."

  • After fat activist Lindsay McGlone criticized the hosts on Instagram, the listing was taken down, however, it's now live again with the "rule" removed.

  • The hosts declined to comment to Insider but told Kennedy News that larger guests were not welcome.

  • "Specifying a certain weight is fat-phobic as it's discriminating against people who have a larger body," McGlone said.

  • "Discrimination and bias have no place in our community," Airbnb said in a statement.

  • Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

 

A pair of Airbnb hosts are facing a backlash after imposing a weight limit on guests of their UK cottage.

Zsu and Marcus have now amended the listing, but it originally stated that anyone weighing over 100kg (220 pounds) would not be welcome.

The hosts also banned prospective guests with "eating disorders."

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The "rules" of the listing.

Bobbit's Lair in Sandwich, Kent, costs £199 ($265) a night and has a four-star rating based on three reviews. It's a two-bedroom medieval cottage with old touches like 15th-century beams, as well as a modern kitchen and outdoor hot tub.

Originally, the listing's "additional rules" had included: "NO persons with eating disorders may book we have a maximum weight 100kg [220lbs] PP."

However, the "rule" was spotted by fat activist Lindsay McGlone, who shared her outrage on Instagram.

"When I saw the listing I couldn't believe what I was reading, I couldn't comprehend that somebody would write that," McGlone, 22, told Kennedy News.

"I shared the listing because the people who wrote it need to be held accountable because it's extremely damaging and I wanted it removed.

"Specifying a certain weight is fat-phobic as it's discriminating against people who have a larger body.

"They're saying they don't want fat people in their vicinity and they don't want to take fat people's money."

The listing was amended to "NO persons maximum weight 100kg PP very old oak beams" before the ad was removed from the site altogether, and it's now live again but without any mention of weight.

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The rules visible on the current Airbnb listing.

"It's probably come from internalized fat-phobia and now they're trying to justify it by saying they've got old oak in their house," said McGlone.

"That doesn't take away from the fact that they're still being discriminatory, it's trying to find a way to justify what they've said. It's absolutely appalling."

 

McGlone added that she believes the listing perpetuates the myth that someone with an eating disorder looks a certain way, whereas actually "some are larger, some are smaller."

Zsu and Marcus declined to comment to Insider but told Kennedy News that larger guests were not welcome.

"We had someone ask about the bath size then how wide was he [sic] doors were," the hosts said.

"We said 'not suitable for disabled guests.'

"Then the penny dropped once they booked we had to cancel as the cottage could of [sic] got seriously damaged during 'their' stay.

"Understand the pictures are wide angle, bigger than average people are NOT ALLOWED TO STAY!"

McGlone said she doesn't think the property listing should be allowed to stay live at all.

An Airbnb spokesperson told Insider: "Airbnb's mission is to create a world where everyone can belong anywhere.

"Discrimination and bias have no place in our community, and we suspended the listing while we addressed the matter raised.

"We enforce a strict non-discrimination policy and under our Open Doors initiative, if a guest feels they have been discriminated against, we will provide personalised support to ensure they find a place to stay."

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