Details on Airbnb's update to Instant Book settings

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Details on Airbnb's update to Instant Book settings

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Updated - 12.12.2022

Hi everyone,

As part of Airbnb’s latest release, we announced that we are expanding identity verification to all booking guests traveling to the top 35 countries and regions on Airbnb*, and that we will plan to expand guest identity verification worldwide in Spring 2023.

 

With this update, Airbnb has made some adjustments to Instant Book settings. 

 

  • In the top 35 countries/regions on Airbnb, the “government-ID required” option has been automatically replaced with the new multi-step identity verification process, and removed as an Instant Book setting. Learn more about Airbnb’s verification process here
  • Hosts outside of the top 35 countries who previously selected the “government-ID required” option can now require Airbnb’s multi-step verification process. Learn more about Airbnb’s verification process here
  • The “Host recommendation required” option has been updated to “good track record,” which only allows guests to book a stay if they’ve had no incidents or negative reviews. Learn more

 

If your building or community requires proof of a government ID, you can ask your guest to provide it by sending them a message through Airbnb. If you have any questions or need more information, check out our Help Center article

 

Thanks, 

Airbnb Community Team

 

*Top 35 countries = Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Mexico, United States (including Puerto Rico), Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Australia, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, South Africa

42 Replies 42

@Emilie I think you're mistaken---I've had few people instant book who had ZERO reviews.    They did have few past trips on Airbnb, however.  So....the host didn't choose to leave them reviews which is worse then them being newbies. 

Laurelle3
Level 10
Huskisson, Australia

@Emilie I agree with @Jennifer2672 with the message with the booking on Instant booking because this is a message before the horse has bolted.

 

For me the answer have been holiday by the beach, wedding anniversary, suprise birthday for husband or wife, attending a wedding, meeting relatives, working, gift for parents, a group of friends get away, bring mother who needs a break away,

 

This information lets me know before booking why the guests are staying so I leave different welcome notes, it allows directed conversation on arrival as I meet my guests or leave information that may be suitable for their visit.

 

I am wondering from Airbnb's research was this decided from hosts request or guests.

 

I think this is decision by sending the question after the booking is that you are putting an emphasis and questioning them after the event. When it was before it was part of the booking requirements.

 

Not happy, I think it is putting a negative tone to the booking before you even meet your guests.  

Mariann4
Level 10
Bergen, Norway

Sooo... I see Norway is a "winner" in the group of 35 countries to adapt to new mandatory verification system... The info about verification that is being linked to in this post tells us that Airbnb will conduct background checks to verify identity. I'm a bit confused... How can Airbnb make such statements that is a straight out lie??

In Norway no one, and I mean NO ONE, can make a background check except the police. And the reasons to do a background check are STRICTLY regulated by law.

Have Airbnb changed Norwegian law? Are Airbnb Norwegian police?

How are these Norwegian background checks going to take place? 

@Airbnb @Emilie 

Helen427
Level 10
Auckland, New Zealand

Ditto New Zealand @Mariann4 @Airbnb 


There are no laws currently in place to provide Photo ID in New Zealand AND Verify oneself with a 'Selfie' indeed that is still going through Parliamentary processes to.

  @Airbnb @Catherine-Powell we would like you to address this annoying Bot generated Verification Photo and Selfie process as an Existing Host trying to get on with my life, that I've been trying to resolved so I can receive my outstanding payments that were Paused through no fault of my own bc of a 'Prompt/ Nudge Bot' to upload Gvt ID.

 

Do Visually impaired people have a Drivers Licence?

Does everyone have a Passport?

Do all countries have a National ID card?

 

It would be appreciated if staff in Customer Services had t explained to them that these things are 'Options' and not all are needed to verify a person.

 

I've yet to see how to verify oneself with a Utility Bill, this despite the fact it's listed as an Option to use.

Emilie
Community Manager
Community Manager
London, United Kingdom

@Mariann4 @Helen427 Thank you for highlighting how this works in your countries - I've asked for more clarification, any info I get I'll let you know here!

 

Thanks,

 

Emilie

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Merci de jeter un oeil aux Principes du Community Center/ Please follow the Community Guidelines

@Helen427as i know in Europe all countries except i think UK have a National ID card

This is from Wikipedia @Adriano78 , it appears your comment about all European Countries having a National ID Card is incorrect, if the information collated here in the links and elsewhere is correct.

 

It has been in the news this week in New Zealand that they have been collecting images of people as they use self serving checkouts at some supermarket chains.. .

Facial Recognition Biometrics has been happening without advising the people who are entitled to know these things are been done, the purpose, who has access to this information etc.

 

Some countries have very strict Privacy and Data Protection Regulations.

 

I appreciate some countries and Hotels are required by law to sight copies of Passports when travelling, however if one is not travelling, or leaving their own country, and a Host of say a Private Room in a shared home there should be mechanisms in place that we are not arbitrarily disadvantaged.

 

 

Identity Document

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Identity_document

 

 

List of National Identity Card Policies by Country

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_national_identity_card_policies_by_country

I lived in France, Italy and Nederland,  even if an identity card is not compulsory to have everybody has one, without an identity card in these countries we can do nothing.

Whenever you have to make administrative paper the presentation of the identity card is compulsory or even during a police check if you do not have the identity card the police have the right to bring you back to the police station for verification

@Adriano78  We all have Birth Certificates issued when we are born, they contain all the details we need to state who we are.

The issue we all face is the explosion of the internet age and online fraud, and lack of borders and boundaries.

 

When we traveled through Europe, the only time we were asked to show ID, was when we did a Tour and that was in the from of our Passport.

 

Of course in any country one must carry a Driver's Licence if one is Driving a vehicle.

 

There is no legal requirement in New Zealand to show one's 'Papers' nor to carry them every day to go about daily life.

 

Incidentally I recently had an international guest whose phone that all their documents went into the water and they spent a month without any Identification documents, including their Passport and work Registration certificates.

 

There's far too much reliance on Electronic Documents and doing everything Digitally without thinking about Consequences.

 

 

I can confirm that in Norway, a European country, an ID-card is not mandatory @Helen427 and @Adriano78 . We are obligated by law to tell the police any identity details IF they ask and can be punished with a fine if we decline or give false information. But we don't need to bring an ID-card or passport. But like Adriano says; without it we can't do anything... So most people have at least a passport. And travelling in Schengen I believe the national ID-card will become very popular soon. I didn't buy it when I renewed my passport last year and this new card was available (it was severly delayed). Maybe I will next time.

In Spain,Italy, France, and Portugal is compulsory to ask for a passport or identity card for each guest during the  check-in.

 

In my Airbnb  house rules i put:

 

►----Since May 2016, all the rented tourist apartments are ruled by the above-mentioned national law, which, in article 7, requires the hosts to ask all the guests (more than 16 years old) for their identity documents when they arrive (as hotels), and to copy the information (name, first name, date of birth, nationality, date of delivery, type of document) to a form with your signature (this form is then transmitted to the police services by intenet  within 24 hours). For that reason, it will be necessary for you to present to me your passport or identity card

Emilie
Community Manager
Community Manager
London, United Kingdom

Thanks for sharing this extract from your house rules @Adriano78! It might give some ideas to other Hosts with similar requirements. 🙂

 

Emilie

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Merci de jeter un oeil aux Principes du Community Center/ Please follow the Community Guidelines

Milena334
Level 2
England, United Kingdom

 

 

These two features below were very helpful to me: 

 

1)The “Host recommendation required” option has been updated to “good track record,” 

 

2) The “pre-booking message required” option has been removed. If you'd like to continue to ask your guest questions at the time of booking, you can use the scheduled message  

 

 

The first to screen people and accept only who i felt comfortable with , now i have already 3  bookings by people with no review whatsoever and i would have liked to decide for each booking.

 

The second was useful for me to ge to know my guests,  prepare the room  and personalise the welcome gift.

 

I send now the same message once the booking is confimed , but rarely people reply to it.

 

 

Did anyone else has asked to reinstate these features?

 

Milena Greenwich London

 

 

When do you give your guest the actual address. The address given is a parking garage. Host won’t give actual address until 8am of check in date. That is ridiculous . I don’t feel safe driving three states and have no idea of the address where I am staying. “ For safety? No it’s cover for the host to scam people.

No @Connie479 , it's for safety. Hosts experience that people come around when previous guests are still at the property, causing disturbance for guests already staying. Others experience that their properties are getting burglarised. So, no. Giving the address on a certain time is for safety.