Phase in new main host

Fredrik50
Level 2
Gothenburg, Sweden

Phase in new main host

I recently bought a property listed at aribnb. Now me and the former owner try to figure out how to phase him out a main host and phase me in. I am currently co-host. We don't want to loose the transaction history and the upcoming bookings that are already confirmed. Anyone have anny ideas on how to make me themain host, transfer bank account details for payment etc and then phase him out making me the only host?

7 Replies 7
Mike-And-Jane0
Top Contributor
England, United Kingdom

@Fredrik50 Airbnb doesn't allow this.

Strangely there are listings where the host name seems to have changed along with, presumably, their bank account details email address etc but this isn't the proper way to do it.

Fredrik50
Level 2
Gothenburg, Sweden

Thanks for the reply. So there isn't a "proper" way of doing this but in  theory we could do as follow:

1. The former owner make me the main host

2. We change the email adress, bank account, name etc on his old account to my details. 

3. I take over his old account but with my name and adress etc

4. He creates a new account if he wants to go as guest with airbnb. I don't think he have any need of being a host at present time

 

//fredrik

Helen3
Top Contributor
Bristol, United Kingdom

It is against Airbnb's terms for you to try and transfer the listing. If you try and do this Airbnb can ban you from their platform.

 

it would be highly unfair to guests as they would book on previous reviews and ratings for someone who isn't the actual hosts.

 

the previous owner should have told you this . He should have blocked out his listing once he knew he was selling so he didn't accept any longer term bookings.

 

just set up your own listing. @Fredrik50  and build up reviews based on how you host on Airbnb 

I can see that problem. My problem is that there is loads of currently confirmed bookings on the former owners account that I need to transfer or manage in some way. So if i set up my own listing how could I transfer the bookings? 

@Fredrik50  You can't simply pass on booked guests as if they were part of the furnishings. Guests book to a large extent on the basis of ratings and reviews. While you may be a great host, guests have no way of knowing that. A new owner/host might turn out  to be one who doesn't maintain the property in good shape, doesn't deal with guests well, doesn't make sure the cleaning is well done, doesn't provide all the amenitiesthat were listed when they booked.

 

Guests must be informed of the change of ownership and host, and given a choice as to whether to keep the booking or cancel, in which case the previous owner needs to refund them in full.

 

Airbnb may assist in transferring the bookings, but they may not. 

 

A home owner, when selling a house they have used for Airbnb, is only selling the house. What the new owner does with it is up to them. You can't sell an Airbnb business. The business belongs to the host, not the property.

Mike-And-Jane0
Top Contributor
England, United Kingdom

@Fredrik50 some have reported that Airbnb have helped contact all the outstanding reservations and ask if they want to transfer across.Others that it is up to the host to contact everyone offering them the chance to move to the new listing or be cancelled. Either way is really quite difficult if there are a large number of bookings.

Dorothy190
Level 3
Hickory, NC

We had the same problem and Airbnb was no help.  We had the original owner print any information from their site and send to us.  The original owner then contact their guest so he could cancel on his site.  The guest then went to my site and I gave then a discount for the inconvenience.