Catherine’s Host Update: reviews, party ban policy, and more

[Catherine-Powell]

Hi everyone,

I’m happy to be sharing a new Host update with you, which has important news about a topic I know is top of mind for many of you—reviews—along with news from our Host Advisory Board, about sustainability and introducing a new board member. (Welcome to the board, Pam!)

We’ve been listening closely to your feedback on our review system—specifically to how they relate to our party ban policy. For reviews written from today on, reviews from guests who violate our party ban will be eligible for removal. You shouldn’t have to trade off between reporting a party and getting dinged with a negative review. We want to close that gap. 

This is just the first step. We’ll continue to listen to you and work to shape our policies to better support you and our whole community. 

I’ll be in touch again soon with more updates. In the meantime, stay well, and happy hosting!

All my best,

Catherine

[Christine615]

Agreed. A while back there were even Youtube videos showing people how to "game" the system as guests. A party is a party. They should all be removed if the host requests it. And the guests should be banned.

[Island-Girl-BnB0]

you are soooo correct!

[Donata12]

@Collen0  well put. A creative guests can always find a way around all this. I guess the only way to find out how serious Airbnb is about finally protecting guests is to see how they act when a party is thrown

[Ash51]

@Colleen253 

You hit the nail on the head.

I had couple of hiccups over the past years including one very recently.

Airbnb policies on reviews and claims are pretty grey and not host-friendly at all. We as hosts take huge risk of our properties as opposed to the guests. The company seems do not care about it. They try to measure both parties with same values, in case of conflicts. This is not fair.  

My interactions with Airbnb has significantly discouraged me to take many guests. 

Now I am screening the guests and stopped instant booking that has significantly reduced my earnings.

Thanks for your important notes. 

[Hugh0]

When you turn off instant booking to screen guests you can no longer see their star rating - this is so wrong

[Sarah977]

@Hugh0  I don't particularly agree. I have never used IB, so I have never been privy to see the star ratings.

Hosts who use IB can see star ratings and specify that the guest has to have verified ID and be recommended by other hosts because IB hosts don't have the opportunity to communicate with guests before a booking is confirmed. 

Hosts who don't use IB vet guests based on looking at their past written reviews and the way the guest communicates in messaging with the host, which in my opinion and experience, is a much more reliable way to vet guests than looking at star ratings.

As I'm sure you are well aware, star ratings hosts get are entirely subjective- guests will rate 3 or 4*s even if there weren't any issues.

It's exactly the same with star ratings for guests- they really don't tell you much. Plenty of hosts have had horrid guests who had 5* ratings.

It seems to me that hosts who have been used to using IB, and then decide not to, have come to rely so heavily on star ratings as opposed to reading written reviews and communicating with guests, that they put much more value on them than is warranted. You really don't need to see star ratings to protect yourself from getting bad guests, trust me. 

As far as I'm concerned, star ratings should scrapped entirely, both for hosts and guests. They are a constant source of stress and contention and are just a behavior modification tactic. Written reviews are all that is needed.

[Hugh0]

Why remove a tool that objectively rates guests from the view of hosts that don’t use IB if you don’t have to? It’s a discriminatory practice. 

Its  just another push to IB. 

[Sarah977]

@Hugh0  I agree it's a push by Airbnb to use IB, but only if a host falls for it. I couldn't care less that I can't see guest star ratings. I've managed never to get a bad guest without ever seeing those ratings.

Airbnb can push all kinds of things, like absurd price tips, but that doesn't mean hosts need to pay any attention to it.

[Julie1387]

@Sarah9 

I agree that star ratings are manipulative and I choose to screen guests before they come. I turned off instant booking last year when the Covid -19 outbreak limited our ability to host. Our state had (for a time) low cases of the outbreak and folks wanted to come to “ get away”. I had to decide what felt safe to me. I like being able to ask questions and review the quests before I approve their booking. At first I thought our earnings would be less but was pleasantly surprised to find it was very similar to the previous year. Most folks seem comfortable with my asking questions, I feel comfortable accepting or if needed declining inquiries.  So far this option has been good for us! 

[Yvonne41]

Instead of turning off instant bookings, I note up front that I do a 48 hr screening process before I determine a reservation booked. In that time I rigorously do my screening process (I require guests to show ID and sign a rental agreement which states no parties or events). This year I have had to do so many cancellations this way, I now have to contact support so I am not being penalized. However, I have not had a party since I put this new practice in place the last week of December. I have retained my superhost status, and have had more guests than ever report accidental damages before they check out, so I can get repairs done for incoming guests. 

[Mary996]

This is a great strategy @Yvonne41.

Thanks for sharing. I have a unique problem in that I'm being hounded by 'Enquiry Agents'. Rather than relying on Airbnb's verification better to do my own as you have been doing! I may not continue as a result of these intrusions... or alternatively may set up and declare cameras around the house as its where I live. Difficult for Airbnb to help but the Company has been very supportive. I am probably not the only Host or would be Host who has to think about this. Other strategies and ideas to defeat tbe nuisance so we can host very welcome. We love our genuine Guests! xx

[Harriet4]

There statement includes both

• Gatherings of more than 16 people
• All disruptive parties and events

I would like to believe that Airbnb will also take into consideration the number a different guests hosts accommodate. My guests are all nationalities and religions so discrimination would be difficult to prove. I like to believe any host is discriminatory doing what we do.

Obviously, Airbnb believes there is discrimination by putting in the following statement: 

"....A Community Support ambassador may remove the content and star rating of that review unless the review contains safety information, like a guest warning about discrimination or an unsafe feature in your listing that could cause an injury."

I also believe Airbnb should go back and remove those reviews where a host has made a statement regarding an unauthorized party and then received a bad review.

[Diana108]

I have in my House Rules - No additional guests or visitors allowed w/o host's permission and paying an additional fee. That will keep the size of the party small if each guests knows they have to each pay $25.00 to get in.

[Mike-And-Jane0]

Has the HAB increased in size or did one of them leave? 

[Stephanie]

Hiya @Mike-And-Jane0 ,

@Pam5 is a new member to the Host Advisory Board, in addition to the original roster. You can review her profile and all of the now 18 members here: https://www.airbnb.co.uk/d/hostadvisoryboardintl

Thanks,

Stephanie