A recap of the April 9 Host Update with CEO Brian Chesky

[Airbnb]

CEO Brian Chesky kicked off this week’s talk with an update on the state of global travel: 4 billion people around the world are now staying at home, borders continue to close, and many airlines have grounded their flights. The travel industry is struggling, and we know hosts are feeling the impact.

But there’s still a lot to be hopeful about, especially when we look at what’s happening right here in our community. From offering accommodations to COVID-19 responders to sharing the magic of Airbnb Experiences from your homes, so many of you continue to find ways to host and connect.

Brian talked about all of this and more—here are some of the key takeaways from his latest Host Update:

An exciting milestone for our Frontline Stays program

Just two weeks ago, we launched our Frontline Stays program to offer accommodations for healthcare professionals responding to COVID-19 around the world. And we have been so inspired by the incredible response from our host community. As of today, you’ve already offered over 100,000 places to stay for COVID-19 responders.

The Frontline Stays program is just one more example of the tenacity and generosity of Airbnb hosts. We’re incredibly grateful for all you do. 

Clarity around our Superhost Relief Fund eligibility requirements

We’re happy to share that the Superhost Relief Fund is expanding by an extra $7 million USD, bringing it to a total of $17 million USD of support. Many of you are wondering why hosts with more than two listings aren’t eligible to apply. The spirit of this program is to help people who host in their primary homes, and we’ll be prioritizing hosts based on their tenure with Airbnb and how much their earnings have declined due to COVID-19. We’re planning to invite eligible hosts by May 15 and distribute grants by May 31.

In the meantime, we’re finding other ways to help our diverse community of hosts, starting with auto-granting Superhost status in July for anyone who was a Superhost in our April 1 assessment. That means if you were a Superhost in April, you’ll maintain your status regardless of your cancellation or booking rate. Learn more about the Superhost Relief Fund

Support for hosts who have Flexible cancellation policies

Last week, we announced that we’ll be investing $250 million USD to share in the cost of COVID-19-related cancellations. For hosts impacted by these cancellations under our extenuating circumstances policy, we’ll pay 25% of what you would have received through your own cancellation policy.

Since these cash disbursements depend on the amount you would have retained under your cancellation policy, those of you with Flexible and Moderate policies may be less likely to benefit from them. But we’re working on other ways to support you, starting with getting you more bookings as quickly as we can. We've rolled out a new search filter so guests can find your listings more easily, and we're making your listings more visible in other ways, too. We’re seeing signs that this is what guests want—the share of bookings with a Flexible policy is now 15% higher than it was before COVID-19.

A new way to connect: Online Experiences

After pausing Airbnb Experiences last month, we heard from countless hosts who wanted to keep hosting and who believed they could offer a similar level of connection online. So we’re excited to announce the launch of Online Experiences—an idea that came directly from our hosts! Online Experiences will allow hosts to earn money, share their passions, and connect with others, whether it’s an individual hoping to learn a new skill or a group of colleagues doing a team-building exercise. We’re also partnering with local organizations to bring Online Experiences to senior citizens who may be feeling lonely and isolated right now. Hosts are already offering Online Experiences like magic lessons, cooking classes, guided meditations, and more.

Interested in hosting an Online Experience? We'll be offering hosts personalized support services for curating, capturing, and sharing their online content. Learn more at Airbnb.com/onlinehost

Let’s stay connected

Your feedback has been more important than ever as we navigate this unprecedented time. So much of our response has been guided by your personal stories, questions, and suggestions, and we’re going to keep finding ways to connect with you.

We’ll continue to hold listening sessions with hosts around the world, and we’ll be bringing you a Host Update with Brian at Airbnb.com/live every week for a while. Next Tuesday, April 14, Brian will be getting insights about hosting and staying safe during the COVID-19 pandemic from Dr. Larry Brilliant, the epidemiologist who is best known for helping to eradicate smallpox. 

Thank you once again for being an Airbnb host. Please continue to share your thoughts and questions in the comments below, and we’ll do our best to address them in future Airbnb.com/live events.

[Rich111]

I own houses that I use Airbnb for and saw Brian's video on refunding hosts 25% in early April and haven't heard anything yet? When should I hear something on all my cancellations that were automatically cancelled between the stated dates? Many of us will lose everything if this doesn't pan out soon. All my places are in Florida and being told we cannot do short term rentals, only 30 days minimum, so getting that 25% will help pay bills as we had a ton of cancellations that were automatically refunded with no say on my part. I wasn't even given a heads up by ABB that they were going to do this.

Has anyone heard anything as far as getting an email or the actual 25% yet?

Thanks Everyone,

Rich

[PaulaCristina0]

Hi ,

Please find below some of the issues he spoke about:

" Clarity around our Superhost Relief Fund eligibility requirements

We’re happy to share that the Superhost Relief Fund is expanding by an extra $7 million USD, bringing it to a total of $17 million USD of support. Many of you are wondering why hosts with more than two listings aren’t eligible to apply. The spirit of this program is to help people who host in their primary homes, and we’ll be prioritizing hosts based on their tenure with Airbnb and how much their earnings have declined due to COVID-19. We’re planning to invite eligible hosts by May 15 and distribute grants by May 31.

In the meantime, we’re finding other ways to help our diverse community of hosts, starting with auto-granting Superhost status in July for anyone who was a Superhost in our April 1 assessment. That means if you were a Superhost in April, you’ll maintain your status regardless of your cancellation or booking rate. Learn more about the Superhost Relief Fund

Support for hosts who have Flexible cancellation policies

Last week, we announced that we’ll be investing $250 million USD to share in the cost of COVID-19-related cancellations. For hosts impacted by these cancellations under our extenuating circumstances policy, we’ll pay 25% of what you would have received through your own cancellation policy"

Thank you 

Kind regards

Paula 

[Charles486]

Why left a side superhost with more than 2 listings ? It make no sense. SuperHost with more than two listings need more help we are talking about multiple mortgages/rents to

be paid. Please update that fund and include all superhost.

[Sarah977]

@Charles486  A host who only rents out a couple of rooms or a suite in the house they and their family live, who host in order to make ends meet, and who may lose their primary residence because they can't pay the mortgage, do indeed need more help than someone with 4 entire house listings who could rent them out long term or sell one or two. 

So yes, it makes sense.

[Charles486]

Totally different escenarios one mortgage vs multiple mortgages. Rooms can be rent it long term too and is easier than to find a tenant for a whole house. If you rent a room you can easily find a long term tenant, but to put a new tenant in a whole house takes times and if you find them and the crisis continues is a big chance they can’t pay rent either so yes superhost with multiples properties need more help. Superhost with 2 or more properties ( no rooms) are facing a big hardship, I’m talking superhost that work hard to put their properties on Airbnb each house project investment is not the same than to put a room way different amounts of money and responsibilities. 

[Sarah977]

@Charles486  No, you aren't hearing what I said at all, nor are you taking into account the fact that no one with a shared home listing can safely rent to anyone , short term or long term, while this virus is active.

A host with multiple homes has real estate they can liquidate- you could sell one or more of those homes if necessary. A small-time host who has only has rentals in their own home or in  another dwelling on their property, if they are in dire straits, and can't pay the mortgage, will find themselves with nowhere to live.

You are talking about how much money you lost, I'm talking about people facing losing their primary residence- there's no comparison.

No one forced you to buy 4 entire homes for the sole purpose of listing on Airbnb or other STR platforms, and to depend on that income to pay the mortgages- that was your business decision.

[Charles486]

Clearly you dont know how long it takes to sell a house specially in crisis where people lost jobs and banks are facing financial stress too.

My point is why left superhost with two or more listings a side why not help all SuperHost. 
we  are the engine of Airbnb we put our properties in Airbnb with out host will be not Airbnb.

[Mim0]

Why won’t you unblock Cancelled dates to allow us to take bookings for frontline workers ? I have been asked to “prove” there are travel restrictions in place when I cancelled the bookings !! Shame on the company!! It’s World wide pandemic ! No one can travel unless it’s “ essential “ Holidays are not essential 

[Albert1743]

Brian is definitely kind and generous and implemented policies to help the Host and the guest to get along this tough situation. However,  if you read through your Airbnb Community forums and China Weibo forums about Airbnb, there were thousands of complaints and feedbacks complaining about your Customer Support Team, Case Managers and their so called Specialists. 

The fact was that all the host and guests were both suffered in the COVID-19 crisis. They had no other alternatives but to claims for refund or subsidize in their cases. Your Support teams made use of all their excuses to turn down the claims, and when they found no more excuses, they just ignored all the conversations and walked away.

Their way of doing things were totally anti Brian's heart and kind gestures. They did not care what we are suffering for and only know how to dig some excuses to close the cases.

For example in my case, I am the guest and cancelled the booking on 25 Mar and the check in date is 26Apr. My destination is Thailand Phuket. All my flights were cancelled in mid Mar until end May2020. Under articles 1320, due to no traffic was available, I cancelled the booking. Not to mentioned that Thailand government announced to suspend all the visitors visiting their countries. However, no refund was made in this case.   I wrote to your Customer support team everyday for almost 2 weeks and ask for their explanations. But they always replied in a standard format and avoided to answer my questions directly.  I also sent email to Aisling hassell over a week to tell her the case, no reply was yet received so far.

Although various Case Managers and her supervisors confirmed that my case met all the criteria stated in articles 2701 and 1320, they refused the refund of my deposit at the cost of USD2,000. They said my cancellation was done earlier than their update on 30Mar for the coverage check in date upto 31May. 

Given my flights were all cancelled in mid Mar until end May, I definitely have no way going to Phuket.  I doubt is there any differences in making the cancellation before or after 30Mar as the fact was that it is a no go situation,. 

What kind of customer service is provided by Airbnb?  Horrible!

Grateful if you could let Brian know this situation, otherwise, all the consumers may walk away after this painful experience brought to them by Airbnb.

[Laura4209]

My Airbnb is my second income which I need to survive on, I have lost an appropriate £700 since the lockdown in England, as we have Easter weekend plus children's holiday from school, I would like to be considered for the grant. Thank you

[Ann489]

@Laura4209   unfortunately, that's not how this works.  I think all of us could use the money, but very few will actually end up getting anything at all.   Best of luck to you.    

PS:  do you, per chance, mean "approximate"?  

[Laura4209]

Yes, sorry predictive text. Lol

[Huma0]

I don't really understand. A lot of homeshare hosts have been asking why they are not eligible for the Superhost fund if they have more than two listings in their own home. Brian's answer:

"Many of you are wondering why hosts with more than two listings aren’t eligible to apply. The spirit of this program is to help people who host in their primary homes, and we’ll be prioritizing hosts based on their tenure with Airbnb and how much their earnings have declined due to COVID-19."

Doesn't really answer the question, because if you are a home host with three rooms listed, or even two rooms listed with a third configaration (e.g. book both rooms together), you won't qualify. However, if you are a host with one listing in your own home, e.g. guest suite, plus a separate four bed property listed, e.g. a holiday home, you would qualify. So, how does that help prioritise home hosts?

If you are going to restrict it to two, it should be two properties, not two listings. And no, before someone jumps in to say I am discriminating against hosts with three or more properties, and saying they are not struggling just as much, I'm not. I'm just saying if the intention of the limit is to support home hosts, it doesn't make any sense!

This answer doesn't give any clarity at all.

And as for "how much their earnings have declined", what does that mean? Are we basing that on the previous year? Is this a based on a percentage or on a fixed amount? By tenure, does that mean hosts must have been on the platform for a number of years and, if so, how many?

Some transparency would be really helpful here, but I guess the more vague they are about it, the easier it is to turn someone away without having to justify why their application wasn't successful (if they even get invited in the first place).

[Sarah977]

@Huma0 I read somewhere, in the past day or two, that the 2 listing thing isn't set in stone- that it will be looked at on a case-by-case basis. I can't remember where I read that, but will try to locate it. Apparently the idea wasn't to exclude hosts like you who host rooms in their home, I think it simply wasn't thought through before announcing.

[Sarah977]

@Huma0  I found it, it was posted on another hosting forum, and I'm not sure where that poster found it.

What does it mean to have no more than two active listings?
For this fund, we’re focusing on hosts who list only their homes or second homes, or private rooms in those residences. You’re not eligible if you have more than two active listings at different addresses. If you have more than two listings at the same address—for example, if you rent out three rooms in your house—you’re still considered eligible.