How we’re protecting you when things go wrong

Airbnb
Official Account

How we’re protecting you when things go wrong

Airbnb Christelle de Castro-126.jpg

 

Many of you have told us how much you love sharing your space with guests. Beyond the financial rewards, you’re inspired by the personal connections you make with people from all over the world.

 

Of course, none of that’s possible if you don’t feel protected while you host—you want Airbnb to help prevent things from going wrong and to be available in the rare but unfortunate moments when they do. We hear you, and we wanted to share some of the work we’re doing to enhance the safety of our hosts and broader community.

 

Ramping up our commitment to community standards

We recently announced our new Guest Standards Policy, which will introduce a system for tracking bad guests. When a guest fails to meet one of the standards outlined in the policy, they'll receive a warning. If the behavior continues, it could lead to suspension or removal from the platform.

These guest standards build upon existing policies we already have in place to address the more serious trust and safety issues that result in immediate removal from the platform. We’re enhancing our system to better monitor guests who engage in less serious misconduct, so that we can educate these guests and take appropriate action to improve our community.

 

By setting clear standards, staffing teams to take action, and putting technology in place to track noncompliance, we expect to improve overall guest behavior and increase community trust.

 

Learn more about our enhanced guest standards

Designing tools & features that support you

Even with these standards in place, there will be times when things go wrong. We know it’s painful when they do, and we want you to feel like we have your back. Our team has been working on ways to support you in those moments, and we wanted to share some new features with you.

 

Urgent Support Line
We recently began piloting our new Urgent Support Line in the U.S. and plan to expand to more countries next year. If you’re in the U.S. with early access through the Airbnb app and you’re experiencing an urgent matter related to your security or safety—like if a guest refuses to leave at checkout—you can tap the “Call Airbnb's Urgent Support Line" button in the Safety Center (available via the Profile tab) to quickly connect to a specialist for help. Keep in mind that the Urgent Support Line button is designed to be available only for active reservations, from the day before check-in to the day after checkout. You can also access the Safety Center via the shield icon at the top of the Host Inbox.

 

Local emergency line

We know that guests traveling in unfamiliar countries may not know how to contact local emergency services, so we’ve also launched an in-app emergency call button. This button provides a direct line to local law enforcement and emergency services. We’ve already rolled it out in the U.S. and China. We’re adding 29 more countries by the end of the year and even more countries in 2020.

 

Live chat

For non-urgent issues, we’ve heard from you that you want the convenience of live chat. So we’re excited that we were able to introduce that feature to English and Mandarin speakers this year, with plans to roll it out in seven more languages next year. Right now, it’s the fastest way to get the help you need for things like updating your calendar or adjusting your pricing.

 

Remember: Many of these features are still being tested, so some people and regions don’t have access to features, and the product experience and placement of features may change as we iterate and improve. We test new features first so that we can figure out what works best before expanding access. If you’re not seeing the Urgent Support Line or local emergency line, for example, you’ll likely get access at a later phase of the rollout.

Strengthening our customer support teams & processes

Of course, these new features are only as effective as the teams that support them, which is why we’ve prioritized growing and restructuring our customer support team. Here are some of the changes:

 

A larger, more focused customer support staff

Just this year, we added thousands of new support agents around the globe, and we’ve reorganized and refocused the teams. We’ve set it up so that the more experienced an agent, the more complex the issues he or she will handle. So if, for example, you’re dealing with a guest who refuses to leave, you’ll now reach an agent who specializes in dealing with issues like this without having to explain your issue to multiple agents along the way. 

 

More empathy and efficiency in claims

We’ve heard from you that agents handling claims could be more empathetic, and that you’re frustrated by how long it can take to resolve an issue. We hear you, which is why we’ve been training our claims specialists to better understand why these types of issues can feel so personal and upsetting to hosts. We’ve also implemented a process that speeds up resolution and payout for hosts who are more tenured on the platform.

 

Greater consistency across the board

Hosts also tell us they want more consistency in how their cases are dealt with. We’re working on improving our workflows to help ensure that the same issues are handled the same way every time.

What you can do

From communicating clearly to using helpful technology, here are some ideas we’ve collected from hosts about what they like to do to help ensure safety and great experiences with their guests.

 

Set clear expectations

Whether it’s in your House Rules, listing description, or messages, be clear about how you want guests to behave in your space. It’s particularly important to specify your rules around parking, extra guests, and smoking so we know if it should be considered “unauthorized” under the new Guest Standards Policy. By sharing that kind of information up front, you can help confirmed guests understand your expectations and deter potential guests who may not be a great fit.

 

When a guest fails to uphold these standards, it’s important to begin by addressing the issue with them directly—this is often the quickest path to resolution. In all cases, be ready to provide evidence that demonstrates a rule has been broken, whether that’s photos of excessive trash left in your space, an emailed complaint from a neighbor, or some other documentation.

 

Get to know your guests

Hosts have told us that they love connecting with the people they’re welcoming into their space. You can use our pre-booking message feature to ask questions and remind them of your House Rules and other guidelines—we’ve increased the character count on the pre-booking message, so you can include even more information than before. Greeting your guests in person can go a long way toward setting the right tone, which may also help you resolve issues more quickly if they arise.

 

Consider installing a noise monitoring device

If noise from large groups is a concern, a noise monitoring device may help put your mind at ease. Airbnb has recently offered discounts on noise monitoring devices for hosts in certain markets, and will be continuing to explore new technologies to help you protect your space. Keep in mind that these devices don’t actually record sound—they simply monitor the decibel level in your space and alert you via an app when it hits a certain threshold (which you can customize). Just be sure you let guests know if and where you’ve installed monitoring devices of any kind. You can place signs near the devices themselves and should mention them in your listing description, House Rules, or house manual.

The journey ahead

For the Airbnb community to thrive, there has to be trust: in hosts, in guests, and in Airbnb as a company. These changes are an important step toward preserving that trust, but we know there’s still work to be done. It’s a journey, and we appreciate your feedback along the way.

134 Replies 134
R66
Level 2
Seattle, WA

My apartment in London was destroyed by an Airbnb guest that used a stolen credit card and had a gigantic party causing thousands in damages. It was happening all over London at the time mostly by young kids. I supplied all evidence, police report, pictures, receipts etc. It took a month to gather to all the information and by the time it was available Airbnb said my claim was closed. I have been very angry ever since that time as I feel zero empathy was given to my loss due to this guest. I still have all of the evidence, would Airbnb please reconsider reviewing it?

Dominick12
Level 2
Talent, OR

I recently had a poor experience with Airbnb support on damage to my stereo receiver (beyond repair). I had 4 consecutive guests over a period of 2 weeks. When I returned, my receiver no longer worked. Despite trying 3 times with Airbnb to file a claim, I was told that I had to identify the guest and send a note to them with the damages. I repeated my emails that I could not target the specific guest but that the stereo was damaged over the 2 week period, never to receive a reply back from Airbnb staff. This was incredibly frustrating and it felt like staff were simply repeating back a prepared script that had no relevance to my unresolved claim. 

I am a host, but recently was a guest at a property in Spain. While reversing my Motorhome onto the property the back end “grounded” and part of the bodywork got torn off. My host pretty much ignored this, so I want to know what recourse I have. Do I make a claim against Airbnb or the host? Tia for your help. Nick Pearce 

Debbie583
Level 2
San Ramon, CA

Three times in the last year I have had somebody book with me for an entirely different person. Two of those three times the person asked for permission and I allowed them to do the booking as long as they sent me a photo ID of the person who will be arriving.
The other reservation, I had no advance notice. A woman booked with me and a man showed up. It was her friend. Initially she said he was coming earlier and she would arrive later, but then later when I had an issue with the noise level the gentleman was creating and disturbing my other guests, the lady who booked with me admitted that she is not staying with me and only her friend is. It was awful. I had no way of communicating with him, and he was rude in the middle of the night when my other guest in the adjacent room knocked on his door to reduce the volume of the music. He literally was playing music loudly from 2 to 4 AM with people sleeping in the adjacent room. I have sent in numerous requests to Airbnb through their feedback platform to address this issue. Additionally, I have asked Airbnb to enforce guests having a FACE shot as their profile picture and NOT a landscape or a pet pic. Sometimes I think Airbnb doesn’t even consider common sense things that no more then 2-3 people in a conference room could have thought through logically and realize there’s a hole in the safety process. As a process analyst I can tell you what the concerns are with almost every one of your “new safety measures.”  

Angela2092
Level 1
Woodstock, NY

In all my years hosting I've only had one problem with a guest and Airbnb resolved this for me. I  hope never to have any problems in the future but it's comforting to know that there is now a rapid way. Thank you for this.

Victoria110
Level 5
Oakland, CA

Sure would be nice if all hosts received the same level  of security offered to instabook participants.  To withhold  safety measures  from hosts who care not to use instabook in order to entice them  into using  it  is outright  unethical. I’m a single woman inviting strangers into my home. There is no way instabook participants need more security than I do. All hosts should be given every safety measure possible. If Airbnb cares to entice hosts to instabook use another carrot but not someone’s safety and security. 

@Victoria110 

"To withhold  safety measures  from hosts who care not to use instabook in order to entice them  into using  it  is outright  unethical.."

 

Exactly. And quite possibly unlawful, in many jurisdictions. 

Brenda828
Level 2
Lubbock, TX

Recently I had a guest complain about the security camera located in the Kitchen, even though it was stated in the description.  Telling me it was "creepy".  And she gave me a 3 star rating because Uber Eats couldn't find the place.  This guest was argumentative from the start.  Thoughts??

Ask Airbnb to remove the review.

 

Hello Brenda. I had an almost identical situation. I had to write to the ubereats support in order for them to provide data about the incorrect operation of the application. Without this data, they didn't want to remove a bad review. It took a very long time to argue before they did it!

Hyacintha0
Level 1
Anchorage, AK

I LOVE HOSTING FOR AIRBNB.  I HAVENT HAD ANY PROBLEMS WITH MY GUESTS OR THE QUALITY OF SERVICE FROM AIRBNB CUSTOMER SERVICE.  I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU GUYS FOR SUPPORTING EVERYONE TO THE BEST OF YOUR ABILITY.  IT HAS BEEN A BLESSING TO MY FAMILY, AND I'M EXCITED TO SEE WHAT THE NEXT YEAR HOLDS.  THANKS HYACINTHA

Michael3267
Level 2
Palmyra, NE

My house was destroyed on Sep 13.  Hundreds of calls and emails and still no insurance from airbnb.

Have you tried taking it to the media, @Michael3267? That tends to light a fire under Airbnb's arses, when all else fails... 

Michael3267
Level 2
Palmyra, NE

I will give then till next week then sending stories out to every media place I can find.  Thanks for the suggestion.

Rebecca1191
Level 1
Tel Aviv-Yafo, IL

Taking Advantage" of hosts is a topic that should be brought up to the guests as they book as a demand to abide by.
 
One example is when guests stay at your place and remain unclear about how long they want to stay and it hurts your ability to remain organized on the platform, then if you ask them to leave at the original check out time and they leave a retaliatory review because of this, how can this be documented ?

 

It's a catch 22

 

I think a whole section if "Reciprocity" should be opened and stressed to guests. It should be emphasized what it means to actually guest at someone's house and not leave them without coffee or food that they bought or made for themselves.

 

I feel utterly vulnerable as a host. I go above and beyond and then people get to critique my behavior and home and affect my income. But the guest goes on with their lives and has many other means of finding accommodation.

 
In spite of all this the guest/ host rights  remaim very unequal and guests certainly have the upper hand. 

I see how Airbnb is trying to improve this, but I ask that they please consider that it does absolutely not hold an equal standard yet for the gues-host relationship and guest do have an easy platform from which their abuse can go  undocumented. 

We as hosts cannot swap our homes. But guests can swap their identities, use other means of finding accommodation, and have other people book on their behalf.

 

I appreciate the airbnb platform, but I ask that it acts fast to secure hosts as much as the guests are secured.