100+ new tools, features, and upgrades based on feedback from our Host community

[Airbnb]

We believe that the biggest travel rebound in a century is coming, and we want to help you get ready for it! We’ve introduced more than 100 changes to the app, website, and Community Support to help you take advantage of this unique opportunity—and manage your day-to-day tasks more easily. 

Here are some of the most important changes:

• A more intuitive and consistent experience across the app and website
• A new homepage for Hosts called the Today tab 
• A faster, searchable inbox featuring new time-saving tools and features 
• An up-leveled Community Support team, as well as Dedicated Superhost Support 
• Automated Arrival Guides for guests 

You can read more details about what’s new here.

Have you already noticed changes in your tools? Which improvements are you most looking forward to?

Posted on Monday 24th May 2021

[Ann72]

Love all the new search options for guests looking for stays.  Game-changer!

[Stuart296]

New search options are a plus!

[Kia272]

I've noticed changes in the search feature. Notably, my property does not show up in a search for my town. There is sort of a random shape on the map that is- in theory- the boundaries of my town, but I'm not there. One name, one zip code. Go figure.

A search for Farmington, PA used to turn up hundreds of properties (admittedly, some not in Farmington.) Now it turns up 23 properties, inside that random shape on the map. 

Apparently, AirBnB doesn't want anybody searching without dates, because if you enter dates, hundreds come up again. Don't make searching without dates an option if it's not going to work, or you've made it so it won't work properly. 

Not a fan so far. 

[Ph4]

Bonjour Kia272,

Je suis en France, sur la Côte d'Azur, à Bandol et j'ai aussi observé le manque de précision dans l'emplacement de mon appartement sur la carte.

Je m'en suis inquiété, vers le mois de mars, auprès d'Airbnb. J'ai argumenté mon observation. Un interlocuteur a pris en charge le problème et a constaté l'anomalie mais s'est déclaré sans moyen pour corriger. Il devait faire appel à de hauts techniciens pour trouver une solution. Depuis je n'ai pas de réponse.

J'ai relancé ma demande il y a 15 jours, elle est aujourd'hui sans réponse.

Mystère : google arrive trouver les bons emplacements, pas Airbnb !

Mes excuses par avance à Airbnb si je commets une erreur d'appréciaition.

Bien cordialement

Philippe Arnoult

[Kia272]

@Ph4 Hi- I had to copy and paste into Google Translate to read your message! 

Yes, I know. I also tried support via AirBnB and it is useless! They don't seem to understand the problem at all. Then they told me that they had to close the support ticket in order to send it over to "tech" support. Right.....that seems like a good system. 

There is a grey area in the search feature: searching without dates is a huge mess; searching with the new "flexible" dates is also a mess, because you can't just be entirely flexible- you have to search by weekend, week, or month. And then you get the old system of being swamped with a bunch of properties that are NOT in your desired search area. 

A "dateless" search might be because you know you just want to stay in that area and you want to see what kind of AirBnBs are available. 

Regardless, the random shape on the map for my area is not accurate. The town and zip code where my property is doesn't include my property. Go figure. 

It seems to me that AirBnB is always changing things up, but not doing enough testing before things to live. An example would be the two payments I'm waiting for since the "big announcement" on May 24th. For me, payouts up to that point had been seamless and right on time. Now I'm owed over $1,000. 

They'll never be a top-notch company until they spend more on customer service and technology. 

Good luck! Kia

[Hannah287]

It’s invaluable to watch the accompanying video presentation for an explanation on how the new platform works. It irons out most of these complaints I think. 

[Jillian115]

@Kia272 @Airbnb I've mentioned this in a few posts already. The new search feature has really hurt us. When you search Jamestown, CA  it show some of Jamestown, CA and some of Sonora, CA. But the Jamestown border ends about 1/4 mile before my address. My listing will not appear in my city in most searches. It takes most listings in Sonora, CA to be booked before my listing will appear in Jamestown, CA. On the website you can easily zoom out on the map and it will appear, but if you go through the list you'll never see it. On the ap it's nearly impossible to get to. We used to have a diamond next to our listing that said this place is usually  booked. I used to be booked a month or two out, now I'm lucky if I get most days booked. I have sent a request to Airbnb but I know it wont go anywhere. For me these changes have been devastating. I do have a mountain view from my cabin but feature hasn't helped me at all.     

[Kia272]

@Jillian115 @Airbnb  As far as I can figure, with this last update, AirBnB is trying to force people to conform to their idea of what good date search parameters might be. Perhaps they did not like folks searching without dates, which was my primary method for finding my own listing placement. ( I always use another browser and never ever sign in when I do that)

My property disappears when I do that after the update, but shows up right at the top when I use one of their new date search "options." It's so goofy I don't have words. And that fact that it's affecting hosts negatively? So unfair. 

You can opt for weekend, week, or month under the "I'm flexible" search. If you use the calendar, but leave dates blank, that's when the evil happens. In my area, a focused search turns up hundreds of properties, but the undated search turns up 24 properties. Who knows why those specific properties turn up, and the rest disappear. 

I'm so sorry that this has affected your bookings. Have you messed around the the flexible search feature at all? Does your property turn up in that? 

I've just resigned myself to this ridiculous change, as I'm still busy and will likely remain so, but it certainly hasn't helped raise my opinion of AirBnB in the least. 

Good luck, and I hope your property stays busy. Kia

[Manasui0]

Try using different account that is not under your name.. because some times the system recognize you as an owner so they would program, that you would not need to book your own villas..

there also algorithm created through time toward your and guess style of accommodation they prefer..

[Susan1188]

Thanks for this video and for all the upgrades.

The flexible search is a great idea!

More and more, people don't care what country they go to, they will go anywhere if they are sure to get a great deal or great experience for their stay.

How about adding, in addition to "boats" and "tree-houses", a button for RANDOM superhost properties that consistently get great reviews,  to surprise people out of their standard search criteria?

And how about adding a button for places with over 100 5 star reviews, or places that are usually booked, or similar?

As for the new host tools:  The dedicated superhost support is the best news I've had all week!
VRBO really had a better system than Airbnb, by assigning a true support person to their best hosts.  It makes a huge difference being able to have a real relationship with a real person.  Thanks for that.

The only thing I've sceptical about is the "making it easy for new hosts".  I know from experience that when you first list on Airbnb all the parameters are switched to guest favor - from flexible check in times to accepting pets, smoking and toddlers,  to no verifications on instant book.  If it is even easier to set up your listing surely these parameters will be overlooked until the host gets hit with someone expecting these things, making for frustration of the host and a bad experience for the guest.

Thank you for these initiatives!

[Stone43]

Why show that be fair to have some thing like a button for over 100 people stay..   Then the NEW HOST can't get books because of this stupid idea ! I see this is a SELFISH idea !!  NO every one wants smokers to smoke in there house another stupid idea . I have asthma why would i want someone to smoke in my house ? I know i would not wanna go to a place where someone smoked  in the place and now i have to smell the smoke smell and it is something you can't get rid of. Smoking turns your walls yellow over time too or could cause a fire  BUT SUSAN 1188 IS NOT thinking about these things And in Michigan you can smoke in building like restaurants or bars so each state is different you can't make the rules for every one **

**[Inappropriate content removed - Community Center Guidelines]

[Lezlee0]

@Stone43 .  I don't think you read Susan1188's response correctly.   She isn't suggesting to have an option for smokers but rather asking that it not be added to new listings for the potential of the host not realizing it's an option.  She is also not suggesting there be 100 reviews to show up but rather the opposite. @Susan1188  sounds like a very experienced and articulate person who didn't deserve the ill-informed response due to lazy reading.

[Stone43]

LEZLEEO :  - - - Thats why HOUSE RULES was made so you CAN ADD your house RULE < **

**[Inappropriate content removed - Community Center Guidelines]

[Emilia42]

Calm down, @Stone43. Your derogatory rant is not welcomed here.