Airbnb Answers: Guest profile photos

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Airbnb Answers: Guest profile photos

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.

 

1,229 Replies 1,229

@Mark116, I know, I'm in total agreement. For me, I make sure they have at least several verifications and that they communicate well and engage with me, answering my questions in a way I see as proper. 

 

I turned IB off a while back because I want to make sure every guest is interacting with me and answering my questions. I certainly want to see a photo, but for me, the photo complements the verifications, hopefully prior positive reviews and also most importantly for me, good communication. 

@John1080  Interestingly, I'm now considering turning ON IB, because at least that way we can require a government ID and prior reviews, and this will be sad because we've had many, many fantastic first time guests.

 

I feel that all the efforts at hosting, working to customize the experience for each set of guests, e.g. we give a cake when they tell us there is a bday or anniversary, even being a superhost is worthless.  I might as well turn on IB and stop with all the personal touches, take the money and not worry about any community, outreach, personal interactions at all.  Treat myself like a  property manager instead of a host.

@Mark116, it does seem Airbnb is gravitating more and more away from a 'community' which will mean fewer special touches and fewer personal interactions in the long run. 

 

Can understand your sentiment of going with IB to be able to at least have that security in the verification of the government ID. I have turned it on and off a few times and I've never had any issues with any of my IB guests, but I want that communication, which I find many IB guests do not provide. Also, for me as a remote host who relies on my cleaners, I'm always concerned that an IB will come through and my cleaners will not be able to get in to clean up. It hasn't happened yet, but it's always hanging over my head. 

 

Sometimes leaving things alone and not constantly 'improving' things would be in the best interest of the company and the community as a whole I feel. 

Amanda495
Level 2
Chester, United Kingdom

I couldn't agree more. I love what I do and it's become my full-time work. I put a lot of effort in to understanding my guests' and their needs in order to give them the best possible experience. Guests shouldn't be allowed to register without photo I'D and it's unreasonable to expect dedicated, caring hosts to accept them without it.

Gregg31
Level 4
Gold Coast, Australia

Well this has got to be the most short-sighted change I have come across.

If I walk into a real estate agent to rent a property; they see me.

If I apply to rent a property online, the property managers usually go hunting on FB to see who they are dealing with.

So now Airbnb thinks its appropriate to not provide a guests photo, particularly if they have no reviews, until after its booked; based on some hosts who discriminate. Personally I would not want to stay with a host who does discriminate, better any host discrimination is dealt with at booking stage, then in the hosts home.

We are dealing with people we don't know, inviting them into our homes, & we dont get to see their faces before we make an informed decision?

I usually suggest to new guests that they have a profile pic as most hosts like to see who they are dealing with.

I refuse to rent to persons under 18years old, for insurance and liability issues with underage. So theres' my discrimination, particularly in a city that hosts grade 12 end of year parties. Even the hotels charge them a HUGE bond to get a room.

It only takes one bad egg to bring the system down; I use my educated eye to gauge, & then I can be wrong. But at least I had the option to try.

This is now formally ridiculous. Change it back please.

Airbnb has now turned this into a blind lottery.

Luca511
Level 7
New York, NY

I am so disappointed and continue to say this is a big mistake.

It is so obvious but so true The real world is different than the virtual world. People book for other people all the time. I am a superhost with instant booking on, its not about discrimination is about safety and fraud. It’s about being covered for Airbnb host guarantee which does not cover 3rd party bookings? How are we going to be able to distinguish if a friend, co-worker, manager, agent, boss or simply a fraudulent transaction is happening and someone else is staying in your home instead? If we don’t have a profile picture we won’t be able to tell they are who they say they are. https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/1640/how-can-i-give-feedback-about-airbnb

 

In the real world guests show up and its up to us to deal with what they are bring in or who they bring in. Maybe not even the account who has made the booking will show up. But apparently Airbnb is not worried about this. 

Olev0
Level 3
Toronto, Canada

I agree with most comments in this thread! This is absolutely horrible.

It is also great to see how many people are upset by this.  I don't have time to read all the comments but as far as I was able to read, there was not one host in favour of this appalling move!

Maria3008
Level 3
Milan, Italy

This is a very bad decision!

In order to speed up the trust building and the relationship between Guest and Host a photo would help a lot.

i would like to have as many info as possible before deciding if I can rent my flat for 6/12 months to a stranger.

We are in the age of Social when people post any private detail and Airbnb decides to go backwords!!

Bad choice!

 

Roy20
Level 2
Lafayette, CO

As a host, I do not agree with this change whatsoever. I need to see what kind of person they are. I've had people here from many races and areas of the world and do not discriminate if their reason for booking makes sense. There is information you get from the kind of photo they post that you can't get otherwise. I have A LOT more to lose then they do by just posting a photo in terms of what they could do to my home. They can see my photo, but I can't see theirs until after I've accepted them. I am penalized if it's a scary photo and I cancel? Makes no sense to me.

Naomi170
Level 3
Vancouver, Canada

I want my guests to have confirmed government ID with Airbnb. But Airbnb only allows this with instant book. 

For many valid reasons I cannot use instant book for my property. 

How will Airbnb protect my interests in this case?

If it is truly about making things better for your hosts, you should require government ID for all bookings not just instant book. 

I feel you are trying to secure your own profits on service charges rather than protecting the people who take the risk to be hosts. 

Please rethink this.  

 

You’ve touched the central issue @Naomi0 

 

This is all about profit, and i find it sad that these policies would be implemented without looking at other options that would maintain good will.  It’s starting to feel like Amazon when they began to get full of themselves and transformed from an innovative venue that offered global access to literature into an entity more focused on acquisition and monopolizing...whatever it could.

 

From a sustainability point of view, ABB is  shooting themselves in the foot as the platform competition grows because of the wholesalers who continue to dominate the traditional markets and invite us in.

 

If we want a hotel-style platform there are plenty, and there are more intimate platforms rising up that focus on trust and safety, for the same or maybe slightly increased fees that include more built in screening features.

 

Many hosts have been listing elsewhere simultaneously despite the scheduling headaches and have shared that the rewards systems ABB offers such as superhost seem less compelling as the bookings from other venues generate equal of better profits for the fees paid, risk, and work involved.

 

Im really surprised at the increasing attitude  that ABB has such an abundance of hosts they don’t have to stand by thier promises to us, or worse, impose policy that erodes these previously beneficial policies that allows them a back door way our regarding liability for damages to host properties they advertise front and center...

 

Example: if someone lies and books for someone else it’s technically a 3rd party booking.  Air BB doesn’t stand by thier damage or support promises with 3rd party bookings.  This new relaxation of profile ID and photo policies gives them that way out...and opens doorways that allow those with the inclination to take advantage an open invitation.

 

we’re on our own with fraudulent bookings even if they destroy our place...we can’t know if the person who booked is the one who shows up without a photo and and with no verified picture ID, we have no way ID who is in our home unless we become like an airport security agent and ask for picture ID and do a background check before they come through the front door.

 

This new policy has so many liability loopholes I’m left wondering if this is really about racial profiling, especially after the recent headlines about major damages in Los Angeles ABB became responsible for after some scammers got evicted by police by neighbors who called them and discovered multiple illegal activities and damage.

 

They still don’t know the identities of everyone that was there.

 

Rather than relaxing standards, we should be increasing them.

 

Overall safety is an issue that impacts everyone here...including the management. We should be looking at ways to increase it, not relax the policies.

Nathan225
Level 2
Los Angeles, CA

This is a great example of the knee jerk reaction our society gives when the actions of a few dictate the policy of many.  Because there have been a few legitimate discrimination cases on the Airbnb platform, now all good actors will be devalued by these few.  Perhaps instead of being overly sensitive to the few bad actors that occasionally srpout up, focus efforts on eliminating them from the platform altogether.  Instead, as is so much policy you see in Western poltiics and communities, those in charge of the rules divert focus from the real culprits, ie the bigots in this case, and rather focus on sweeping reform to the community as a whole.  I realize we are talking only about a photo, but think about how important photos are to the internet in our social media age.  Would you ever accept a friend request from a non-photo profile?  Go on a date with a non-photo match?  And how about giving up the keys to your house?

Perfectly stated...

I agree!

I'm positive that this change has nothing to do with security, discrimination, bigotry,  knee-jerk reactions, or politics.  It is to keep owners and guests from finding each other off of the AirBnB platform which would bypass AirBnB fees.  That is why they hide the guest's picture until *after* a booking has been confirmed and AirBnB has collected their monies.

 

All the rest is a red-herring.  It is the only credible explanation I can think of for this inexplicable change.  This, as most things, is about money.