News about the co-hosting split payout feature

[Airbnb]

We recently shared that as of August 1, 2018 we’ll no longer offer the co-hosting split payout feature. Many of you use and appreciate this feature, and we understand that this change has implications for the way that you do business as hosts. It’s always our intention to improve your experience in any way we can, and we’re sorry for the inconvenience this change will pose for you. We’d like to give you some background on why we’re making it and offer some alternatives for paying your co-hosts.

It’s important to note that we are not removing co-hosting. We’re invested in helping you succeed, and co-hosting overall has been a valuable tool for many of you. So why are we removing the split payout feature? When we added the ability to pay co-hosts through this special feature, the number of co-hosts was rather small and we built a system that handled the volume well. But in order for this feature to meet the needs of a much larger community of hosts and work seamlessly with Airbnb’s evolving platform, we would need to completely rebuild the feature so that it grows with your needs and meets our internal reliability standards. We’re not building a feature to replace this one yet, but we know it’s important to certain hosts and co-hosts and will continue to evaluate ways we can improve and grow the co-hosting program.

The good news is we’re exploring the best way to introduce a new and improved feature. We can’t give you a date yet, but will keep you informed. In the meantime, you can still pay co-hosts through the Airbnb platform by changing your Payout Preferences to split your payment with your co-host. To do this, with your co-host’s permission, enter their payout information in your Payout Preferences tab, and set the percentage you would like to share. If your co-host is not comfortable sharing their account details or ever withdraws their authorization, you can pay them outside of Airbnb through secure online payment apps, bank deposits, cash, or checks.

We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience, and we’re grateful for each and every one of you who host and co-host—and support local businesses while you’re at it! We look forward to building a feature that will be useful to you and better meet the needs of this growing community.

[Radostina0]

Are the new rules  for cohost payout method only  for bookings after 01.08.2018 or before too?

[Bruce99]

I waited until now to say something.  I am not only a host but also a co-host and have continued to be a superhost.  To have this type of change has not created upset and headaches concerning the book work.  As a cohost, I am now having to figure out what my commission is and give it to the host to get paid and now have to have another payment sent for the cleaning fee.  When a host lives out of town fro the property and a cohost is taking care of the property , this is more work than there should be for us. I now see why people are stating "Booking.com".   Airbnb is loosing it's luster with this negative change.  Dumping something prior to having a new set up is counter productive to the peope who have supported Airbnb!!

[Ian-Carlo0]

It's august 9, 2018 today and Airbnb still the same. We are suffering of waiting. Please give it back the Co-hosting that we used to be. Thank you.

[Trent20]

Bad Bad move, I really relied on this tool. I can not believe you guys making tons of money on fees can not upgrade your systems. Extreamly dissapointing 

[Veronica413]

Wow, really disappointing and disturbing news - ALARMING actually. I have been an "Experience host" that fell into co-hosting and totally in LOVE with Airbnb. A raving fan! I actually am in the process of launching a new business and website based on serving my local community and tourism with Airbnb. This dramatic change will affect my decision greatly moving forward. My strategy and focus is going to have to change with the lack of the seamless payment system.

What about the partners you have partnered with like Hometime? ( Cleaning services) How do they integrate the system / cleaning fee? 

There is a lot to manage already now - without having top concern our time with being paid correctly! The system worked - why fix it if ain't broke? Selling my service will be harder, managing everything will take longer and be less worthwhile. 

This isn't great for those many people like me who have mental health issues, anxiety, depression, ADHD. Extra paperwork invoicing managing funds is a big no-no - why would you reverse engineer? 

Will it be worth using Airbnb? 

Smart pricing too - sometimes its crazy low - all about the guest not the host! Why wouldn't you let the standard rates be higher and take an extra percentage cut for Airbnb if you are lacking funds to fix a MAJOR FEATURE - surely this will be overturned. I really do see why people are moving in droves over to booking.com 

Why as a co-host should I have to cover expenses of cleaning for example? This will happen if the client is away- there is no kitty money, cleaning fee is not allocated as a set fee to co-host or a third party.

No, I don't want to give my personal Paypal login password etc to my client/ the host!! The Hosts and Co-hosts are not being fairly treated. Actually, they are the backbone of Airbnb - the product, the sales and support team on the street. I don't understand either why as a co-host I can't have the reviews displayed that my client is receiving due to my service! It should show on both hosts profile. 

I think Airbnb is forgetting who make them! 

This gives all the competition WIDE OPEN DOORS to maximise on Airbnbs loss, which will be inevitably billions. Not to mention the kudos they lose! its a bit like Samsungs battery blow out - cost them BILLIONS and many changed brands. Brand loyalty begins with trust, you are taking away a feature that is clearly a NECESSITY to our business with you. 

Please @Airbnb rethink this nonsense and listen to your community and respond quickly. The fact  that @Airbnb are not replying is of MAJOR concern to me. Where is your community live administrator? Something seems fishy. 

[Lizzie]

Hello @Veronica413,

Lovely to meet you, my name is Lizzie and I am the Community Manager here in the Community Center.

Thank you for sharing your experience and thoughts on the recent update to Co-hosting payments. I am sorry to read your sadness here over this change and that this will impact your business idea. It certainly sounds like an interesting idea.

I wanted to let you know that your feedback and everyone's shared here, is not going unnoticed. I have been actively compiling this and feeding the community voice around this change back to our team.  I know there has also been many great suggestions on workaround that would greatly improve the way hosts can deal with this, which is great to hear.

Please do continue to share your thoughts, it is really helpful to hear and I will make sure it is fed back to our team. 

Hope to speak with you again and the very best of luck with your business idea. 

Thanks,

Lizzie 

[Paul1206]

Simply put, ill save you a bunch of time "looking for ways" to improve our experience,  just reinstate the co host payout feature . Thanks!   

[Lisa1330]

Not many people may be in this boat but this was the only way we found to honor all existing reservations when we bought a rental home in May. The prior owner listed me as a co-host and just put me down as 100% split after we closed. Now that that is not an option it is going to be a much more difficult process. 

[Michael2123]

Fee splitting with my co-host was a great benefit to our Airbnb effort. The timeline on this change Shows  callous disregard for all Airbnb hosts. When one acts like AOL and Compuserve the result of stacking bad decisions isn’t hard to foresee 

[Kathleen-And-Brian0]

Just saying... One more reason AirBnB is elvolving into the corporate garbage that it sought to replace. I have been a Super-Host for years and have to say this basically cancels my support for and reccomendation of AirBnB. Congratulations to cities and municipalities that are making it harder for AirBnB to operate. This latest move only incentivisies large coporate entities over individual owners. The taxing and regulatory burden for people who need a little assistance with their spaces has just become not worth the hassle. When co-hosting was introduced it seemed useful, and proved to be while we were away on vaction or otherwise unavailable to turn our property ourselves, but the clear implication was that it would enable more absentee (read large corporate) owners to use the platform. The process has apparently come to fruition as the individual owner on which the platform and concept was built is no longer neccessary for the continued success of AirBnB. While we'll most likely continue to use the platform to rent our space it will now be with some sour taste in our mouths and we will certainly jump at the first opportunity to withdraw from the community. Everyone of us surely knew in our heart of hearts there was no way this could last so in that respect I guess it is no great loss. However.....

[James1041]

The fact that the fixed cleaning fee can no longer be used for payment to the co host is absolutely rediculous.   That is a fixed cost that my co host used to receive payment for every time since she did the cleaning.  Makes sense right?  Now if I choose any percentage I am either under paying her on some bookings and overpaying her on others.  How did Airbnb overlook this problem?  

[Ferrovial0]

This might sound lame, but is there anybody from airbnb reading these complaints ? If so, where is a response or where the responses ? Seems like this is a system issue airbnb should focus full attention on.

[James1033]

I've lost all good regard for AirBnB over this change of policy and how they have set up a communication block between their customers (us) and the corporate office. Try to message or call the home office in San Franciso and you will find that as far as you can get is an off shore message call center with people who have no authority to even forward your concern to the office in San Franciso.

We have no way of knowing if they are reading or even concerned about these complaints. My guess is that they have a threshold of how many complaints are acceptible and if they wait this out a handfull of hosts will get tired of complaining and/or just leave. For me I've already listed my property with another service, TripAdvisorRentals https://rentals.tripadvisor.com

Regardless of what AirBnb does at this point I will never be 100% loyal to them again. They don't deserve it.

[Therese14]

I agree with Helen, this program has been working great so far now we are in a bind as how to make this work going forward. As a Super Host for many years who was shut down and fined by our local council because I am a renter and not a house owner, and as a renter I am not to be "trusted" ! Seriously that is what the girl at the City Cashiers office said to me when I paid the fine.

The city obviously garranteed the Hilton and Marriot Hotel chains that they would restrict Air BnB and who have just completed two hotels in our town, the have a full time staff member tracking Air BnB and shutting people down) I made a deal with the owner who lives next door to be his Co Host. He now wants to opt out of Air BnB so he doesn't have to Pay taxes. Anyone have a workaround for this?????

Cheers Therese

[Vickie35]

What a mess.  All was working fine, but now that the cleaning fee is split, it is going to the owner and they will now have to 1099 me and send me checks to pay me the balance of my fee that is not in the split.  What is airbnb thinking...what an accounting mess for myself and the owner now.   And Airbnb has no option to change anything that will work out so that I am collecting my cleaning fee on top of my percentage..the owners do NOT want to have to write me checks or send me money or have to deal with this accounting mess...they would rather move their homes to other sites.  I hope Airbnb will take notice of this!!