Officially introducing the members of Airbnb’s Host Advisory Board

[#1]

*Posted live: December 16th

Today, we’re excited to share a video officially introducing the members of Airbnb’s Host Advisory Board.

As we recently announced, Airbnb is launching a formal program to give hosts a seat at the table. The Host Advisory Board is a group of selected hosts that will not only keep the community informed, but share your feedback directly with Airbnb leadership.  The board will also help inform how  the Airbnb Host Endowment is invested in the community, and influence policies, programs, and new products.

These 17 selected hosts were chosen for their passion, their contributions to the hosting community, and their desire to create a better future for all hosts—among other criteria. Together, they’ve hosted more than 15,000 guests with a combined total of 86 years of hosting experience and an average star rating of 4.9!

*To add or change subtitles to the video, hover over the video and click on the little 'Settings' wheel in the bottom right corner. Then click 'Subtitle/CC' and select your language. 

Watch the video above to meet the community members serving on the board and learn about their individual passions and experience. To find out more about how the board will work together to advocate for the community, check out the latest Host Update article featuring our Head of Hosting, Catherine Powell.

Do keep your eyes peeled here in the Community Center as we will be introducing the board members in the new year. There will be regular opportunities for our new board members to respond to your questions and address important topics.

[Tosca-and-Edo0]

Completely agree.

Happy to have some representation and,,

yes,,,

happy if a chance of restoring that awesome customer support opens up) 

[Jeremy-And-Rachel0]

I really hope this is a way that any host can get their voice heard at corporate level.  I am great full to Airbnb for stopping me going bankrupt at a result of the banking crisis caused by..... (the corporate world).   I wish the founders all the best but I am worried that we, the hosts, that generate the income for the corporate man (it is invariably a man) milking it at the top, will ultimately suffer.  

[Helen552]

I sure hope that we may be able to communicate with advisory board   cause it was impossible to communicate with AIRBNB this summer.  I think that not answering phone inquiries from hosts and clients trying to book is UNACCEPTABLE...not a very good way to do business

[Helen552]

sorry my post is there but their system did not work the first time ...when I hit reply the screen froze...I had to click out and when i came back to this page I did not see my post so typed it again.   That is another big problem I have...their site does not always function properly in my part of the world

[Katie]

Hi @Helen552, sorry to hear you've had issues with the Community Centre. I've just removed the duplicate post for you so not to worry - do let me know if you have further problems though and I can try and help you get to the bottom of them 😊

[Angela980]

How do you help me get paid on all the damage claims I have in with Airbnb? They are sitting on my dashboard and no one at Airbnb will pay me for the damages out of my damage deposits that the guests pay. I have sent a copious amount of documentation on the damage, the receipts, and the dates of purchase and I have been paid nothing on 4 claims and I have had to pay for all the repairs myself!!! Where is the help and what is the security deposit for if I cannot collect on the damage the guests do to my property. I hate Airbnb for not care for me or my properties and letting guests destroy my business. Can you help me get paid on my claims? Please I need help. Angela

**[Personal information removed in line with - Community Center Guidelines]

[Angela980]

** Please help me! Angela 

**[Personal information removed in line with - Community Center Guidelines]

[Nick]

Hi @Angela980 

I'm sorry to see you are experiencing this issue. Upon reading your post I sent the relevant information to the appropriate department and I will update you via DM as soon as I have any news on your case.

Thank you. 

[Brian462]

Good to hear about the new Board. Interesting that out of 17 Board members there are three from California - that’s about 15%. Seems a bit high for a global enterprise?

[Anne9831]

I'm a UK host, and strongly feel that if a legitimate person wishes to book stays 'honestly', there is no reason why they would have a problem in providing relevant government ID, along with a photo of themselves. How many places, ie hotels etc, insist on taking credit card info upon booking.... the majority I would say. Having to provide ID will help get rid of some of the more troublesome guests, that do sadly make up a profile, leave a mess , then use the host rating system to gently threaten you into not complaining about them etc. My worst non compliant booking was a nearby hotel manager booked my apartment, lying stating it was for 1 person, then throughout 2 nights a succession of various hotel staff came and went, never locking the door, then left a mess and no return of key! They'd been sleeping in bedroom and the lounge.  The booking looked like a legitimate booking, until after when I dig further and found out the truth. I spoke to the manager and told him in no uncertain terms, to ever try to book my place again. I didn't report him though.... I felt lesson learned for me and stopped taking Instant Bookings. I feel penalised for not taking instant bookings, but like the fact I can now ask guests a few questions before I accept a booking. Come on Airbnb Management, get ID and photos (of person, not a dog or suchlike) compulsory please, save lots of us hosts having these issues. Much appreciated..... look forward to more Community stories..... 🙂

[Melodie-And-John0]

@Catherine-Powell , thanks for launching this program, I wish the 17 members the best of luck dealing with the mass of challenges an Airbnb host planet can offer and they will be asked to consider almost daily once their connection links have been created, its going to be a rush for sure!!!!!   I'm guessing you can relate to that having been tagged and called to task more times in a day than most of us will be in a year!

I have to echo the concerns of @Brian462  and @Kade3 about the US composition, I have no problem with the hosts specifically, they seem like awesome people and are certainly solid reps of their own brand and AIrbnb's and have proven they care for their guests just like most repeat Superhosts do.  My concern is that California is a small fraction of representation of the US in reality,  its demographics, tax systems, municipal and regulatory concerns are not representative of Kansas, Arkansas, Oregon, Texas,  Montana, Alaska, Florida  or 40+ other states or territories. 

@Brian can testify that the NY population and even culture above the Hudson Mason Dixon line is not much like the one below it, I would have hoped the selection might be a little more sensitive to the variety of hosts and destinations the USA has to offer the rest of the world.    To be blunt (that might be what I do best), The US of A as a whole is getting a little tired of being marginalized by our own government as concerns and needs "Like San Fran, Atlanta, Seattle and NY City", our nations diversity and variety in reality is much less about what a sighted person could see and more the sum total of our different internal and external parts or even lack of them (those with disabilities). 

All that said, I will support the team as it has been formed 100%, I just ask them all to consider their nations citizenship as a whole and not their specific geographic locations as those they were selected to represent.  We all need this to work and depending on it to make sure Hosts become more than ever changing contract bound conscripts to the Mother Ship, bless you all and us all!   Be well, JR

[Danna-and-Carey0]

Would like to see host have the ability to exchange days with other host perhaps paying a transaction and cleaning fee.

[Katie]

Hi @Danna-and-Carey0, thanks for your suggestion here. Just to get a bit more clarification on what you're thinking: do you mean giving hosts the opportunity to stay with other hosts on vacation, as part of an exchange of stays?

[Sharon1014]

17 board members guarantees this advisory group will never get anything done.  I once had a board of 12, it was totally unworkable, meetings took forever, decision making was slow as a wet week, everyone wanted to have their say about every little thing and the decisions that did eventually result were the outcome of the lowest common denominator and not at all in the best interests of the organisation.

Solution = created an executive board of 4 plus me as the manager.  Worked a treat.  We could meet more frequently (weekly) and liaison with each other was simple.  Decisions were high quality and fitting for the needs, then ratified by the full board at monthly meetings.

The Host Advisory Board should have a similar Executive Board structure - 1 representative from each of the following, making a total of 7 maximum.

US

Canada

South America

Europe

UK

Australia/New Zealand

Asia

The remaining 10 advisory board members could run the CC as moderators so they have active engagement in the on-going issues of the wider ABNB community rather than their own little piece of the universe. which may or may not reflect the bigger issues affecting all hosts. 

And it would save the company a ton of money if SoG wasn't needed.  Some further company belt tightening is going to be needed over the northern hemisphere winter, this would be a good place to start - giving hosts real ownership over their own forum.

@Danna-and-Carey0 @Alexandra516  @Melodie-And-John0 @Anne9831 @Robin4 @Sarah977  @Ute42 @Andrew0  @Brian462  @Rebecca181 @Emiel1  @Ann72 @Keshav7  @Bonnie-And-Nilda0  @Barbara-and-Joe0  @Anne1005  @Ben3758  @Kade3  @Anthony712  @Mark-and-Gabriela0  @Cathie19  @Yvonne658 @Michael288  @Tosca-and-Edo0  @Jeremy-And-Rachel0 @Helen552  @Emilia42   @Angela980  @Airbnb  @Brian  @Catherine-Powell  (and anyone else I missed 😀 )

[Sarah977]

Absolutely. That old adage "Too many cooks spoil the broth" holds true.

But you've left out some entire regions of the world in your list (I'm impressed by your financial/economic knowledge and your general take on things, but maybe geography isn't your strong suit).

Mexico is part of North America, not South America. So I'd add "Mexico and Central America (Guatemala to Panama)" to that list. You've also left off Africa entirely and I would argue that "Asia" is too broad a region and should be further broken down. And how about the Caribbean and the Pacific Islands? So if there was a rep from each region, it looks more like 10 to than 7.

@Sharon1014