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.

[Linda1086]

Agreed. Please note that being out for your best interest is expected but you can't throw the main supplier of your business under the bus with many of your policies and now this on top of it and expect us to keep using your platform. 

We all hope you will change your mind and decide to start valueing your hosts more. 

[Valeria290]

Is very unfortunately AirBnb has taken this decision. Iam sorry, but whatever explanation was writen at the top, it doesn't make sense.  The payment platform shows transparecy to keeping the co-host as a trustable business to every one. Also, It's certainly the reason that more and more Listens have been added in the last years. Is the AirBnB willing to re- thing this decision.....???????

[Angela980]

Could you please add a cleaning fee routing option to the payout preferences too? This would enable us to send just the fixed cleaning fee rather than a variable percentage of the booking. It would be extremely helpful. Thank you!

[Angela980]

Could you please add a cleaning fee routing option to the payout preferences too? This would enable us to send just the fixed cleaning fee rather than a variable percentage of the booking. It would be extremely helpful. Thank you! 

Airbnb Look what truouble you have cause, I thought this was horrable for me and you should read all these conversations as you call them. This is horrable for everyone that you got into this, this was your Idea, we trusted you and now your casuing so much greif!!!

By offering to cohost, and introducing the Airbnb website, I had persuaded two people to sign on and list their properties. One of them was ambitious enough to do it on her own. The other relied upon me for setting up his listing with photos, descriptions, rates, etc. It was fun!
I was able to coach him and his wife to navigate and engage through Airbnb, and I believe he can do it on his own IF he would. His wife works irregular and full-time hours. He had asked me to remain signed on as a cohost to support them, because he also works a full-time job during the day and prefers not to be interrupted.
He never indicated that he had a problem with any amount I ever asked to be paid, and let me know he appreciated my initiatives to have his place listed. By listing him, I could easily make referrals to his place, especially when mine were booked! 
Since the feature to pay me as cohost is being stopped, we discussed options. The last I spoke with him, he indicated that he has lost interest in having his property rented through Airbnb after August 25th, when his current tenant is scheduled to leave. He sounded upset and he said it is not worth the bother and trouble. I can relate. I think much of his frustration relates to his unwillingness to remain responsive to requests without my assistance. I would pop in and chat if I saw that he hadn't yet, and if I could not reach him on the cell phone. (That would clue me in that he was either too busy, or in an area that did not have a wi-fi signal, and he had not gotten notice yet.)
It is no longer a simple thing to be paid for cohosting. I am unlikely to be sharing my PayPal information and sign-in information others. The only incentive I have to promote Airbnb to other potential hosts is the $100.00 payment I might be awarded if somebody does sign on with the indication that I referred them. (It used to be $200.00 ??)
I reckon I will just stick to helping myself...do what I intend to do...the best I can. I will be investigating other online booking software, even though I have heavily invested my time and creative energies into my own listings here.
I appreciate what Airbnb has done for exposing my properties to potential visitors.  Demand has gone up, and I have been able to increase my rates. I do my own property management and cleaning for now, and hope I continue to get reviews from appreciative guests. 
So, thank you for now. My life is simpler, but I wonder if Airbnb owners/management will determine a better way to support the homeowners and property managers and cleaning staff that used to rely upon being paid as we used to be. It was simple, safe, and effective. I Angela Jones agree with this writer and will follow her lead. To BIg Bad for you Airbnb, I thought we were building this togerher as a team!  Your just like a  big bussinss TAKE, TAKE, TAKE!!! 

[Shashidhar0]

I am the host and appreciate all the features of Airbnb and its most innovative features. I am surprised at this negative development at Airbnb. I had expected Airbnb to develop new upgraded feature before scrapping the very valuable feature, very unAirbnb...!

[Venus4]

So have service fees gone up ?   For a two night stay AirBnB is taking 16%  .... was it always that high?   And now have decided to scrap the co-hosting for cost cutting?  Anyway, it's been 6 days, any one experiencing problems with their host and co host payouts?

[Kenzo0]

Please bring back routing of cleaning fee too. We understand that a small minority might have abused the co-host tool or in whatever reasons Airbnb choose to implement this. It had caused a lot of distress for us as we need to manually calculate on our own or subsribing to 3rd parties tool for reporting etc. 

The co-host tool was the best solution tool previously. 

[Wilco0]

Has there be a response from Airbnb to make co-hosting possible again and workable ?

If there is no timely response and action, I will start looking at competitors.

[Thomas988]

Can you please add a feature to be able to eliminate the co-host even if they were the one that set the profile up originally. I no longer have that assistant and do not want to lose 2 years of review and data, but would like to have it solely on my profile. 

[Kurtis8]

To join the conversation:

This is a SEVERE STEP-BACK in your platform.

"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"

NOTE: "We’re not building a feature to replace this one yet"

So to spell it out, you are removing a main feature of your platform and are not taking action for an alternative.  I would suggest, among many other community voices, to RECONSIDER your plan of action of this feature as this is a VERY USEFUL feature for many hosts and all this does is add headaches while perhaps increasing a .00__% to your bottom line in your difficulty of scaling.

Thanks

[James1033]

I have tried unsuccessfully to reach someone in management at AirBnB about this change to the co-host payout system first through messaging from the web site/app and through searching for the AirBnB telephone number in San Francisco. All I have received is offshore call center agents who have no authority to even cut on a light in their office. This experience has been as frustrating as the change to the payout system.

I find it downright odd that a company like AirBnB has built a communication firewall between their customers and the home office, and I get the impression they are literally hiding behind the system they’ve created. I really wonder if they are reading or aware of the tremendous dissatisfaction they’ve created among their host customers?

This tell me a lot about AirBnB that I didn’t previously know and is certainly an eyeopener about this company. I feel about as negative towards AirBnB now as possible. I know a lot of folks have said they are moving their property to another platform. I FEEL THE SAME WAY, or possibly I may just get out of the rental business for a while. But I am very interested in researching options for listing my property to another platform and would appreciate folks possibly sharing their ideas on this discussion board. I think it would be helpful to other members and there is a chance that someone at AirBnB HQ might read it. If I lived close to their HQ I would visit them just to see if it’s possible for a visitor to actually enter the building and have a meeting.

[Celina32]

I don't believe Airbnb is reading this "conversation" as there are no responses. Very, very poor communication from a company that claims to be so progressive and inclusive.

However, I want to add my voice to the many here.... this is a really unsatisfactory move. I want to send my cleaning fee direct to my cleaner - this was one of the great things about this platform. I want to easily split off 5% to my co-host. I really don't understand the reasoning behind this. I have contacted Airbnb via the Help Chat system but of course, they can't help. Very unhappy with this move. Please re-think Airbnb.

[James1033]

My frustration level is increasing daily as I read comments from other people who share my sentiments about this stupid change. While many people have said they will explore other platforms to list their property no one has been specific. So last night I did some searching and found that TripAdvisorRentals offers hosting for property. I actually found several options but decided to go with TripAdvisor since I have a history with them.

I listed my property and was able to import my AirBnB calendar to TripAdvisorRentals listing so there wouldn't be a conflict in bookings. For now I will keep my AirBnB listing and see how the bookings go on TripAdvisorRentals, and hopefully switch over to them exclusively in the future. 

The moral of the story here is that I was perfectly fine listing exclusively with AirBnB as long as they made it easy for me, which they did with the co-hosting direct payment system. Since they've seen fit to change this system and make me have to do more work then I'll list with multiple platforms. If anyone else is interested here's the link TripAdvisorRentals unless AirBnB removes it. Then we will know they or their robot is reading these comments. 

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Rentals

[Stephen481]

Saw the link. Thank you for the helpful information!

[Deborah487]

Not happy with this - come on Airbnb get your act together - not good to take away such an important feature