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

[Huma0]

@Catherine-Powell 

Thank you for responding. I think it is a common problem these days when people are bombarded with so much information and seem to have shorter attention spans. 

Rather than hosts needing to include these sorts of details in their house rules (these things are not rules after all), they should be under 'other things to note' and 'you must acknowledge'. The problem is that, like the house rules, these sections, especially the latter are quite hidden.

I have had guests who say they have read 'everything' but then miss something really important that is quite clearly stated. It's not necessarily that they are being untruthful (although this is also sometimes the case) but perhaps they think they have read it all, having not clicked on every single link.

'You must acknowledge' is entirely in the wrong place now. It used to be under the house rules as far as I remember. I know that Airbnb wants to keep the booking process as quick, simple and easy as possible for guests, but if it's something that they 'must acknowledge', I am sure that many guests would appreciate it being flagged to them before they go ahead and book. I know I would.

[Jason1800]

With this new update it seems like Airbnb doesn’t have the host best interest 

without host they would have nothing

[Stacey114]

I am very disappointed in this new policy.  Airbnb is not listening to hosts and if they say they are I would like to see a pole on this forum showing support for this change.  I thought with the hiring of the host rep there was to be an advocate for hosts.  I hope to see more Support for hosts on the future. 

[Kristina46]

What about guests who check in and who haven't read a single thing in the listing, rules or Guest Info PDF document I send prior to arrival? 

I recently hosted an older couple for ten days who seemed very surprised on arrival that I didn't have cable TV, that there is no trash service out here where we are, or that we are supplied by household raintanks and not county water. All of which is disclosed clearly in my listing. The stay didn't go well, and the guests behaved passively aggressively, slamming doors constantly, acting coldly, removing things off the walls in the apartment and hiding them, and then writing a terrible review, where they raked me over the coals for all the things they wanted me to have available but didn't (as disclosed in the listing).  While we have lived with this kind of thing for ages in reviews, are we now being told that they will get a refund for these disgruntlements? That I would have had to put them up in a hotel had they demanded to be re-accommodated? 

[Jenny]

Hi @Kristina46, I'm really sorry to hear about your recent hosting experience.  Is there anything that we can do to support, or look into with regards to the situation?

[Kristina46]

@Jenny  Hi Jenny, thanks for asking. You could remove the review, which is full of vitriol and simply outright lies. But I know from calling in before  it will probably deemed her "opinion" and  won't violate anything in the review TOS and can't be removed. I didn't leave them a bad review, as I preferred to take the high road. But in retrospect I should have warned other hosts about guests who would actually remove things off the walls and hide them and slam doors because they booked a place without reading the listing first. I would love to be able to add that to the neutral review I did leave but I know that won't be allowed either.

I wish Airbnb would consider allowing hosts to remove one bad review each year.  I speak for a lot of hosts when I say unfair reviews are one of the most stressful parts of this business. 

[Emilia42]

@Catherine-Powell Thank you for your explanation. I think this concept of "Let me take you through our thinking as a company to get to this decision" is really important and I hope to see more updates like this here in the CC. I use Airbnb as a guest when traveling, so I also put myself in the shoes of a host and guest.  

I have one comment about the house rules section. I think too many house rules defeats the purpose and rules should be straightforward and simple. In your example, (the leaves occasionally collecting in the pool) I ask myself: how is this a "rule?" Notations like this seem to add clutter which distracts guests from the really important rules.

I understand the need for CYA. I prefer to use the "Other Things to Note" Section. I think the OTTNS is the most valuable part of an Airbnb listing. Both as a host and a guest. If only Airbnb CS saw it this way and if only hosts were instructed to put such disclosures there and guests were trained to look. 

[Helen744]

@ Emilia42 and Dottie2 I have to laugh again. We do of course assume that most people have lived in 'a house' before and didnt just slip out of an alternate universe and not understand anything anymore I vow to give them less help but they can ask . My ears are always open H

[Catherine-Powell]

hi @Emilia42 

Thank you for your message and for taking the time to share your perspective here, too.

I appreciate the points you have highlighted in regards to wanting to avoid cluttering the House Rules section. I too agree that "Other Things to Note" is a great place to share information about your listing, and there may be additional ways we can enhance this section on the listing page. 

The challenge is finding the best way to get important information into the hands of guests and set their expectations in the right way. As crazy as it sounds  (and many Hosts here have expressed their disbelief), new guests who are not familiar with Airbnb, may not expect a pool to have leaves in it! If they come with the expectation it is like staying in a hotel, they don't expect leaves or cobwebs or bugs! We do our part explaining to guests this is like staying in their own home; House Rules is another option as they have to read them; but Other Things to Note is an option too which i will take back to the team. The theory here is that if you have explained to a guest what they might come across during their stay, they are less likely to complain. And if they do, any claim they make will be assessed in the light of being fair and reasonable. I believe managing expectations is  part of that fairness and reason.

Best,

Catherine

[Ann72]

@Catherine-Powell  I do have expectation-managing language in my listing, but as these are not rules, they appear in the house manual or in the all-important “other things to note” mentioned by @Emilia42.  I agree that managing expectations is essential.  

But are you saying that in order to be backed up by Airbnb, the paragraph below needs to appear in the house rules - that it’s meaningless in Airbnb’s eyes where it currently (and, I’m sorry, but I have to say it - properly) resides - in the house manual?

 

[Catherine-Powell]

Thank you for your comment, Ann. I love that write up that you have in your manual and I understand what you're saying. We do think it's important to ensure that you feature as much relevant information in your listing description as you can to help manage guest expectations. As you may have already seen, we published a list of FAQs to provide additional clarity after the recent policy update. I'm sorry we didn't share this when we made the change, but I do believe it helps clarify things! Thank you again for messaging.

Warmly, Catherine

@Ann72 

[Ann72]

Thank you, @Catherine-Powell.  The FAQs definitely provide clarity - thank you for that post.  I keep my rules short, but absolutely agree that everything in a listing should be aimed at providing the most exact picture of what a guest can expect.  It's not easy, but as Truman Capote said, "good writing is rewriting," so revisiting the description, rules, manual, and "important things to note" regularly helps reduce guests' questions.

[Dottie2]

Notes to help my guests understand things, as suggested by @Catherine-Powell :

We attempt to keep the pool as clean as possible, but at times leaves and debris may end up on the surface as the trees in the yard drop leaves, the wind blows, things get into the pool. Same with porches, decks and the driveway: stuff falls from trees, spiders spin webs, things start clean and quickly accumulate outdoor stuff. Inside, the cleaners have washed all floors, wiped all surfaces, disinfected everything, washed the bedding and made the beds, but your kids, husband, guests may have sat on your bed or let your dog slip into the bed and they may leave their dirt, hair, snot, and skin cells on the bedding. Same with bathrooms: we completely clean them and disinfect them, but someone in your group slipped into the bathroom and pooped in the toilet? Not our fault! Hair on the floor? We check for ANY and ALL stray hairs, so it isn't ours! We can, however, do a DNA test if you like and determine who, in your family, dropped that hair (a $150 service fee is applied.) Other commonsense notes: we can't control for your group coming in and making a fast mess! Yup, all floors were mopped before you arrived! Ask your group to take off their shoes if a bit of dirt on the floors/carpets is not acceptable. Pests? We make certain there are NO PESTS in the unit prior to your arrival! Ants? Please, don't leave door open and food out, pests will arrive! Same with mice, bears, raccoons, and all other pests: please keep everything clean! NO PESTS were found, prior to your arrival. Toilets not working? We clean, sanitize and flush every toilet prior to your arrival. Toilet not working? We know it worked before you arrived, did your family/group member flush: excessive amounts of poop? Un-flusables such as tampax, sanitary wipes, butt wipes? (If so, please re-read our rules!) ...

How much "common sense" stuff should we include? Please advise.

[Kristina46]

This reminds me of the single guest I once hosted who, after a couple of days, complained of a 'bad smell' in the room.  I went out and bought air fresheners and sprays and left them for her, fearing the worst. Maybe the 'smell' was a mouse who got in and died? On check out, she was nice, and complimented me on the studio, 'except for the smell.'  I go down to clean and what do I find? A cup of moldy sour milk in the microwave, apparently taking on all sorts of life forms  and emitting all sorts of odors during the week she was there. She left a good review and didn't mention that terrible smell that she herself had caused, fortunately. Nor did she demand a refund. But a guest now might well do both. 

[Huma0]

@Kristina46

Or the nice pair of ladies who came to stay during the winter. On check in, I asked them if their bedroom was warm enough. They said it was perfectly comfortable and they were used to much colder temperatures where they were from. During their stay, they asked for an extra duvet (which I supplied) because they 'didn't like to share'. Of course, I also checked during their stay if everything was fine.

When I went to clean the room after they checked out, it was absolutely freezing. They had turned the radiators off completely. In their review, they said the room was really cold and that they had had to ask for an extra duvet. 

They stayed two or three days. What if they reported this 'issue' to Airbnb on check out, i.e. within the 72 hour window, but clearly too late for me to address it? Would they have received a full refund for their stay? How could I even prove they had accidentally turned the heaters off themselves?

Since then, I included in my house rules not to fiddle with heating controls, but of course people don't read/absorb the rules, so it has happened again, including one pair of girls who not only turned the heaters off, but broke the valves, resulting in plumbers' fees and water damage to the room below. I told them what had happened, but they still rated me down and mentioned in the review that the room was too cold!!