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

[Andrew-and-Yvonne0]

HI,

@Catherine-Powell 

Hello Catherine,

Does this mean I can have a review removed where someone booked for one person and turned up with half the college ( many ppl cars- alcohol ) I terminated the booking and fully refunded the offender before party could commence after explaining the clear rules stated no parties and max 4 people, then they leave 1 star all round review? Had another do the same thing where cops got involved after guest refused to leave despite airbnb terminating the booking mid way through the one night party stay,  airbnb allowed the revenge review to go ahead, another 1 star all round. Lost superhost status as a result. Airbnb really need to put this right and remove those reviews.

[Karen1027]

I absolutely agree. I've had exactly the same scenario also from our local guests who have never used airbnb before and don't know how to review constructively. 

[Harriet4]

I have been an Airbnb Super Host for almost 5 years and find it interesting that retaliation reviews is the one issue that so many of us have shared and Airbnb has done nothing to help rectify the problem.

I stopped IB but have a soft heart and every time I give in to a request, knowing I shouldn't, I pay the price.  I am lucky enough to be booked solid through the end of this year with Airbnb and another venue and they are all great bookings, with incredible reviews, but have already increased my prices for next year to avoid the party people and will watch for all Red Flags. That includes guests with "No Reviews". Every booking with no reviews has turned into a delicate situation or the only 2 bad reviews I got. No more giving in to special requests as they always backfire. I would rather have less bookings and less headaches. 

Don't rely on Airbnb coming to your aid.

[Snow27]

I thought we were protected by Airbnb with the new policies in place around parties. A guest had a party in our Airbnb and we reported the incident in writing the next morning at 10am.  I read all the information available to me online as a host for how to handle the situation. Myself and our staff did our best to navigate a difficult guest with as much attentiveness and professionalism as possible.

We have many listings and host lots of stays. We are experienced hosts and provide an excellent experience for our guests (who all leave great reviews). This is the first instance where a guest blatantly broke so many house rules - loud music until very late at night, drug use on the property and hosting non-registered guests. The party was the last night of their stay and it was difficult to check them out. The guest he left us a negative review. This is the first negative review we have ever received. We thought Airbnb would remove the biased review according to this new policy. We have documentation that clearly shows the guest was in defiance of the policies of Airbnb.

The guest denied everything. The guest also had no previous reviews (red flag). 

"Additionally, reviews may be removed from the platform for stays where a significant violation of the Party and Events Policy has taken place during their stay. We count on hosts to take measures to try and stop a party before it becomes a safety issue or nuisance for the surrounding community. However, we recognize that breaking up a party could result in an unfairly negative review for the Host. In order to encourage intervention and minimize the impact of biased reviews, a guest's review may be removed when the host had provided sufficient documentation that a significant violation of the Party and Events policy". Airbnb.

I asked where to submit the documentation to dispute the review as biased. We take our super host status very seriously and felt we responded to the situation according to the policies of Airbnb. Airbnb ruled with the guest and refused to remove the review as "we had not reported the party while it was happening using their Support Hotline." Nowhere is it shared we had to report a party when it is still going on. This is a very unrealistic request when something happens between 1 and 4am.

So please be aware Airbnb hosts - this new policy sounds good, but don't count on being protected from negative reviews if you take action against guests who party in your house. 

[Allen107]

Hi Snow27:

Thumbs up for your wise tip in paragraph 3, "The guest also had no previous reviews (red flag)."

VBR,

Allen107

[Allen107]

Thank you for implementing the revised policy for removing qualified "revenge reviews." In my humble opinion as a host for eight years, guest-initiated "parties" and most guest "concerns/issues" can be avoided if hosts present their space as "Host lives onsite" or "Host lives nearby" per the original intent of Airbnb founders Brian C., Joe G., and Nathan B. back in 2008. Allen107, Superhost in Brownsville, OR, U.S.A.

[Anna9908]

I like this policy but honestly, it needs to be taken further. I do not think Guests should be able to leave reviews during any type of dispute, not just the "Party Ban". For example, it is not fair for guests to leave reviews after you have requested money for damages. 

[AZ-Housing0]

Catherine, this is really awesome that you are trying to do your best to care about hosts. We had a situation that was exactly as you describe here. After 1 week of talking to customer service representative and sending them this link. They still refused to delete a "revenge" review by guest, just because we prevented a party from happening. 

[Sarah977]

@Catherine-Powell  I really don't understand what the point of you making this announcement was.

Because by all accounts, this is an announcement of something that isn't true.

Your customer service reps don't seem to have been informed of this new policy, as is evidenced by the posts that continue to appear daily on this forum by hosts who still can't get the 1* lying revenge reviews from the guests who party and trash their homes removed.

[Kasey45]

Hi, @Catherine-Powell  I just received an email today that my host cancelled our Florida vacation reservation… 36 days before 4 families are due to stay in Davenport in a beautiful community and home w/ a private pool, all for 12 people and an infant. Why? Bc the host said they sold the property. WOW! Spoke with customer care and pretty much got a ‘too bad’, it’s not under 28 days so we’re giving you your refund to book another place. All the places left are triple the cost and the ones that aren’t are old and don’t have what we want/need. Here we are, left to scrounge to find something last minute or lose major money. Our flights are not refundable, our universal and Disney tickets are not refundable and our car rental was included in those ticket packages so that’s also not refundable. How is this fair? Who refunds our money for your host canceling?? Why on earth would a home even been on the market that is booked? We booked months ago! I’m very disappointed in Air BnB. 

[Margo12]

@Kasey45 

That is so horrible; I wish there was something I could do ... except offer information.

Given the current status of "customer service", it is not likely that Airbnb will do this for you ... but ...

First, demand to be 'escalated'.

Then offer to sell your soul to get Airbnb to secure another property for you.

In the past, I have received calls from Airbnb trying to find a place for a guest in a similar situation as you (except the guest was already in the area).  Airbnb has also stepped in for fire victims in my area, trying to find temporary lodging.  They even go so far as to ask that the reservation be accepted at no charge.

Good luck!!!!

[Sarah977]

@Kasey45  I've never been a guest, only a host, but I absolutely hate it when hosts do this. It's so greedy- trying to wring every last penny out of the place after they have put it on the market, until the day it sells, then cancelling all the guests. I'm sure you're not the only guests she screwed.

I realize you need to secure something else ASAP, but it might be worth a try to send inquiries to a couple other places that would be suitable, who you see have those dates you want blocked, (you'd have to search by the area and not enter dates, and then put in random dates that are available just to send the inquiry), and say you are sorry for entering dates that you aren't actually looking for, then explain what happened with the booking you made months ago and that you'd really appreciate if they would contact you if for some reason their guests for those dates cancel.

A guest once did that with me- she hadn't had a host cancel on her, but said she had seen my place when she was staying nearby the previous year, and really wanted to book it and could kick herself for not booking sooner, because she now saw the dates were taken. She said to please let her know if the guest cancelled.

Oddly enough, although I seldom get cancellations, the booked guest did cancel a week later, so I messaged the woman right away.

Unfortunately both for me and her, she said "Oh, darn. I just booked another place yesterday, as I was afraid I wouldn't be able to find anything if I waited any longer."

[Colleen253]

@Kasey45 Very sorry that happened to you, but keep in mind that the majority of Airbnb's are owned by folks just like you. Life happens, sometimes things go south. Perhaps that Airbnb host fell on hard times and was forced to sell. You don't know the reason. Life happens, for all of us. If I were in your situation, with flights and other things being non refundable, I would have booked a hotel instead of an Airbnb.  

[Kasey45]

@Colleen253 I appreciate your comment but as a host, things like house damage, rodent infestation, bugs etc are things that can happen and fall under extenuating circumstances. But selling? That’s not “life happening”. If you are in a financial/personal situation and need to sell you don’t have reservations made up until the time it sells. We booked the beginning of March! Plenty of time to cancel before now…The cancellation reasoning is unacceptable. We didn’t book through a hotel bc we have 12 people and an infant. Hotels don’t accommodate for that size, all together in one space. This is probably the 20th or so time I’ve stayed in an air bnb, the 6th one I’ve personally booked. Who would have thought 36 days before we were set to go? Also, my biggest complaint is with air bnb not helping to find a solution. Giving me my money back to find something that is now triple the cost to book is outrageous. This doesn’t fall under the ‘extenuating circumstances’ cancellation. 

[Jo56]

@Kasey45 Yes, this is on Airbnb. Airbnb should most definitely be supporting you in contacting alternate Airbnb listings and possibly negotiating a rate for rate replacement option -  and definitely covering a portion of the difference given the significance of the cancellation for you.

I'm very sorry that this has happened to you, but yes, during a massive global crisis like a pandemic, the sudden need to sell a property (or possibly even an unexpected 'off market' offer on the property which has reached the owner at a difficult time in their lives) is certainly a possibility. The pandemic has caused job/ income losses, health issues (and associated costs), and massive reductions in travel and Airbnb income, causing massive mortgage and financial stress to many, including those who have had multiple 'safety nets' in place that have all unforeseeably blown at once due to the previously unimaginable global pandemic.

It's devastating for you, but you really must consider that the host may have buckled under the financial pressures of COVID19, and been forced to sell unexpectedly.

Airbnb must step up and provide support for you. Given the huge amount of money they tricked guests out of and lined their own pockets with when they instigated millions of automatic cancellations last year, telling guests they could only get travel vouchers or half of their reservation amount, while paying hosts nothing, they owe guests such as yourself support.

 NB: when Airbnb automatically cancelled millions of bookings without consultation or care as to whether an area was impacted by COVID19, guests desperate for some cash refund of any kind accepted Airbnb's offer of half of the value of their booking, and many of those that chose travel credit will never have the opportunity to use it before expiry, given their own changing personal situation. Either way, hosts suddenly received nothing, and Airbnb pocketed huge amounts of money at guest's expense.

I realise that this will be an unpopular and uncomfortable position to highlight, but for those that still have jobs, their health, and the funds to travel, without any Government travel restrictions in place, please be mindful that this is a luxury many do not have, and that the owners of homes you may be staying in may be under massive "life happening" strain from a number of angles right now, which they would never have foreseen coming in a million years. We're in the middle of a global pandemic and many are hanging on by the skin of their teeth.