In Case You Missed It: Review update, Host Guarantee & more

[Airbnb]

We’re excited to share what we’ve been working on over the past few months, from expanding our efforts to tackle inconsistent reviews (we heard your feedback!) to offering new promotional tools that can help your listing stand out. Read on to learn more.

A review update inspired by your feedback

Late last year, we announced a new tool to help address inconsistent reviews. Here’s how it worked: If a guest gave you a 5-star rating in each category (cleanliness, value, etc.) but 1, 2, or 3 stars overall, they’d get a prompt asking them if they wanted to correct that inconsistency.

We got lots of great feedback from hosts on the new tool, and some of you asked why we set the threshold at 3 stars or less—in other words, why wouldn’t a 4-star overall rating trigger the prompt if the guest gave 5 stars everywhere else? We heard you, and we’ve changed the system so that now, even a 4-star overall rating will trigger a prompt if the guest has given 5 stars in each of the specific categories.

With this update, we’re continuing our work to make reviews more relevant and useful for hosts and guests, and we look forward to sharing more changes later in the year.

New custom promotions to get your listing noticed

We recently rolled out our new custom promotions feature, which lets hosts choose their own date range and discount amount. Hosts who set custom promotions can get access to special perks, including:

• An eye-catching strikethrough price in search pages and on their listing (e.g. $100 $85/night)
• Special callouts on their listing page, and the discount clearly detailed in the price breakdown
• A spot in the emails that go out to guests who browsed their listing

If your dashboard doesn't currently show custom promotions as an option, it may be because you're in a location that isn't supported or because you've had fewer than three bookings in the past year. In the meantime, you can still offer deals to guests by setting a lower price for specific dates, or setting up weekly and monthly discounts.

Host Guarantee will soon cover damage by assistance animals

We know that assistance animals (which include service and emotional support animals) play a crucial role in the lives of many of our guests, and we appreciate your willingness to accommodate them. We also know that there are rare cases where an assistance animal causes damage to a host’s property, so in the coming months, we’ll be expanding our $1,000,000 USD Host Guarantee to cover those incidents. (Keep in mind that the Airbnb Host Guarantee is subject to certain terms, conditions, and exclusions—you can learn more about it here.) We hope this update helps bring peace of mind as you continue to welcome guests with different needs into your spaces.

As always, we’d love to hear your feedback on these changes in the comments below. We’ll continue to work on updates that help make hosting easier and more enjoyable for you, so stay tuned for more to come!

[Sandi14]

I would love to be able to use custom specials for my listing. However, it appears that it is not available in my area for some reason. Why would this be the case?

The other thing that would really help my listing would be the addition of a more specific location selection option - I live in a beach community and my listing is Oceanfront (vs. 2nd row or sound front etc.) My listing ends up falling in with properties that aren't really comparable for the specific location. One option people looking for a beach vacation want to use is to select beachfront. Or maybe even sound front with a dock for fishing, etc. 

It seems odd when I see my home listed next to an interior hotel room or second row condo and people don't realize the price may be higher because my listing actually beachfront with private access. The only thing I can do now is to use a good cover pic (which many non-beach front properties also use a beach pic) and list Oceanfront in the title.

Any other ideas on how to make my listing stand out?

[Spratt-Family0]

Mention beach front in every section of the description 

[Gregory312]

I allow pets and have not had a problem. Have had people smoke, bring in guests, lie to me about other things. So for me - would prefer animals over people!

[Rich71]

I am glad that the review situation has been somewhat rectified because a guest can ruin your reputation with a retaliatory review.

I am curious, why a security deposit is not mandatory with Airbnb .. If the damage is done. What is the protocol for getting money? Does it come from the renter or Airbnb

[Emily451]

I disagree that all hosts should be forced to accept service animals. Some hosts have severe pet allergies, &/or try to cater to others that do as well. There should be at least an exception to this rule for those with this situation. And the only reason a guest with a service animal should book a property that doesn’t allow pets should be if there aren’t any comparable pet friendly properties available. I am pet friendly, & am anxiously awaiting the ability to charge a pet fee through the system. And if we would expect a home health aid type person to be counted as a guest, then the same should apply for furry guests/health aids. The issue is that there is cleanup & work involved in cleaning up after ALL guests, & we shouldn’t be asked to provide services for free because that person has extra “baggage”, or chase people around that don’t read the house rules to see the pet fee for regular pet guests. I feel for those who truly have a disability. It should be the host’s choice whether to cut a break for someone.  I would be happy to help those with need of service animals or health aids, but I, too, need to eat. And people try to take advantage & it is difficult to sort out who is legit. Shame on those people who declare their need for a “service animal” just so they can take their pet wherever they want regardless of the rules that apply to everyone else as it hurts those who truly need them. 

[Carolyn235]

Its nice that Airbnb is stepping up their protection for hosts regarding damage from animals.  I've been extremely lucky.  Both my apartments are Pet Friendly and in 2+years, we've only had one damage incident, and the guest offered to pay for the repair which was minor.  Still nice to know we have better coverage from Airbnb.  That said...PET FEES!!  Helloooooo, is ANYONE at Airbnb listening??  Why can't a guest check a box that will automatically add my Pet Fee to their booking?  The competition does it!  Having to message each guest, ask if they're bringing a pet and then manually send them a request for payment (which 9 times out of 10 they have trouble completing and have to call Airbnb for help)...its WAY TOO CUMBERSOME! Sorry Airbnb that I'm "shouting", but I've asked repeatedly for 2 years that this be addressed, and I am sure I'm not the only host out there asking.  This one tiny change would streamline the process so much for hosts!  I hope someone out there is listening this time!!

[Donata12]

I have a problem with this sentence in your communication regarding service animals updates:

QUOTE "We know that assistance animals (which include service and emotional support animals) "

UNQUOTE

There needs to be a more globally accepted definition to "Assistance animals". In most countries these animals are regulated by appropriate certification. In the USA, and most of Canada too, certification is a bogus one that can be easily obtained online. Therefore, a lot of these service animals are NOT service animals at all. As  a host, to protect my property and my other guests potential allergies, i need to make a difference between a real certified service animal from a fake one. As a global hosting platform, Airbnb should be more specific about rules to determine a service animal from a fake one. As far as i am concerned, local laws and rules weigh more than Airbnb generic rules and an assistance animal  is such when there is a legal proof of its service.

PS. I own a dog and a cat, i love animals, but i do not allow pets in my listings because i am fully aware of the amount of hair and dander they can shed.

[Rich71]

I have read many of these reviews from property owners throughout the world and have found these people bright and articulate. 

I have a two-bedroom condo in Myrtle beach. I would be interested in a system by which Airbnb could coordinate other property owners who can help each other when traveling.

I have had other Airbnb property owners rent my property and I have given them some deference because we are in the same business. Perhaps Airbnb will go further and coordinate this effort.

[Lou-and-Donna0]

What exactly does this mean, "even a 4-star overall rating will trigger a prompt if the guest has given 5 stars in each of the specific categories."

A prompt?

Why isn't the rating just changed to a 5 overall?

Is this going to allow the guest to go back in and change 1 or more individual scores to "justify" not scoring 5 overall?

[Betty345]

I agree with you guys. I had a guest who appeared to be 100% satisfied with the place and all, and gave me 5 stars on each category and  a 4-star overall. This was a hard pill to swallow. The overall rating  should  automatically  be 5.  Because to go otherwise does not make any sense.

[Justin-Ryan0]

It is far time that airbnb send the host payout the day of check in.  All fees are paid well in advance.  sometimes a guest leaves before we even see the payout.   That is not right, especially if there is any issue  with the guest.  Stop holding Host money and pay them on check in day!!!

[Kristie15]

I wish for those of us that are pet friendly, you would make a way for guest to pay our pet fee at time of booking. Just as they do our cleaning fee and extra person fee, etc.  Seems simple to me. 

[Kim2273]

Reading below I see that service animals do not need to be notified about.  We are a working sheep farm and our cottage is surrounded by sheep.  We don't allow any dogs onto our property due to an infection called hydatids which can be passed onto sheep and cattle (as well as humans) so what are our rights?

[Iris429]

I didn't even catch that. Good observation!

[Sam163]

I had no idea you HAD to accept service animals. How does this impact on the people with animal allergies that I have promised no animals have been in my apartment as per the Business Ready requirements? This is a serious issue for people with allergies - it's virtually  impossible to get all the animal hair etc out of the place. Possibly a legal problem if a guest with a service animal visits before one with an allergy. I have animals of my own on the property - what if the service animal didn't get on with them? I don't want other people's animals here for that reason as well. What if one of them was injured or died? What if the service animal jumped off the balcony of the apartment (one dog dig that at my place, another reason not to allow animals). If you say you don't want animals to visit you shouldn't be forced to, just like you shouldn't be forced to host a guest you're not comfortable with. Heads up, Airbnb, this is an inconsistency you ignore at your own peril as well as ours as hosts.