A Message From Our Founders

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A Message From Our Founders

We know it has been a challenging time for hosts in our community, and we understand that the coming days may be filled with more questions and even more uncertainty.

 

Today, Airbnb founders Brian Chesky, Joe Gebbia, and Nate Blecharczyk renewed their commitment to supporting hosts during this difficult time and to keeping everyone in our community safe. In case you missed their message to hosts, we wanted to share their thoughts here:

 

 

Dear hosts,

 

With the current global crisis, we know that many of you are experiencing a significant loss of bookings and a large number of cancellations. The last few days have been incredibly challenging and confusing for everyone. It's our goal to be as transparent and proactive as possible.

 

First and foremost, we are going to get through this crisis as partners—our success is dependent on the success of you, our hosts. We are working day and night on a plan of action that will help you get through this extremely difficult time. We will share this with you as soon as possible in the coming weeks.

 

Second, with the World Health Organization declaring a pandemic, we made the difficult decision on Saturday to put in place a global policy allowing all guests to cancel eligible reservations for a full refund—including all Airbnb fees. We know this decision has caused incredible hardship for many of you. Many hosts were already accepting cancellations outside of established policies. You have asked us why we did this when some other companies in our space have not. We want to make sure you understand our thinking.

 

This pandemic is leading cities and nations to undergo extreme measures. In this crisis, our first priority is the health of the public and our communities. We did not want guests making the decision to put themselves in unsafe situations and creating a public health hazard because of a commitment to their bookings. We believe this is the responsible thing to do given the guidance of governments and health experts.

 

While it’s clear to all of us that the coronavirus has deeply impacted our community, we know that this moment will pass and travel will be back. As people are starting to use Airbnb for long-term bookings and stays close by, it’s clear that we need to be a part of helping all of us get through this as quickly as possible. The desire to connect is in all of us, and we will be together again, but for now our priority is to do our part to keep everyone safe.

 

We are partners, and we will get through this together.

 

Airbnb’s Founders,

Brian, Joe, and Nate

82 Replies 82

The issues is that some hosts refuse to cancel 😞  

Sharon1014
Level 10
Sellicks Beach, Australia

@Airbnb  Brian, Joe, Nate, a few words in music - Stand By me - Playing for Change - Song Around the World (just in case you haven't already heard hosts). 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Us-TVg40ExM

 

No-one expected Airbnb not to apply reasonable measures to an extraordinary set of circumstances, but it is clear that someone or several made very conscious unreasonable decisions that are hurting the company and your host inventory.  So please fix it, asap, not in a couple of weeks, but now.  STAND BY YOUR HOSTS.  It's not rocket science.

 

 

Have you received any money yet? I haven't. Help!! Airbnb, please help us. We are dying here as Superhosts. 

Wow! Airbnb is so noble! What an utter load of crap. 

Marilyn368
Level 1
Bellingham, WA

Sorry 

just missed seeing protocol updates re hosts / cancellations etc

can u direct me to exactly where the rules are re hosts options at this time? If WE choose to cancel reservations that the guests have NOT  cancelled ( yet?) and the fees hosts incur if host cancel etc

? and dates relevant to any new policy period etc

i am considering cancelling JUNE bookings here in WA State IF it appears that 'this thing' may be a few months ...?  Marilyn 

Daiana43
Level 2
London, CA

Airbnb you need to extend this policy beyond April 14. The pandemic is getting worse and worse. We all need to do our part! Extend the policy!

Liv2338
Level 1
New York, NY

Are you  blocking guest from booking? I got a message today that you wouldnt let them book my apartment

@Liv2338 

Hi, I hope you are well,

Regarding the issue that you wrote about;

Check the local government rules in your district. That may be what's affecting your booking requests.

NEWS MEDIA REPORTS:Bloomberg- [is that a reliable source of information?]

NYC Deaths Jump by 16% in Six Hours (9:56 a.m. HK)
 From The News media today- 31-3-2020:

"New York City reported 914 deaths from the virus as of 4:30 p.m. local time, a 16% increase from an update six hours earlier. The city, the epicenter of the U.S. outbreak, has 38,087 confirmed cases, up by more than 1,800 from earlier in the day."

Christine1_0-1585629140950.png

Stalls for patients are set up at a temporary hospital in the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York, March 30. Photographer: Angus Mordant/Bloomberg.

All the best to you at this time.

Staying home is the recommended health precaution for everyone. Travel requests are down. 

Best Regards, Christine.

Phill251
Level 1
Cape Town, ZA

As a guest, why can I not make a deposit payment for a stay in December? Your system is ordering me to pay the full amount, up front?!?! Surely, common sense and customer care, ethics, respect to the person paying etc would lend itself to you as AirBnB to insure that for us (the people who pay you money) can have a pleasurable and user friendly experience, Instead your interface seems setup to aid everyone except us - the paying customers! I will be looking at other booking websites and apps going forward as you have clearly made it very apparent that you do not care much for the customer more so the host. Horrible booking experience I have just had!  @Airbnb 

Joel32
Level 2
Portland, ME

Dear Founders,

It is not fair to give Hosts 50% and Guests 50% and we split the fees 3 ways? Tis way we share the cancellation du to Corona19 equally. I depend on the income from Airbnb to improve the peoperty, pay taxes and support my family. I am in an emergency situation if you require the full burden of cancellation to be born by the host.

Joel Richardson

Gretchen71
Level 2
San Juan, PR

As many other hosts explain, I believe the best way to handle it will be: choice 1: selecting an alternate future date. Choice 2: receive a refund voucher to use in a future date.  Choice 3: if a refund is preffered then a 50% refund only will be issued so the host & guest asume each part of the loss.  This will motivate the guest to get a voucher for a future date with a validity of 2 years.  This are better options than the one in place right now.

Rita1877
Level 2
San Isidro, Peru

Brian,  I liked very much your video today March 30, 2020.   We watched your video with my son 20 years old.   All that you say is real.   We the host, want our guests to be happy in our country to take home pretty memories.  I am sure that all of this pandemia is going to finish very soon and people will love to travel again.   Airbnb is like a bless for tourist because in the past I remember we had to pay too much in hotels so colds.like robots and with no presence what the real soul city is.  Airbnb gives the possibility to the tourist to know what is to live for real in a country and to the hosts to have a new income and not to be afraid to know new people, to trust in them .   Guest can know what is the real hospitality of the people.   Thank you for your big heart Brian.  We all understand that this is a global problem and many hosts like me  do not expect anything in retribution for the cancelations.   Take care

Rita Herrera

Thank you .Thank you .@Rita1877 

What is the timeline for the compensation?  I can’t believe this is the extent that you are reaching out to us....you should be supporting  the hosts during this time, we are your business! 

Details, details, details please 

When can we apply for $5000. Grant?

 

Thanks 

Linda & Jack