Improved protections for Hosts and guests

Airbnb
Official Account

Improved protections for Hosts and guests

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The strength of Airbnb is built on your commitment to ensuring guests have great stays. In the rare event that something happens outside your control, and you aren’t able to resolve the issue, we want your guests to know Airbnb is there to help.

 

Last November, we introduced AirCover for Hosts.** We’re now adding AirCover for guests, offering industry-leading free protections for our whole community. This will ensure that everyone has the confidence to host and stay on Airbnb.

 

We also have new info about AirCover for Hosts that will allow you to escalate a reimbursement request faster, and updates about security deposits, travel insurance for guests, and removing COVID-19 as an extenuating circumstance. 


Head to the Resource Center to get all the details, and tell us: What has your experience been with AirCover for Hosts since we introduced it last year?

36 Replies 36
Jenny
Community Manager
Community Manager
Galashiels, United Kingdom

Sorry to hear about this, @Eszter34.

I've escalated this to Support to see if they can follow up.

Jenny

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Please follow the Community Guidelines

Rebecca1718
Level 2
Murrells Inlet, SC

My experience with Aircover has not been good. I have reached out to the resolution center multiple times with no response regarding a large claim in damages caused by my very first guest at a new listing  @Emilie They only reach out by email. They sent 2 emails that went to spam folder, and instead of calling me to follow-up, Brenda sent another email that I finally got in my inbox, and gave me a lowball offer. The email states" go ahead and confirm acceptance of this offer" and if they do not here from me in 3 days they will assume I'm no longer pursing this claim and the request will be closed.   I'm assuming they will say they never heard back because they don't respond! 

Stephanie365
Level 10
Fredericksburg, VA

@Airbnb, @Jenny  @Emilie  @Sybe    Why is AirBNB systematically trying to take all control of our properties away from hosts? 

1. We are not allowed to select the categories where our property belongs. We have to hope that the Dumbbots get it right. So far they are not...

2. I understand we're no longer allowed to ask guests to provide ID when they enter our personal homes and that we're supposed to just trust that AirBNB has properly vetted these people?  Based on how swimmingly well you're doing with the category fiasco....  I'm thinking probably not a good job there either.  I WILL know who is sleeping in my home under my roof.  Hotels ask guests for ID when they check in. I will continue to do the same. This is literally my life I'm risking.

3. Now I understand you're rescinding our abilities to collect a security deposit through the Resolution Center?  Once again, we're supposed to trust a bunch of **[Inappropriate content removed in line with the Community Center Guidelines] to determine whether or not we should be compensated when one of those well-vetted guests stay and destroys our home?  

AirBNB does not have a vested interest in protecting our real estate investments.
AirBNB does not have a vested interest in protecting us hosts from psychopaths and fraudsters.
AirBNB only cares about their share holders and profits.

Every Single Day multiple people on Social Media post how as hosts, they were screwed over by AirBNB siding with guests even in the face of overwhelming proof that the guest's behavior was dead wrong.

~AirBNB issuing full refunds to guests who violated every AirBNB policy known to man without even getting the host's story.
~Declining to pay for damages when some drunk guest crashes through a sliding glass door.
~Letting people stay 5 days, then refunding them when they see a bug.
~Going against a host's cancellation policy and offering guests a refund because someone lied about having a sniffle when in fact they simply changed their plans.

You really think we should trust AirBNB to Do The Right Thing by us hosts? Hahahaha! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

I have the box checked on my listing for charging a security deposit up to $1,000. Turns out that's a complete joke. If the guest doesn't want to pay for damages, you don't charge them and they are not penalized in any way. You just let them go on their merry way and trash the next host's house. That's not how an actual security deposit works. The guest isn't supposed to get a vote as to whether or not they pay for something they broke.  And now you're trying to take away our ability to charge a real security deposit to protect our investments? You really expect us to trust AirBNB to do right by us hosts? With your track record?  I don't think so.

Stephanie365
Level 10
Fredericksburg, VA

@Airbnb @Emilie @Sybe @Jenny   Why has no one responded to my queries?

Why is AirBNB taking away our controls? 

On the AirBNB Terms of Service, Section 5.3 it states:

5.3 Independence of Hosts. Your relationship with Airbnb is that of an independent individual or entity and not an employee, agent, joint venturer, or partner of Airbnb, except that Airbnb Payments acts as a payment collection agent as described in the Payments Terms. Airbnb does not direct or control your Host Service, and you agree that you have complete discretion whether and when to provide Host Services, and at what price and on what terms to offer them.

Yet I cannot choose my category for MY listing.
I cannot collect a security deposit as a term or condition of booking my place to protect MY home. <<WHY????? 
I cannot ask for ID as a term or condition of booking my place to make sure a Sexual Predator is not booking my home.

How is this giving me complete discretion regarding my listing? How is this giving me complete discretion regarding the terms I agree to host my guests?

Jenny
Community Manager
Community Manager
Galashiels, United Kingdom

Hi @Stephanie365 

 

While we elevate Host questions and issues internally, and try to get more information where possible as well, we aren’t part of Customer Support so we might not always have the answers to your queries. We however read each and every one of the comments here on the Community Centre, so you can be assured you’re always heard. 🙂

 

We understand that the latest Airbnb update has been an important topic for lots of our members, and as you know, we’ve been collecting feedback over the last month and passing it over to the Product team. 

 

As a result of that, Airbnb have released an update here with a promise of more updates to come, based on the feedback that they’ve received from Hosts like you.

 

The update covers Airbnb Categories, both how guests can search, and how Hosts can make sure their listings are in the correct categories.  The update confirms that Airbnb are exploring ways to make sure Hosts can see which categories they’re in and also developing a process for new categories.

 

With regards to security deposits, you’ll find more information here, which I think will be relevant to you.

You might like to take a look at this page with safety tips, which mentions verifying a guest’s identity, which then links through to this page detailing the process.  You can also request guests to be verified before booking using these instructions.

 

We will continue to share as much information as we can and respond to your questions where we can. Thank you again for your ongoing feedback!

 

Thanks, 

 

Jenny

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@Jenny  No, the link to information regarding security deposits is not relevant or helpful at all. It just tells me as a host that I can't charge one. Unless I use API-connected software. Why should I have to use a 3rd party hosting software program to be allowed to protect my personal property?  This is very classist and prejudicial against the smaller hosts who are not corporate entities.

It is well documented here and on other social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook, that reimbursements through any so-called insurance  via AirBNB (Air Cover,  Host Guarantee, etc.) is far more miss than hit, especially for damages that cost over $100. Based on the gross ineptitude of Customer Service agents to even understand a problem much less be able to address one before "the end of their shift and being gone for 2 days", I have absolutely ZERO confidence in getting any sort of a payout for damages beyond poop-stained sheets.

AirBNB's own Terms of Services for hosts specifically states,

5.3 Independence of Hosts. Your relationship with Airbnb is that of an independent individual or entity and not an employee, agent, joint venturer, or partner of Airbnb, except that Airbnb Payments acts as a payment collection agent as described in the Payments Terms. Airbnb does not direct or control your Host Service, and you agree that you have complete discretion whether and when to provide Host Services, and at what price and on what terms to offer them. 

Those "terms" I want to offer my home include guests paying a real security deposit UP FRONT to strongly encourage them to behave and not treat my home like Delta Tau Chi on the move, Animal House.  Because time and time again, guests refuse to take ownership for their damages and AirBNB just says, "Ok, you don't have to pay." AirBNB is literally telling guests, "It's ok to trash our host's homes. There's no financial repercussions if you do." 

 

Alex-And-Kate0
Level 2
Prague, Czechia

We've just lost 2000 euros in the 2 similar cases that happened this week. Be ready that you can be scammed anytime and, as the host, you will not be protected by the Airbnb at all, if the guests find something cheaper and don’t feel satisfied with the amount of money they booked your place for, because most of the time there are other cheaper last-minute deals on the market, or they just want to cancel free of charge.


So, speaking shortly here's the guide on how you can possibly lose all the money on your future bookings as the host + will be left unprotected or how you can receive a full refund anytime you find something cheaper as the guest:


There are Improved protections for Hosts and guests and Rebooking and Refund Policy which literally says, that the guest is eligible for a full refund if the accommodation is not reasonably clean and sanitary, including bedding and towels. It doesn't say anything about you having the option to solve the issue or change the linen/ provide extra cleaning.


So the guest can just put his hair on the bed or mark something with lipstick on the pillow, for example, then take a photo and send it to the Airbnb and you will receive the cancelation with the full refund provided to the guest.


You won’t be given the opportunity to solve the issue, you will just receive the cancelation and be ignored by the support managers.


We have over 100 apartments, it happened to us 2 times this week with a loss which equals the 50 nights to be sold right now, since both of the bookings were on the most expensive dates in Prague (New Year's eve). The first time, we were not even contacted by the support and the guest, the second time the support manager sent us these links they are relying on, where you as the Host are not protected by Airbnb at all, so be ready this might happen to you anytime.