Airbnb Answers: Guest profile photos

[Airbnb]

Update: January, 2019

A few months ago, we told you about some changes Airbnb was making to the way guest profile photos are displayed. You can read the original post, below.

Now that those changes are being introduced gradually, we want to make sure you have all the information you need. Here’s a recap of what will be changing, along with some tips.

New photo process

Moving forward, rather than displaying a potential guest’s profile photo before the booking is accepted, you’ll receive a guest’s photo after you’ve accepted the booking request. If you have Instant Book turned on, you won’t notice a change to the booking process.

Airbnb does not require guests to have profile photos. Although most guests provide a photo, some have told us they don’t want to share a picture of themselves when booking, and we listened.

At the same time, many of you told us that you value guest profile photos, and we listened to you, too. That’s why we’ve introduced a new option for hosts to be able to customize their own booking requirements.

New host control

You now have the option to require that your guests provide a profile photo. Again, the photo will be visible to you only after you accept the booking request. If you’d like to require your guests to provide a profile photo, you’ll need to turn on the control option in your settings for each of your listings, either on mobile or on web. Specifically:

On mobile:

1. Go to the listing you’d like to require profile photos for
2. Tap Booking settings
3. Tap Guest requirements
4. Look for the Profile photo section and tap Edit
5. Tap Require a profile photo
6. Tap Save

On web:

1. From your host dashboard, click Listings
2. Click Booking settings
3. Next to Guest requirements, click Edit
4. Check the box next to Profile photo
5. Click Save

If you take this step and a potential guest doesn’t already have a profile photo, they’ll be prompted to upload one before they can request to book your space. A guest’s profile photo will not be available to you until after you accept the booking request. If the guest doesn’t want to provide a photo, then they won’t be able to book your space. 

Additional support

If you choose to require that your guests have a profile photo and one of your potential guests uploads an image that doesn’t show their face—a photo of a sunset or their dog, for instance—then you can call Airbnb’s Community Support. They’ll work with you to address the issue, and if you feel uncomfortable hosting someone without a photo that shows their face, you can request to cancel the reservation penalty-free.

As a reminder, Airbnb’s nondiscrimination policy prohibits hosts from making booking decisions or canceling reservations based on race, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, or marital status. 

As an extra step, as always, you can require guests to provide a government ID to Airbnb in order to be able to book your space. You can read more about that process here.

Why these changes are important

We talked with lots of hosts and guests about profile photos, and we think these changes satisfy the core concerns and feedback we heard. We’ll be paying close attention to how these changes to profile photos affect our community, and will continue working to improve and simplify the process to ensure you feel comfortable hosting. We hope you’ll share your feedback with us so we can continue to build a community where everyone can belong. Thank you for hosting.

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October, 2018

You've been asking a lot about guest profile photos, and Airbnb has been working on new policies to address your concerns. Here is an update from Airbnb:

Today, we’re announcing some changes we will be making to the way we display guest profile photos.

Moving forward, rather than displaying a potential guest’s profile photo before the booking is accepted, hosts will receive a guest’s photo in the booking process only after they’ve accepted the booking request. Airbnb does not require all guests to provide a photo. Instead, we’ll be giving hosts the option to ask their guests to provide a profile photo, which will only be presented to hosts after they accept the booking. We have discussed some of this work in the past and we want you to know more about the changes we will be making in the coming months.

We have participated in a number of conversations with hosts and guests regarding this topic. We have listened to our community, and while most guests provide a photo, some guests told us they don’t want to share a picture of themselves when booking. We also recognize that concerns have been raised about the potential for photos to be misused in a way that violates our nondiscrimination policy.

At the same time, hosts have told us that they value profile photos because they can help hosts and guests get to know one another before a trip begins and help hosts recognize guests when they check in. Additionally, we’ve seen how photos can be a useful tool for enhancing trust and promoting community.

We want to balance these concerns. Airbnb does not require guests to provide a profile photo when booking a listing and, as we discussed earlier this summer with our hosts, we will be implementing a series of changes in the months ahead:

• If a guest chooses to provide a profile photo, that profile photo won’t be displayed to the host as part of the booking process until after the booking is confirmed.
• Because some hosts value profile photos and want to be able to know who they can expect at their front door, we will give hosts the option to ask that guests provide a profile photo prior to booking, which will only be presented to the host after the host accepts the booking request. This new option comes with important safeguards that are designed to ensure our community is fair and open to everyone:
  • Hosts must turn on this feature for each of their listings proactively, before they receive a reservation request.
  • If a host asks for a profile photo, we’ll prompt guests to upload one to their Airbnb profile before they can request to book that host’s particular listing; however, the photo will not be presented to the host until after the booking is confirmed.

If a host cancels a reservation after they see a guest’s photo, the guest will have an easy way to contact Airbnb and report any concerns about potential discrimination by the host in violation of our nondiscrimination policy and Community Commitment. If any guest believes he or she has been discriminated against and notifies our team, we’ll immediately help them book an alternative listing consistent with our Open Doors Policy, investigate the report, and take appropriate action. Any host who violates our nondiscrimination policy may be permanently banned from using Airbnb.

This announcement follows the commitment we made in 2016 to evaluate how we display guest profile photos in the booking process. As we implement these changes in the coming months, we hope you’ll share your feedback with us so we can continue to make thoughtful changes that make the Airbnb community a place where everyone can belong.

[Clara116]

@Lizzie thanks very much for responding back. So glad you are compiling info from us all. It is a very big deal. 

Perhaps Airbnb just isn't looking at it through the correct filter - OR also realizing there are many different people/hosts and they have many filters in their world. 

The Host is open, exposed, NOT ONLY their photo, info about hosts, address, photos of every room, full location, access into house - even some with keys (seems unwise to me), wifi information - codes - phone number, and much more.....

The Guest we get a grey box with a first name (maybe) no photo, no address, no full name, no reason for travel or staying in this home/place. IF I start a dialogue with guests I must ask for photo, info, why they are traveling - this is because I do NOT do IB - 

After booking I see a photo - 

with Guests and hosts that  IB - if there is a photo it will appear - if not, or guests wishes NOT it will NOT -

The only question MOST host would have- 

WHY WOULD A GUEST NOT SHOW THEIR FACE TO THE HOSTS RENTING TO THEM?

we do not discrimanate - don't care the color

my husband, the least judgmental person in the world, totally cool & fair - said to me,

this morning, if a person isn't willing to  show us their face before they arrive- I don't think we should book them. 

LIzzie, I have seen real evil and so there were people in our community that gave me great fear.....  so I will never do IB and hiding the photo of the guests from us  just adds some tension into the booking process for me personally. I use dialogue to help bridge the gap with guests and so that I feel comfortable. But, if I have zero idea of the face stepping out of the car - I'd have to decline that guests. 

LIzzie, I hope  Airbnb will think of your hosts - we are NOT all the same - I love hosting, want to continue but wish NOT to have PTSD kick back in because I'm in the dark with the guests I'm allowing to stay in our cottage. 

I just don't believe its about discrimanation.....a few ppl sure...  but most of us are open, cool, and really wanting to have folks belong anywhere --AND MOSTLY at our AIRBNB's. 

blessings, Clara

[MirianandMariano0]

I completly agree. Not rigth and Airbnb needs to change it. Fast, They will loose hosts and reservations.

[MirianandMariano0]

I think this is not right. We as hosts show our faces and guests NOT?

I dont feel comfortable and safe open my doors to a person who dont want show her face.

Please we hosts need to be unite and ask Airbnb to shows peoples faces...

I just cancelled a reservation because the person was not just rude, not responding, but refused firmly to send me a private picture before check in. 

I dont think is safe and I am not happy at all.

Am I alone on this???

Best

[Kristy58]

Most of my guests book the day of or the day before!!! I need to make quick approvals based on the area I live in (regional hospital - hospital workers will often stay the night to not drive home tired or students will book based on a last minute job interview)

[Christine1]

The photo reveal of the host could be delayed until after a booking is confirmed, but the guest profile photo should be available to a host from the moment any contact is made. 

It's  safer for hosts, and good manners. After all when did it suddenly become ok to phone someone up, ask them a whole bunch of information but refuse to tell identify ourselves? This policy change is a bit like that, tell me all about who lives in your home, what can I expect to see in the premises when I enter, and will you be there? Are you likely to be alone? How valuable are the contents? Will you let me in with a pin code, and not come around to check on me untill after I have had plenty of unsupervised time at the premises?.... 

Sorry, but this is not best practice for safety and well being. 

Regards, Christine 

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

So, basicly nothing will change. Even now every host can ask his guest to upload his profile photo.

Now you just added another way out for guests . I see it coming... guest books and upload his picture, during the conversation host becomes unconfortable with this guest for whatever reason and wants to cancel. Guest complains it's discrimination based on his profile picture. Host is punished.

I recently read a story here on CC  about a guests who booked and arrived. Host was surprised because profile photo showed caucasion female, reviews were about a male and the couple who arrived were african american. Host become suspicious and as turned out this female account was hacked so the host kicked the guests out.

If their profile didn't have a profile picture host wouldn't suspect anything.

In the meantime we are waiting for our guests in front of the building on the busy street and have no idea how they look  like. Last month I've seen a couple of strangers looking arround and asked them if they are looking for Airbnb. They smiled and said Yes. I said "Great, I am Branka, I am your Airbnb host, follow me.." I took them to my apartment and they looked arround and said "... but this is not what we have booked !". It turned out they booked another apartment in the same building, but not mine. How could I possibly know, my guest's profile photo was a flower !

There are at least 15 rooms and apartments in just 4 buildings arround ours, and many many others in our street. You have no idea how many times I approached wrong people and asked "Are you X and Y , my Airbnb guests?" and they said "No". I felt so stupid 😄

We should know who are we waiting for.

Yes, hotels do not ask for a photo when guest books. But there the guest arrives, goes to the front desk and introduce themselves. The receptionist then ask him his photo ID , check his reservation and give him the key.

Airbnb doesn't work that way. I get the reservation from initials, just a first name, nicknames or names written in Chinese letters followed by pictures of kittens, flowers etc... and I meet them on the street.

Full name and profile picture should be mandatory for everyone who wants to book a private home.  If someone doesn't want to do it then he can book a hotel .

[Marsha17]

Absolutely Agree with you, Branka & Syliva!  We rent out 2 bedrooms in OUR home.  We MUST know who we are renting to, in order to feel safe.  We live in an area in which drug crimes are only a few blocks away.  Without photos, we could be housing criminals running from the cops. At that point, I will quit being an Airbnb host in favor of remaining alive to see my grandchildren grow up! 

[Stephanie635]

 My concern is not about photos, but the fact that guests do not have to present government ID before booking.  I raised this with Airbnb, and I was told that I could ask the guest for this when they arrive.  I would not feel comfortable challenging a guest who was already at my door, or in m home,  Having  paid already.  That could easily escalate.  It is safer and simpler for this to be done as part of company policy.  

[Jantine0]

I agree with Marsha, for me, safety is paramount. I am a female living alone and would not feel comfortable hosting a guest that has not provided a photo before booking. This has nothing to do with discrimmination but everything to do with safety. I believe there should be equal representation to the host's wishes and the guests. At the I don't think the host and guest have equal representation. A host should not be punished for cancelling a booking if they feel unsafe.  

[Mandy3]

Nor should a host feel that they do not have a choice.  I too am a single woman living alone - in my case in a very small village in the mountains in British Columbia.  While I enjoy the company, I do not HAVE to do this, and after more than 350 visitors from 22 countries, I've only turned down < 10 because I didn't feel comfortable with the look on their face.  I've even asked for a re-take of a photo as the fellow had on sun glasses and a cycling helmet.  No, this is not a good thing.  If it isn't reversed, I'll stop hosting airbnb, and find another way to travel while sitting comfortably on my sofa, and greeting travellers in my garden. 

[Carolyn208]

Definitely. I had a fake profile picture this past weekend and ended up having the police throw out the guests that did show up. I was terrified. This is a business, we should be able 2 see who's coming into our homes for many reasons least of which is racism. For racism to end people have to be held accountable.

[Sally300]

And actually, funny thing -- in most cities, and at the federal level, anti-discrimination housing laws don't actually apply if the space for rent is in the owner's home.  So you are legally allowed to discriminate on any and all facets if you want to, not that a person should, of course.

So, Air BnB wants to limit racism, at the expense of common sense safety, but in most cases they're not legally required to. I wonder if any of the people at the company know that? Because this feels like a knee-jerk response to the spector of potential lawsuits.

[Amanda815]

Sally is correct, discrimination laws do not apply if you are renting in your own home. Even at the state level it is understood that you as an individual have the right to choose who you want in your home.  It’s about safety!

[Jantine0]

In my opinion, the only winners here is AirBNB wanting as many bookings as possible, regardless of whether the host feels safe and comfortable accepting strangers into their homes.

Safety should be paramount. 

[Luca511]

Brilliant point! We (hosts) are completely blinded in this process.