A Message From Our Founders

[Airbnb]

We know it has been a challenging time for hosts in our community, and we understand that the coming days may be filled with more questions and even more uncertainty.

Today, Airbnb founders Brian Chesky, Joe Gebbia, and Nate Blecharczyk renewed their commitment to supporting hosts during this difficult time and to keeping everyone in our community safe. In case you missed their message to hosts, we wanted to share their thoughts here:

Dear hosts,

With the current global crisis, we know that many of you are experiencing a significant loss of bookings and a large number of cancellations. The last few days have been incredibly challenging and confusing for everyone. It's our goal to be as transparent and proactive as possible.

First and foremost, we are going to get through this crisis as partners—our success is dependent on the success of you, our hosts. We are working day and night on a plan of action that will help you get through this extremely difficult time. We will share this with you as soon as possible in the coming weeks.

Second, with the World Health Organization declaring a pandemic, we made the difficult decision on Saturday to put in place a global policy allowing all guests to cancel eligible reservations for a full refund—including all Airbnb fees. We know this decision has caused incredible hardship for many of you. Many hosts were already accepting cancellations outside of established policies. You have asked us why we did this when some other companies in our space have not. We want to make sure you understand our thinking.

This pandemic is leading cities and nations to undergo extreme measures. In this crisis, our first priority is the health of the public and our communities. We did not want guests making the decision to put themselves in unsafe situations and creating a public health hazard because of a commitment to their bookings. We believe this is the responsible thing to do given the guidance of governments and health experts.

While it’s clear to all of us that the coronavirus has deeply impacted our community, we know that this moment will pass and travel will be back. As people are starting to use Airbnb for long-term bookings and stays close by, it’s clear that we need to be a part of helping all of us get through this as quickly as possible. The desire to connect is in all of us, and we will be together again, but for now our priority is to do our part to keep everyone safe.

We are partners, and we will get through this together.

Airbnb’s Founders,

Brian, Joe, and Nate

[Christy203]

Dear AirBNB, 

I understand that this is a difficult time for everyone involved but putting 100% of the loss on owners versus some shared loss with vacationers was (is) wrong. Many of us have multiple properties and this is our business and income for our families. Allowing guests to cancel whenever they wish to do so over this period of time you set forth , even with strict cancellation plans that recommend supplemental insurance , is unfair. 

I knew we would take losses when this occurred. I have tried working with guests, asking if they plan to cancel, so I can relist and rebook what I can to help pay all the expenses but that blanket policy you put in place allows them to cancel whenever they want. This is our highest season. This month is the month that pays for the low season. I am looking at a significant loss. I am also reading on a super host community page where guests are checking into peoples home and then cancelling after staying!  That is so wrong. I called into today to check to see if that could happen. That people could take advantage of this to that level and the answer from the agent was that could happen. Someone could just check into our homes and cancel whenever you want for a refund. This is very concerning. 

I understand this is time that all of us are taking losses. I believe the fair and equitable action from Airbnb would have been a split loss for that month on strict non cancellable contracts so that owners could also still pay their bills while we shared the burden equally for this time period. I also believe that guests should have had to give owners cancellation notification with 7 days notice so we had the option to rebook . Thirdly, under no circumstances should a guest be allowed to check into a home and then just cancel while staying. That is not ethical. 

Thank you for your time, 

Christy Urban 

Women owned small business, Urban Vacation Properties LLC 

[Trevor243]

Dear Founders
We would never shaft our partners in the way you have shafted us.
I hope you understand our thinking.
Regards

[Mark116]

Well, "partner" what I see are actions that help make the guests whole,.....and nothing but words to help out the hosts.  

[David6715]

All my bookings are being cancelled. I was on strict cancellation to protect my self as the income pays my rent where I work. The cancellation message says " no penalty to host and guest" . 

The guest gets a 100% refund, I lose my house. I will have to cancel all future bookings and try to sell, pension in ruins. 

Many thanks airbnb !!!!

[Chris232]

Dear Founders,

Thank you for offering every guest your travel insuarance so that Hosts income is protected from cancellations.

So sorry, I was dreaming, we can but hope

[Ute42]

.

In this situation the most important thing is the protection of "our" valued guests sanity.

The best protection is to stay at home and not travel. A guest who stays at home and gets a 100% refund

is just as protected as a guest who stays at home and pays cancellation fees.

The protection happenes by not traveling, not by not paying.

[Huma0]

As usual, @Ute42 speaks perfect sense. No irrationality, no hysterics, just telling it like it is. If only people this sensible were running things. 

You are absolutely right. No one is being put at a health risk by paying the cancellation fees they contractually agreed to.

[Aaron665]

"We're partners'" What utter rubbish. The unilateral decision to allow everyone to cancel their bookings was made to protect the Air BnB brand with little regard to the impact of that decision on its 'partners'.

In many cases travelers are in a better position to bear the risk of disrupted travel given the easy availability and common practice of taking out travel insurance. Moreover, Air BnB continues to ignore that Hosts are generally private individuals and not large businesses, less able to bear the impact of the on-going loss of revenue for an indeterminate period than Travelers are to bear the one off impact of sunk holiday costs.

If Air BnB continues to disrespect its crowdsourced supply side it will find itself disrupted by the next wave of accommodation platforms that are truer to their word and do treat their Hosts as 'partners'. 

[Donald28]

I appreciate airbnb refunding guests and responding positively to this pandemic. Doing otherwise would no doubt create many negative news articles and lose an untold amount of future customers. Our airbnb guests could easily go to any number of other STR websites to book their stay. I want them back here on airbnb and back here at my place www.oasisarcadeairbnb.com 

[Helen213]

great, you can help pay my rent since Airbnb took back ALL my income for 2 months.

[Lindsey34]

Well, the Airbnb guests will have to go to another STR platform because that is where 99.9% of the Airbnb hosts will be after this pandemic is over. Apart from those hosts who have enough savings to bail themselves over for a year of no trading of course.

[Paul60]

' We are partners, and we will get through this together '.

Who needs enemies when your partner stabs you in the back !!

Airbnb cannot never be trusted again.

[Sharon1014]

What business owner sets fire to its own inventory?   Ludicrous.  Stupid.  Immature.  Inexperienced.  Blind.  Self righteous.   Ignorant.  A complete *bleep* up.

[Anja39]

What happens to bookings after April 14th?