Strengthening our commitment to community standards

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Strengthening our commitment to community standards

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Hosts around the world have told us how much hosting means to them—personally and financially—and how rewarding great guest experiences can be. On the flip side, a bad experience with a guest can be frustrating and, in rare cases, even disruptive. We know these moments can meaningfully impact you and your time, money, and local community.

 

You’ve also given us feedback that you’d like us to hold the entire community, both hosts and guests, to the same high standards. We agree. That’s why in early 2020, we’ll be rolling out enhanced guest standards that set higher expectations for a trustworthy community. 

 

Establishing stronger guest standards

Our new Guest Standards Policy will clarify what Airbnb expects of guests, with the goal of ensuring that hosts can consistently have more positive experiences. When a guest doesn’t meet one of the standards outlined in the policy, they’ll receive a warning with education around how to be a better guest. We’ll track and weigh infractions (based on their severity), and repeated infractions may lead to suspension or removal of a guest from the platform. 

 

These guest standards build upon existing policies we already have in place to address the more serious trust and safety issues that result in immediate removal from the platform. We’re enhancing our system to better monitor for guests who engage in less serious misconduct, so that we can educate and take appropriate action against those guests. 

 

By setting clear standards, staffing teams to take action, and putting technology in place to track noncompliance, we expect to improve overall guest behavior and increase community trust. 

 

So what are the standards?

The new guest standards address some of the most common concerns expressed by our host community, and support our broader efforts to address parties that are unauthorized or disturb the community. Beginning in early 2020, the new policy will cover these five scenarios:

 

  1. Excessive noise: A disruptive level of noise, like loud music, prolonged shouting, or repeated pounding or stomping. It does not include complaints about minor or short-term disruptions (like a loud phone call) or noise that can’t be avoided (like walking up and down the stairs).
  2. Major cleanliness concerns: Anything that requires excessive cleaning after a guest checks out. This means extensive amounts of trash, debris, or food strewn throughout the property. It does not mean minor messes (like food left in the fridge or bagged trash left next to a trash can) or anything that could be considered part of normal wear and tear or turnover (like unwashed linens or a dirty kitchen).
  3. Unauthorized guests: When more guests stay overnight or visit the space than the host has authorized for that reservation.
  4. Unauthorized parking: When a guest or one of their visitors parks in an area that the host designated as off-limits, or when a guest or their visitors exceeds the number of cars that the host allows to park at the property, as set out in the listing description.
  5. Unauthorized smoking: When a guest or one of their visitors smokes inside the listing and the listing description prohibits smoking (this includes the use of tobacco, marijuana, e-cigarettes, etc.).

 

The new Guest Standards Policy kicks in when it’s been determined that a guest has engaged in one of these behaviors. Hosts may report a violation, and we’ll also accept reports of excessive noise through our Neighbor Reporting tool or from local law enforcement. 

 

What you can do 

We encourage you to clearly outline what you expect of guests in your House Rules, listing description, and messages to your guests. It’s particularly important to specify your rules around parking, extra guests, and smoking so we know if it should be considered “unauthorized” under the policy. When a guest fails to uphold these standards, it’s important to begin by addressing the issue with them directly—this is often the quickest path to resolution. In all cases, be ready to provide evidence that demonstrates a rule has been broken, whether that’s photos of excessive trash left in your space, an emailed complaint from a neighbor, or some other documentation. 

 

What comes next 

The second phase of the rollout will include additional scenarios we know are top of mind for you, like late checkouts, late check-ins, and unauthorized pets. Our goal is to roll out these additional standards later in 2020. Over time, and with your feedback, we expect to cover even more situations that are important to you. 

 

Your top questions, answered

Over the past few weeks, we’ve spent a lot of time talking to hosts and collecting feedback on this new policy. We’ve addressed a few of the top questions below.

 

 

Why are you rolling out guest standards in phases? 

These new standards represent a significant change for the community (both hosts and guests), and we want to make sure they’re working as intended before we expand them. Rolling out the policy in phases lets us carefully experiment with the standards, education and warning systems, processes, and technology systems we’re using. We aim to gradually expand and refine the policy to address other challenges that are specific to certain groups of hosts as well as different property types. This will be a journey, and we appreciate your input along the way. 

 

What happens if I report an urgent safety incident while it’s occurring?

If you or your property is in danger, you should always contact local authorities first. We already have policies in place to handle severe safety issues, like assault and violent threats. Violators of these policies are, and will continue to be, subject to immediate removal from the platform. We’re also in the process of rolling out an Urgent Support Line that routes hosts directly to agents who are specifically trained to handle these kinds of calls. The goal is to ensure your call is handled quickly and consistently, so you feel supported every time. 

 

How will I be supported when I call in with an issue about a guest in one of these scenarios?

As part of the new policy, hosts can request penalty-free cancellations for the remaining nights in a reservation when a guest has violated these standards and the situation cannot be resolved. And as always, if there is any damage to your property as a result of one of the above scenarios, you can file a claim under our $1,000,000 USD Host Guarantee.   

 

Why aren’t you enforcing all of my House Rules?

Initially, the new Guest Standards Policy will focus on the House Rules that hosts have told us they care about most. We know there are lots of other scenarios that hosts include in their House Rules and listing details. And while these scenarios are important to you, they may not be relevant to all hosts (e.g. rules around whether shoes or certain types of food are allowed in the home). Although these more personal rules aren’t covered by our new Guest Standards Policy, you can help set the right expectations with clear communication—sometimes a respectful reminder can be enough to resolve an issue. 

 

Keep the feedback coming

You've been telling us we need more robust guest standards to make our community stronger. We expect that, over time, these changes will improve guest behavior and your experiences as a host. We’re pleased to take this critical step in our journey to improve safety and reliability for our hosts. There’s still a lot more work to be done, and we appreciate your ongoing input. 

 

The growth of our community, and the trust we’ve built, could not have happened without your partnership. Thank you for all you do, and please let us know if you have any feedback in the comments below. 

754 Replies 754
Lizzie
Former Community Manager
Former Community Manager
London, United Kingdom

Hello @Jennifer1421,

 

I hope you have had a good weekend. 

 

Good news, the next update is due to be shared later this week, I'll keep you posted if this changes at all and will let you and other CC members know once it's live. 

 

Thank you,

Lizzie


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Thank you for the last 7 years, find out more in my Personal Update.


Looking to contact our Support Team, for details...take a look at the Community Help Guides.

Hi @Lizzie 

Just wondering if there is any more news about the next update, which you mentioned was due to be released last week?

Thanks

Lizzie
Former Community Manager
Former Community Manager
London, United Kingdom

Hey @Jennifer1421,  I hope you are doing well and you are not too rushed off your feet this time of year. 🙂

 

I just wanted to come back to you here to say that we have posted a couple more updates in the Airbnb Updates board which you might like to take a look at. 

 

Hope you find them useful. 

 

Thanks,

Lizzie


--------------------


Thank you for the last 7 years, find out more in my Personal Update.


Looking to contact our Support Team, for details...take a look at the Community Help Guides.

Jo-and-Bruce0
Level 2
Pensacola, FL

When is Airbnb going to limit the number of listings an individual or family can have to two?

 

When are we going to return to the original concept of this being an alternative to staying in a resort or hotel, etc. and eliminate corporate hospitality listings? I'm not interested in being grouped with these large, impersonal listing options, and will eventually leave Airbnb if this doesn't change.

 

Also, if these changes are not made, communities are going to limit the listings for you because of the negative impact on affordable, long-term, rental markets.

 

Take some responsibility for maintaining the concept rather than maximizing your short-term profits, and a probable IPO disaster, and the end of Airbnb.

This is a good start. I'd add a requirement for guests to have a profile picture of themselves with a clear shot of their face, and require guests to write at least a tiny bit about themselves in their profile. If I'm going to the trouble to open my home, clean, adjust my schedule, etc, they can write a sentence. 

 

I find that many guests do not read the listing, or even the House Rules and I'd like Airbnb to stress to guests the importance of our Rules. 

 

I deeply dislike not seeing someone's picture until after the reservation is confirmed. I'm a single woman renting rooms and you can tell a lot by a photo, including whether the guest has followed the basic rules and uploaded a photo of themselves.  I had a guest whose photo was him from the waist up and he appeared naked. That's not a dude who's welcome in my home. 

 

Thanks, 

 

Victoria

Superhostess 2014-2019

Zafar7
Level 4
Chicago, IL

Airbnb will still refund the unused nights of the rules breaker.  Allowing a host to cancel penalty free (ie not coercing a host to put up with a bad guest) is not a deterrent to bad guests.  Warnings and education do not go far enough.  It is not specifically in my rules that a guest should not burn down my house, but according to Airbnb logic, if they did, they would be entitled to get a refund of their unused nights after the damage was done.  The host guarantee program is known by hosts to rarely pay out the real costs of damages and is far to cumbersome to file a claim for anything less than the most severe of damages.  Security deposits are actually never charged on the guest’s credit card.  This is progress on a glacial pace.

Patricia1307
Level 3
Springboro, PA

I think this new policy is a good idea. Will location reviews still be counted against hosts? I do give specific details about my listing, such as: rural secluded area, rental on well maintained dirt road, times required to drive to stores, possible snow conditions in winter and need to be able to drive in snowy conditions etc. However, sometimes people still complain.

Thank you Airbnb for getting started on this. It's been needed for a long time now!

Patricia55
Level 10
Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom

@Anker0 

"getting started" being the operative words 😉

Anton3890
Level 2
Eschenlohe, DE

That's sound great but I did not find the scenario or information when the case likes this: the guest book for one but they come with extra guest. This happening to me many times since the guest not read all the information or house rule completely. Then they give us low star rating but write content of feedback which not break your policy?

Dale7
Level 3
Phoenix, AZ

I believe a lot of problems might be avoided if potential guests are required to supply a government-issued ID to Airbnb before they are allowed to complete their profile. I understand that in some cases that document might not be available, however, perhaps Airbnb can require something else that will help hosts see that the guest has been at least partially authenticated by Airbnb.  

Yulianna0
Level 10
Madrid, Spain

I’ll be happy to see how it works. We are community based on trust, but I’m loosing trust in human capabilities to read and understand the simple text. 
What about lowering guests rating of acceptance when he was declined because he was not reading? 

Terry24
Level 2
Chgo, IL

Whenever I have a dispute with a guest such as them breaking the rules. I can be guaranteed a bad review.

This is still not addressing the "fear of negative feedback" if we as hosts, report certain behaviors, violations by guests etc.  That is the main reason, why numerous times, I have absorbed the cost of excessive cleanup and other issues of guests (like bringing 4-5 additional guests than on the booking) because challenging the guest immediately results in negative review.  And guests know, that they can't leave retaliation review, so they make up false things about the property just to 'get back at you' for confronting them.  When will Airbnb institute a policy, that if a Host confronts WITH PROOF a guest for violating a rule, that Airbnb then restricts that guest from leaving negative feedback. 

Yes... if a guest breaks a key rule, they should not have the right to leave a review.

Macedonia and Beyond