Airbnb Answers: Guest information and flagging guest behavior

[Airbnb]

You asked: Can Airbnb share more information about guests, like their ratings, full name, etc.? Can we get the ability to flag bad guests and make this information visible to other hosts?

More guest information

We're taking a close look at what additional information we can share to help you feel confident about the quality of every guest, every time you host. Currently, before confirming a booking, you can see a potential guest’s prior reviews and profile information (including hometown, education background, hobbies, and languages spoken). But in order to protect the privacy of both hosts and guests, we don’t share last names until after a booking is confirmed. If you don’t feel comfortable accepting a reservation with this set of information, you may message guests with additional questions. We don’t share guests’ home addresses because that information is not relevant or required to make a booking.

Every guest is required to provide their full name, date of birth, phone number, email address, and payment information to Airbnb before being allowed to book a reservation. As a host, you also have the option to require guests to provide a government ID before booking your home, which is just one feature of our ongoing effort to build trust in the community.

Flagging guest behavior

In the coming months, we’ll be adding more ways for you to report guest behavior that we might need to address. Stay tuned for more, but know that host reviews of guests remain the most powerful flagging tool for the community.

More than ever before, we’re using your reviews to signal both excellent and not-so-great guest behavior. We’re developing a Superguest program that will help you identify experienced travelers with excellent ratings. And for the rare occasions things don’t go well, your reviews will help us identify poorly behaved guests, issue more specific and strict warnings, and remove those guests who do not improve their behavior.

Be assured that when guests get negative reviews from hosts, Airbnb follows up. We make sure guests receive warnings about unacceptable behavior, and in some cases they can be blocked from booking entirely. We take the safety of you and your guests very seriously, which is why we require everyone in our community to uphold our community standards. Your reviews of guests are essential to establishing trust in our community, and we’re dedicated to taking action on your behalf to help ensure high quality experiences every time you host.

In the latest Host Q&A, CEO and Head of Community Brian Chesky answered top-voted questions during a livestream event. For questions he didn’t have time to address, we’ve introduced Airbnb Answers. Want to ask more? We’ll invite hosts to ask their questions before the next quarterly Host Q&A. We’ll keep you posted in Airbnb Updates.

[David126]

@Manda5

Perhaps you also use another system?

AirBnb does not charge a deposit.

[Dena0]

We had a  very good record as guests until one host gave us a terrible review. The review was unjustified, and I responded to it, point by point. However, since then I've been refused by hosts every time I've made an enquiry about booking. This seems incredibly unfair. I am also an airbnb host and go out of my way to help my guests rather than make their lives difficult. 

[Pat7]

Got to be a joke.  I have had several bad guests.  You give them a bad review because of this and you receive a bad review of 3 stars for cleanliness  or area because they can't really say anything bad about your property.   Airbnb knows this is tit for tat yet you are the one that is penalised and put down so far that you don't get any inquiries.  I now take little notice of reviews as they are false flags because no one wants their property downgraded.  Personally, I couldn't care less if I get a booking from this site because it certainly does not care for the owners.

[Luis492]

I’ve been hosting for a few years, most of my guests have been great. But unfortunately some just don’t meet my expectations ( dirty dishes, white towels stained and I supply free of charge beach towels ) some people think they are in a hotel they just checkin at anytime  without advising me even if I try to contact them some just don’t read their email. But my worst case one guests I didn’t want anymore made a reservation whit another group unfortunately both groups no PHOTO JUST FLOWERS OR ANIMALS.

[Linda881]

I think the changes are good, but I would like air bnb to go further and start to advertise their values....this is a great opportunity to share someone’s life and living conditions but some guests believe the positioning is the same as a 5 star hotel...though the prices don’t match.  I would like a television advert from air bnb with the values and the value proposition clearly defined.  If anyone from air bnb is reading this I would be happy to consult.

[Vicki85]

I had a Airbnb guest stay and they took my keys I got in touch with Airbnb and they never did anything 

[Simon184]

Why not give guests the opportunity to be super guests. If over a number of stays, they are regularly given 5 stars, then like hosts this should be acknowledged. To reward guest achieving this, as a host I would be prepared to offer a discount on my usual charge. This gives them a tangible reward and hosts  peace of mind. Or airbnb could devise a reward scheme for guests who achieve a high standard. 

[Lee105]

I would love to see Airbnb put out tips top guests prior arrival around general courtesy.

I have bakery has great guests bit I have had some really disrespectful rude ones too and I'm shocked at what they get away with.

Wiping your feet before entering a home should be a norm.

Cleaning beach sand before entering should be a norm.

Not banging bags against the walls on entry and departure would be great including keeping hands off walls... 

Do not use everything just because it's there.

Treat your host with respect and dignity.

Allow for mistakes, allow hosts to correct mistakes.

Take care to read your house manual before arrival.

Take our your trash when it's overflowing, these are not hotels but self catering homes.

Wash your breakfast dishes.

Do not clean make up on towels.

Leave the place in the same way it was found and report problems immediately to hosts

These are just some of my suggestions.

[Mike619]

I feel guests who haven't read your description listing properly and then left negative reviews should be able to have their reviews challanged and removed if justified. Also the star ratings they give should be possible to challenge if they differ from all your other reviews and ratings. We find some guests seem to leave odd star ratings for no apparent reason.

[Sajjad0]

Hi 

I tend to take a extra security deposit through Airbnb approx 300£ 

this is can be done through your in box and guests communication and resolution centre 

this helps to keep problems to a min once guests know extra security has been taken esp if the guests are having a party 

we also now now take a pet security deposit etc  through the resolution centre tend to find pets sleep in beds and are not as house trained as promised 

hope this helps 

[Mike619]

We recently were told we lost our Superhost rating, but checking our reviews there is nothing negative. The reason seems to be because we had no guests between January and March. I find this rather odd and disheartning.

[Priscilla31]

I have noticed a lot of my guests, who are new to Airbnb are not adding a photo of themselves to their profile. Without a photo a guest can arrive and not actually be the person who has registered with Airbnb. I thought Airbnb were making it a necessary part of registering as a guest. I would like to see all guests put a photo of themselves on their profile. I have noticed that some new Airbnb guests are not reading all the information about the places they are booking and I recently had a guest who rang me and was considering cancelling his booking the night before arrival as it was raining and he thought he might feel cold. This is not the usual attitude but it would be good if Airbnb made it very clear that hosts have cancellation policies, it isn't turn up if you feel like it or cancel and get a refund.

Having said all this I do want to add that I find the Airbnb system great, so far my guests have all been pretty good. I am going to leave writing reviews for my guests until after they have written one for me, seems some new guests don't seem to bother about the importance of reviews. 

[Rachael29]

The reviews really need to be looked at as they can often ruin a hosts excellent rating.  I had one guy who checked in 5 hours after my cut off time, came in my bedroom and woke me up, made a lot of noise and thought it was okay to shuffle around in my girly dressing gown !! My place is spotless but he reported me for having pests because he said he saw a ladybird on the wall like I can control that !!! He ruined my five star rating for nothing 

[Anthony393]

Hi airbnb

these are good changes. I really do want you to ensure that all poor guests are treated with a stronger hand. I don’t get many but when I do they are usually very obnoxious. 

On another note - are you looking at ensuring poor hosts and their poor places are dealt with as well. I have stayed at 2 places on Airbnb and I’m afraid the standards were not great. I left the relevant review and poor star ratings but I have to say I just felt the owners just ignored them. Also - what safety features do you insist be in place in all places. You really should up the game and tell all hosts they should have proper anti fire provision - alarms, extinguishers, escape plans etc. Also - do you not think that of a place is badly reviewed then you as the platform should be challenging poor places with loaded questions on what is not right and if they don’t get it right then threaten them with being removed from the site. After all - there’s some poor guests but also some poor hosts who are taking the website for a ride. Example - I heard a radio 5 programme the other day on short term holiday lets- where one host was advertising there big place for STAG AND HEN PARTIES - come party the night away and get wrecked. This I am afraid is out of order and for you to host these sorts of places is not good judgement and they really do need to be kicked off the site. My places do not tolerate parties and noise after 11pm as I think it’s essential to keep all neighbours onside or else it’ll mean the local councils will simply shut us all down. I think this has to come from you guys - checking what hosts advertise and telling them it’s unacceptable if they are selling the wrong sort of experience where it’s clear the house is going to cause trouble for neighbours. It would be good to talk more on this. 

Airbnb is a great site but best to plan for the crack down that may happen by becoming water tight in all aspects and kicking off the idiot host and guests for good. 

[Ann10]

Why does ABB let guest that have committed criminal acts on hosts remain on the site? Or even unethical acts that they know they have done to more than one host? Or serial misusers of the guest refund policy?