Purpose: This study aims to understand Chinese consumers’ perceived barriers to using peer-to-peer (P2P) accommodation before and after the outbreak of COVID-19 and the negotiation strategies they applied in overcoming the barriers and enabling consumption. Design/methodology/approach: A qualitative research design with 28 semi-structured interviews was used. Data were analysed by content analysis. Findings: Five psychological barriers and four functional barriers were found to inhibit consumers from using P2P accommodation both before and after the COVID-19 outbreak. In overcoming the perceived barriers, consumers applied both behavioural negotiation strategies, including seeking information, behavioural adaptation, selective choice and seeking social support, and cognitive negotiation strategies, including cognitive adaptation and trusting agents. COVID-19 was found to serve as both a barrier and a facilitator for using P2P accommodation. A barriers–negotiation framework was developed in the context. Research limitations/implications: Theoretically, this study advances consumer resistance and perceived barriers literature by integrating negotiation and developing a barriers–negotiation framework of P2P accommodation usage. This study also offers insights for practitioners in the P2P accommodation industry. Originality/value: This study showcases the role of negotiation in understanding barriers to using P2P accommodation, paving the way to extend relevant knowledge to advance consumer resistance research, which is an emerging topic in the broader management domain.