Introducing Catherine Powell, our new Global Head of Hosting

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Introducing Catherine Powell, our new Global Head of Hosting

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At Airbnb, we started out with a close working relationship between our employees and hosts. Lots of our best ideas came directly from you, and we’re returning to that type of collaborative partnership that can help make each other better. 

 

Today, we’re excited to share a video featuring our new Global Head of Hosting Catherine Powell, who outlines her plan to rebuild our business around hosts like you. Her main focus: more transparency. 

 

 

Once you’ve watched the video, we’d really love to hear from you. Please let us know what you’d like us to cover in future Host Updates with Catherine. 

 

Thank you. 

278 Replies 278
Katie
Community Manager
Community Manager
London, United Kingdom

Hi @Jeanine26, thanks for your post. 

 

I reported this to the team for you, but they came back and said that perhaps you might be confusing features here? To clarify: if Airbnb is collecting taxes for the guest, those are not paid out to the host. We pay those directly to the local authority on whose behalf we are collecting. 

 

Hosts do have the option to add their own taxes though, for example if we are not collecting in your area, or we're not collecting everything for your listing. I'm guessing these might be the kind that you mention? These are paid to you as the host, and the payouts will be labelled as "Pass Through TOT". However, these payouts will always be sent to the default payout method, as the Pass Through TOT payouts are not supported for routing rules.

 

Here are a couple of Help Center links with more info:
https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/2523/how-do-i-add-taxes-to-my-listings
https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/2524/how-does-tax-payout-and-reporting-work

 

I hope this helps to explain what's going on here - please send me a DM if anything is still unclear 😊

Jeanine26
Level 2
Alabama, United States

Yes, it is a local tax that Air just started collecting Or allowing us to collect from guest online.  I’m guessing it would be a pass through as you are saying, but confused as to why it wouldn’t apply to routing rules because it is collected for each property.  As it stands now I am the primary and I cohost 2 properties. The owners of the properties pay their own taxes but is now nice to collect online. But, now when the taxes are collected they are sent to me and deposited into my payout account. It’s odd that it won’t go to the owner who is responsible for paying the tax. I now have to write them a check each month for the taxes collected and deposited into my account instead of theirs. Why would it not be directed to them?  Seems like it would be a simple fix with software routing. Surely I am not the only one experiencing this Inconvenience with cohosting..  thanks so much for your response.. 

I am having the same problem. I manage 14 properties for owners. I have set each one up with their own deposit account but the only thing that goes into their bank account is the rental monies but the tax. The tax which Airbnb collects from the guest often gets deposited to my default account which is mine because it was getting sent to one of  my property owners for everyone's reservations. It was a real mess. 

It is now happening only sporadically with no consistency to make sense. Every month I have to refund money to those owners that got deposited into my account. I am paying higher bookkeeping fees for my bookkeeper to go through each month to see what I need to refund. 

I did finally figure out on my own that I needed to add a taxpayer for each owner which helped but still quite a few go to the default. Seems like someone that is recording this information is not understanding what needs to be done. @Homes Not Alone 

Help!!!  

Alessandra0
Level 5
Mill Valley, CA

@Catherine-Powell When guests book using the non-refundable option in exchange for a 10% discount they should not be able to cancel using the EC policy. It just happened to me and it was infuriating. I got no help from CS because of the EC.

The guests booked a week or so before, knowing that there was smoke from wildfires (they live in SF). The day before they were due to arrive, they cancelled due to asthma and sent a doctors certificate to Airbnb. The problem is, the air was completely clean that day and the forecast was for clean air. I have an air quality monitor and also checked PurpleAir and other websites for data. All showed clean air. I sent the screenshots to Airbnb but nothing. The info they had at their end said smoke in all of Northern California was an EC, so there was nothing I could do.

I think the guests took advantage of the situation and cancelled for other reasons.

I am upset that Airbnb took their side and that CS was not able to reassess the situation.  If a guest pays less for a non-refundable booking, why should that reservation be refundable at all? I wish airlines were that lenient, or even hotels. I booked a hotel once and lost $1k because I had to cancel but since I had prepaid I was not given a refund.

Sara181
Level 2
Detroit, MI

One would think, as Global Head of Hosting, your first video would focus on the subjects in your job title. Help me understand why I had to plod through to the end of a 7+ minute intro to hear a passing mention of the need for improved Host customer service. Instead Ms Powell emphasizes what she brings from Disney (branding, guest experiences, and storytelling), a boo-hoo story about suspending Airbnb Experiences, and her excitement re the launch of Online Experiences⏤all of which are merely tangential to better serving airbnb hosts. I have been a host/superhost for 4+ years, time which included my fair share of problematic guests. With each problem (one guest going so far as to threaten destruction of the property), I never felt Airbnb had my back. The pandemic now seems to have brought out the worst in some guests, who I believe know just how to take advantage of the airbnb system with hosts taking the brunt. Add to that, the months it takes Airbnb to resolve issues. I'm still waiting for resolution from a July guest who multiple  broke house rules.

Dale622
Level 2
St. George, UT

@Airbnb 

 

Catherine says in her videos she is reading host emails. GREAT!

What is Catherine's email address please?

I have constructive feedback and suggestions I'd like to send her directly.

Thank you.

Pablo-E-Silvana0
Level 2
Ilhabela, Brazil

Welcome Catherine!
I will not be able to read the 271 comments posted here, but from the few that I read I could see that you are concerned with the hosts! Cool!
I would like to suggest that the AirBnb platform allows for the setting a second fee to be charged to guests (alternative) that differs from the cleaning fee. I have a heating system for my pool, which most guests love, but gas costs a lot, and it is charged separately.
I currently use the cleaning fee to make such a charge, but it is not the ideal format, knowing that in the future, hosts that charge high cleaning fees may be penalized in searches.
Best regards from Ilhabela, São Paulo, Brazil

@Pablo-E-Silvana0 There are other fees that you could charge. Look under listing - Pricing - other fees and charges - other standard fees. Not sure this will help but at least you could call a fee a different name to the cleaning fee.

Catherine,

Tks by your quick return!
On the path you mentioned (Pricing, other fees and charges) you can see on the attached image that "other standard fees" option is not shown. Only damage deposit, extra guests and week-end price.

Let me know if I choose a wrong path.Dummy.jpg

Tracie45
Level 1
Portland, OR

@Catherine-Powell 

Hi, can you please tell me how refunds are being handled for reservations that had to be cancelled due to evacuations and roads closure b/c of wild fires? Hwy 18 into Lincoln City was closed and the area had been evacuated. Not to mention thick black smoke blanketed the area. Am I correct in assuming this is extenuating circumstances beyond our control? I have requested full refund 3x now from Airbnb and have heard nothing. 

Katie
Community Manager
Community Manager
London, United Kingdom

Hi @Tracie45, thanks for getting involved, and welcome to the Community. You will need to get in touch with Support about this - you can send a message to them here, or there's a handy guide with other contact options here

Mark37
Level 3
St Petersburg, FL

Hello again Catherine, I just watched your video from earlier this month, I think you are on the right track. I am a SuperHost, currently with 2 Plus properties and a yacht on the platform.

 

However, would you please address the issues of allowing guests to cancel for extenuating circumstances.

 

I literally have lost thousands of dollars annually for the last several years.  Namely related to weather, and more recently Covid.

 

I have two condos at a ski resort in Colorado.  Snow is a great thing, except when there is too much and it disrupts travel. AirBNB has refunded guests multiple times due to weather.

 

I have had AirBNB refund guests for health related issues, not with the guest themselves...and not because of a death. The extenuating circumstances were questionable.

 

And of course Covid. at the end of ski season, I lost about $10k in bookings that AirBNB refunded.  I did get a little over $1,000 back. Then the county was closed down until June 1st.  A big hit financially.

 

People should purchase travel insurance. I travel a lot, all over the world.  I buy travel insurance...it makes sense.  And this could be a business for AirBNB, offer it! Even if it just broke even, it would go a long way for good will with hosts and guests.

 

So here is an example, over Christmas, one of my condos rents for $450/night plus AirBNB fees and taxes.  It is rented to 10 days.  If there is a blizzard in Colorado that keeps my guests from arriving, I will have lost a lot of money. Would the Marriott refund their money?  I don't think so.

 

If the county closes down again because of Covid, I guess you will be doing the same thing again. Which concerns me.

 

Please give this serious consideration.

Nuria186
Level 2
Miami Beach, FL

Hello Katherine,

I am very happy to see someone as highly evolved as yourself being introduced at AIRBNB as there is a good number of issues that need urgent improvement as many hosts have already migrated to other platforms due to the frustration that has nothing to do with Covid. As a consultant myself for big companies, 3000+ employees and a Juris Doctor, I am interested in sharing with you a couple of things that would cause a huge impact and much more income for hosts and Airbnb. Please, be so kind to share your email address ASAP or write to me so I can reply with some great ideas and revolutionary approaches that you will be delighted about.

Looking forward to hearing from you ASAP.

congratulations for the good job!

Many  Thanks,

Nuria

Catherine , why is air B and B collecting occupancy taxes on all properties on the Sunshine Coast BC Canada. We have confirmation from the local jurisdiction Sunshine Coast Regional District ( SCRD ) that they receive no occupancy tax monies as collected by Air B and B . So where does the money go except into your pockets as well as the service fees you collect from guests and hosts . Our properties are not in the big City of Vancouver so you have no authority to collect these taxes . Air B and B will face a legal challenge from guest and homeowners .