Our recent change to the guest refund policy

[Catherine-Powell]

Hi Everyone, 

Hosts are the heart and soul of Airbnb. I want you to know we value you, we’re working every day to improve your hosting experience, and we’re listening to you. Recently, we updated our rebooking and refund policy to allow guests up to 72 hours to report travel issues, rather than 24 hours. Let me take you through our thinking as a company to get to this decision. 

As a two-sided marketplace, we are always putting ourselves in the shoes of both Hosts and guests. In this case, guests have been telling us 24 hours wasn’t enough time to reach out for help if something goes wrong. For example, if a guest wasn’t able to check in due to a malfunctioning lock, they may be more focused on getting settled in an alternative location and attending the event they traveled for. We also heard from Hosts that 24 hours often wasn’t enough time to resolve a guest’s concerns. For example, if a guest notified a Host that the air conditioner stopped working, it could take more than a day to contact a repair person and fix it. The 24-hour window was causing guests to feel like they had to cancel early, when more time would have been enough for Hosts to fully address the concern and keep the reservations.

We went through a similar assessment when we considered extending the filing period for Hosts to submit reimbursements requests. As part of AirCover—which includes $1 million in Host damage protection—if guests cause damage, you have 14 days to request reimbursement after they check out, even if other guests have already checked in.

I also want to assure you that we rigorously assess claims from guests in order to help protect you from fraudulent claims. And, we take action to hold guests accountable for those types of violations of our Community Standards. If a Host disagrees with our determination about a guest report, they may contest our decision and if after reviewing evidence provided by the Host, we agree with that Host, they will receive their payout for that reservation.

Your house rules are another important tool to help ensure the guest rebooking and refund policy is used as intended. House rules set and manage expectations for guests. For example, if you have a backyard pool, you might include a note that you make every attempt to keep the pool as clean as possible, but at times leaves and debris may end up on the surface. This can help guests understand why there may be leaves in the pool. 

Because of the importance of house rules, we’ve made them visible to guests when they book, and by booking, guests are agreeing to read and abide by them. House rules are also taken into account when guest refund claims are made, if relevant. Here are some helpful tips for writing and updating your house rules for guests.

We design all of our updates to help build trust, and will continue to do so as we actively listen to your feedback and concerns. I hope this note has addressed some of the questions I have heard. I want to end by thanking you for all that you do to provide the best possible hospitality for our guests.

Warmly, 

Catherine Powell
Airbnb Global Head of Hosting

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

EXACTLY, @Mark116  I am sure guests have no idea about 24 h deadline and then are surprised

But, by waiting 72 hours to report an important issue they can put the next guest in the danger.

For example, my guest waited 3 days after check out to ask for a refund because they were allegedly bitten by bedbugs. Of course, he was lying, but, If that was true, by waiting for so long they would put in danger my next guests who arrived in the meantime and were already in the apartment.

This is why all issues have to be reported within 24 hours.

[Helen744]

@Branka-and-Silvia0 Very good point . I agree that such a long time notifying host or failing that for whatever reason ,taking too long to notify Airbnb of a roof leak or gas leak or some other genuine issue ,in places that turn over every two or three days with or without the host  does put the next customer at risk and this is our current situation before rule changes . So obviously something happens before 'the scammer' leaves currently to make the next guest 'overjoyed at the lovely accomodation' . Magic it must be because the host is not generally notified at present until long after the guest has left and one or two more guests have stayed.The pattern many hosts reveal is three or four' five star reviews' followed by scammer guests' three star review' which is followed up by 'five star' reviews . Owning one property and doing the cleaning etcetera yourself it is obvious that ,this particular guest, really marked low and there was 'no real reason ' as judged by those before or since. This is what we used to call an algorithym. Something that actually is not logical without a powerful reason and these reasons are generally in a' scammer review' not there except vague generalities. If we thought customer reps could actually logically deduce such anomalies we would all be reassured. H

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Helen744    a few years ago, after each call to CS we were invited to rate the CS rep from 1 - 10*.

 I assume this way they were motivated to really help the customer.

I don't remember seeing this option anymore so maybe today their work is evaluated by the quantity of calls responded, and not the quality of help provided.

[Georgiann4]

Scams are rampant no matter what one does. This is just another for scammers to advantage themselves and we, as hosts, have zero recourse. 

[Louise0]

The prospect of being saddled with the cost of rehoming a guest who is unable to check-in or remain in situ because of something entirely outside the host's control, e.g. a force majeure event such as the incredible flooding we're experiencing in Sydney as I type this, is terrifying and that alone is making me now very, very uncertain about my future on the Airbnb platform.

There are remedies under Australian consumer law for situations such as this, as there are in most other jurisdictions.  It's that which should form the basis for settling any claim and nothing else.  Will Airbnb give us a binding assurance that this will always be the case?

[Stacie14]

I have over 50 listings on Airbnb and am considering pulling all of them. Airbnb has always been more guest centric in my opinion and less supportive of hosts and PMs. It's too bad that Airbnb doesn't stand behind their own rhetoric in saying that hosts are the 'heart and soul' of Airbnb. 

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Stacie14  you are lucky, you can always rehome your guests to another of your listings, just like hotels.

[Cindy-Avery--Brand-Attn--0]

I was just in the process of creating my second listing.  Not now.  My experience with VRBO has been wonderful compared to this.  It’s obvious Airbnb is trying to put themselves out of business.  The question is, why? 

[Pat271]

I think we may have misunderstood the 24 to 72 hour change. The time window may be for reporting a problem to Airbnb. Not for reporting a problem to the host. This change could be something that would actually help both hosts and guests.

Here’s a scenario:

1) Guest encounters a problem that falls within the “Travel Issue” definition.

2) Guest informs the host through the Airbnb messaging service.

3) A couple of days pass, and the host has not addressed the problem.

4) Guest calls Airbnb.

5) Airbnb denies support to the guest because it took the guest more than 24 hours to call Airbnb.

This is the scenario I think Airbnb may be trying to solve, and Catherine’s note makes sense in this context. Increasing the time window before “Airbnb proper” is notified gives the host more time to respond to and/or rectify the issue. It also helps Airbnb not have to receive CS support calls too soon, as the host may already be working on rectifying the issue. Many issues take more than 24 hours to resolve.

I think Airbnb would really like to push having guests and hosts work together and independently from Airbnb as much as possible, and this may be the gist of the 72-hour rule.

[Michelle2544]

Reaching out to the host ON the platform IS reporting the issue to the host and Airbnb. That needs to be done within 24 hours. 

[Pat271]

@Michelle2544  I agree, it should be, but that may not be Airbnb’s definition. Getting them involved starts a whole new process, I think (i.e. opening a ticket, routing to the appropriate “team”, etc.). I agree, though, when looking at it in retrospect, any messaging Airbnb can see from the guest should be considered as a “reporting” event, to both the host AND Airbnb.

[Mark116]

@Pat271  While that may be the 'gist' and the rationale behind it, we all know how CS works.  A reasonable interpretation of the previous rule, if there was documentation that the guest had reached out to the host within 24 hours, would have been to consider that as 'contact' and not decline it on the basis of failure to contact Airbnb directly.

The new rule doesn't actually even say anything about 72 hours after check-in, but 72 hours after discovery, so guests can stay at a property for days, even weeks, and then all of a sudden 'discover' a travel issue, contact Airbnb and get a full refund and rehoused at the host's expense.

Again, you have to wonder of what value is the Host Advisory Board if they could not have assisted Airbnb executives with a more nuanced rule than what has been created.

[Pat271]

@Mark116  Agreed. If this is indeed the meaning, the policy should be rewritten.

[Paul1255]

@Pat271  I hope you’re doing well.

Your assessment could well be right, but at the end of the day the policy itself and those who create and stand behind it should make it clear enough that we don’t have to try and decipher how it might be applied.

[Pat271]

@Paul1255  Totally agree!