Strengthening our commitment to community standards

[Airbnb]

Hosts around the world have told us how much hosting means to them—personally and financially—and how rewarding great guest experiences can be. On the flip side, a bad experience with a guest can be frustrating and, in rare cases, even disruptive. We know these moments can meaningfully impact you and your time, money, and local community.

You’ve also given us feedback that you’d like us to hold the entire community, both hosts and guests, to the same high standards. We agree. That’s why in early 2020, we’ll be rolling out enhanced guest standards that set higher expectations for a trustworthy community. 

Establishing stronger guest standards

Our new Guest Standards Policy will clarify what Airbnb expects of guests, with the goal of ensuring that hosts can consistently have more positive experiences. When a guest doesn’t meet one of the standards outlined in the policy, they’ll receive a warning with education around how to be a better guest. We’ll track and weigh infractions (based on their severity), and repeated infractions may lead to suspension or removal of a guest 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 for guests who engage in less serious misconduct, so that we can educate and take appropriate action against those guests. 

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. 

So what are the standards?

The new guest standards address some of the most common concerns expressed by our host community, and support our broader efforts to address parties that are unauthorized or disturb the community. Beginning in early 2020, the new policy will cover these five scenarios:

1. Excessive noise: A disruptive level of noise, like loud music, prolonged shouting, or repeated pounding or stomping. It does not include complaints about minor or short-term disruptions (like a loud phone call) or noise that can’t be avoided (like walking up and down the stairs).
2. Major cleanliness concerns: Anything that requires excessive cleaning after a guest checks out. This means extensive amounts of trash, debris, or food strewn throughout the property. It does not mean minor messes (like food left in the fridge or bagged trash left next to a trash can) or anything that could be considered part of normal wear and tear or turnover (like unwashed linens or a dirty kitchen).
3. Unauthorized guests: When more guests stay overnight or visit the space than the host has authorized for that reservation.
4. Unauthorized parking: When a guest or one of their visitors parks in an area that the host designated as off-limits, or when a guest or their visitors exceeds the number of cars that the host allows to park at the property, as set out in the listing description.
5. Unauthorized smoking: When a guest or one of their visitors smokes inside the listing and the listing description prohibits smoking (this includes the use of tobacco, marijuana, e-cigarettes, etc.).

The new Guest Standards Policy kicks in when it’s been determined that a guest has engaged in one of these behaviors. Hosts may report a violation, and we’ll also accept reports of excessive noise through our Neighbor Reporting tool or from local law enforcement. 

What you can do 

We encourage you to clearly outline what you expect of guests in your House Rules, listing description, and messages to your guests. 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 policy. 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. 

What comes next 

The second phase of the rollout will include additional scenarios we know are top of mind for you, like late checkouts, late check-ins, and unauthorized pets. Our goal is to roll out these additional standards later in 2020. Over time, and with your feedback, we expect to cover even more situations that are important to you. 

Your top questions, answered

Over the past few weeks, we’ve spent a lot of time talking to hosts and collecting feedback on this new policy. We’ve addressed a few of the top questions below.

Why are you rolling out guest standards in phases? 

These new standards represent a significant change for the community (both hosts and guests), and we want to make sure they’re working as intended before we expand them. Rolling out the policy in phases lets us carefully experiment with the standards, education and warning systems, processes, and technology systems we’re using. We aim to gradually expand and refine the policy to address other challenges that are specific to certain groups of hosts as well as different property types. This will be a journey, and we appreciate your input along the way. 

What happens if I report an urgent safety incident while it’s occurring?

If you or your property is in danger, you should always contact local authorities first. We already have policies in place to handle severe safety issues, like assault and violent threats. Violators of these policies are, and will continue to be, subject to immediate removal from the platform. We’re also in the process of rolling out an Urgent Support Line that routes hosts directly to agents who are specifically trained to handle these kinds of calls. The goal is to ensure your call is handled quickly and consistently, so you feel supported every time. 

How will I be supported when I call in with an issue about a guest in one of these scenarios?

As part of the new policy, hosts can request penalty-free cancellations for the remaining nights in a reservation when a guest has violated these standards and the situation cannot be resolved. And as always, if there is any damage to your property as a result of one of the above scenarios, you can file a claim under our $1,000,000 USD Host Guarantee.   

Why aren’t you enforcing all of my House Rules?

Initially, the new Guest Standards Policy will focus on the House Rules that hosts have told us they care about most. We know there are lots of other scenarios that hosts include in their House Rules and listing details. And while these scenarios are important to you, they may not be relevant to all hosts (e.g. rules around whether shoes or certain types of food are allowed in the home). Although these more personal rules aren’t covered by our new Guest Standards Policy, you can help set the right expectations with clear communication—sometimes a respectful reminder can be enough to resolve an issue. 

Keep the feedback coming

You've been telling us we need more robust guest standards to make our community stronger. We expect that, over time, these changes will improve guest behavior and your experiences as a host. We’re pleased to take this critical step in our journey to improve safety and reliability for our hosts. There’s still a lot more work to be done, and we appreciate your ongoing input. 

The growth of our community, and the trust we’ve built, could not have happened without your partnership. Thank you for all you do, and please let us know if you have any feedback in the comments below. 

[Sharmagne0]

My house in Washington was burgled, my car stolen and sold at auction and AirBnB refused to work with me on this issue. When we were certain it was tied into AirBnB guests “casing the property then returning to burgle the property”.  My insurance company refused to pay my claim because they said I was running a business out of my house! 

As a host and as a guest, I have frequently been treated poorly by AirBnB when I have expressed concerns.

After our last trip to Sicily where at one booking we had to sit in the car in a rainstorm for over an hour waiting for the host to send someone to let us in! at the next stop we were told the listing had a private beach! It had a small  cement slab with trash strewn all around it’s fine large boulders making it impossible to safely enter the sea,  the remote for the gate did not work so our car was trapped inside the electric gate and my handicapped husband had to walk a very long distance in the rain to purchase batteries So we could use our car to go to dinner. There were bags of smelly trash in the kitchen, dust all over the furniture and all the owner could say was , 

“sorry the maid must have forgot to take the trash out!” We reported it to Air BnB and their attitude was  basically , “ So what!”  

At the next place we discovered there were 63 stairs from the street to the residence. The listing said “no stairs in the residence” but fails to say , “oh, but there are 60 stairs to the street.”  The spa was also not working.  

We spent most of our vacation on the phone arguing  with AirBnB employees.

  At the first place In Palermo, we were told we could have early check in but when we arrived the previous guests were still there and we were told to just leave our luggage and computers in an unsecured place with strangers having access to them. We were told to come back in 2 hours.  When we did their cleaning person was still there mopping up and ostensibly cleaning. The floors were sopping wet and I got the hem of my dress all wet. The host complained that we had left footprints everywhere! The footprints were also his and the cleaners. the coffee pot still had coffee grinds in it and leftover food in the fridge, so the cleaner had not done a thorough job.

We have since stopped using AirBnB!

My first experience was in a house in Texas where the owners parents showed up unexpectedly so I was rerouted upstairs to a hard futon in the owners office.  The house was under DIY renovation so the handrail from the 2nd story mezzanine and stairway had been removed making it very dangerous in an unfamiliar house at night!  When I awoke in the morning there was a large dead cockroach on the floor which I photographed and cat feces on the carpet.  I could barely move due to a wooden board running up the futon and causing pain to my back.  AirBnB refused to do anything about it. 

I have had a guest show up and cancel on the spot over a 4 day weekend because she said the house was too hot, yet she didn’t have the sense to turn on the air-conditioner! I was not given a cancellation fee on one of my busiest and most lucrative holiday weekends!  And I spent at least 2 hours while at dinner dealing with a a customer service person called Jordan who threatened me if I didn’t agree to let them off the hook!

I’ve had so many bad experiences with AirBnB that we have decided to stay in hotels from now on. 

Sharmagne Leland-St.John

[Sharmagne0]

PS we booked an Airbnb in Venice were refused early luggage drop off even though it was stated in the listing. We had to leave our luggage at the train station for a fee. Then had to waste time going back to fetch it.  The listing was for a 3 bedroom apartment. The owner locked off one bedroom ( the main photo bedroom) and there were no sheets or blankets for the den convertible sofa.  I asked for a refund for the extra unavailable beds and  my request was refused

[Shirley-and-David0]

I have had to contact the Airbnb team in regards to some issues and one confrontational situation with a guest.  The team have been really helpful and always pursued the issue until it was resolved.   I have felt as a host that the Airbnb have our back and that these extra regulations will make things clearer for guests and hosts.   Keep up the good work Airbnb team it makes our job easier as hosts.   We're enjoying the hosting journey 🙂

[Giuliana142]

I’m just going to say that it took me over a week to justify my first and last grimm experience as a host having a bad guest Many hours were spent explaining the same story over the phone, over and over again. They did eventually resolve the conflict but that’s just because I am very persistent. I don’t quit until things are not justified. I am aware that many simply let go because the hassle is too much.

Am I enjoying hosting? Only with the good guests.

Does Airbnb have my back? Only in the case when I turn my back towards Airbnb, call the police and face the problem myself.

[Daniel929]

Hosts should lose out due to Guests breaking the rules. If the reservation needs to be cancelled due to rules being broken, the host should not lose out on the money for the remainder of the stay, and the guests should NOT receive a refund.

This would deter guests from breaking the rules in the first place. 

A happy medium would be for Airbnb to manage the payment. If the space gets re-booked then a refund could be offered for the booked dates. If the dates are not re-booked, no refund offered.

[Lalaine3]

This is good to know that airbnb is looking into this guest policy. This will definitely strengthen trust to both hosts and guests. Thank you for implementing this immediately - early 2020.

[Mehreen2]

Thank you so much for such detailed options. I feel better and safe now as a host. Its like professional development as a host 🙂

[Penny84]

I am feeling a little unsure of how Airbnb checks on the people that book with us. I ve had 3 different people when i referred to them as there name they booked under tell me that they made up the name they booked under. one told me she was a police offers wife and had to use a fake name. one told me she has a fake account she uses for on line. Another wasn't even the person who booked. 

[Anne8545]

Third-party booking is illegal for guests and you should report them to Airbnb. Only accept verified guests with a government ID on file! I have heard from hosts who could not claim damages from guests because it wasn't the same person staying over. 

Protect yourself first!

[Nancy773]

There should be a hosts right to pack the guests belongings and put them on the street. The lock change is the guests expense and Airbnb enforces the reimbursement.  And guests are dinged and noted on their profile late checkout. I suggest hosts use keypad checkin so the combination can be changed and guests dont have keys. 

[Nancy773]

Also Airbnb needs to go back to showing guests photo prior to accepting a reservation.  Since they changed to showing after I've had guests who break the rules are disrespectful and partying with illegal substances and substances against my rules. They were all under 25. Age should be listed and photos seen prior to accepting a reservation. 

[Sam132]

Hello Brian,

I have been a host for multiples of properties for over four years and received over one hundred and thirty reviews. Majority of the reviews were fair. However, the very few occasional ratings that we received for unreasonable guests ended up weighing very heavily on the overall rating system that Airbnb used. What resulted in this unreasonable overall rating was the unfair response from the Airbnb case managers when we, as hosts, filed a fair and documented complaint. We feel a great reward when our guests provide us with constructive and fair comments with a qualitative measure of their experience with a rating that truly reflect their experience. I think all of us, guests, hosts, and Airbnb, collectively want a rewarding experience.  

I think It is about time that Airbnb addresses these fair standards that provide guests and hosts with guidelines to maintain safe quality experience for all. Quality experience means that hosts provide clear and fair house rules that enable the guests to enjoy the property and be comfortable during their stay. On the other hand. it provides the guests a measure of responsibility for adhering to these house rules during their stay. 

Time will tell how the favorable these new standards and  the process of managing them will be on the overall quality experience.

Thank you for your consideration and good luck to all of us.

Sam Ariss 

[Hein-and-Anita0]

Some interesting points! My frustration is still that when guests book they simply do not read the house rules etc. on the listing prior to their arrival...

[Lori1928]

In the past, the reviews of the guest would be available before the booking was made.  Now the reviews are not available until after the confirmation.  What is the point of reviews if not to approve or decline a request?  After the explosion of new guests to Airbnb a couple of years ago, my approval policy was revised so that I would not rent to anyone who had no reviews or was a new member.  Now I cannot check the reviews and therefore I currently have a guest that is smoking pot in the house even though the FIRST house rule is NO SMOKING PLEASE.  I have not addressed this with him (I am away in another country) as I feel vulnerable with him in my home and will see how the house smells once I have possession back.  I do not feel that Airbnb has power or the will to back these situations based on the following experience:

A few years ago I had a guest that cut his one month stay short because he "decided to check into a rehab center".  Without speaking with me (only with the guest), Airbnb refunded his money (my money) due to "extenuating circumstances".  In the rules, extenuating circumstances refer to the time BEFORE a guest takes possession, not if they change their mind once in.  I argued my case exhaustively with Airbnb but they had already refunded the guests' money and therefore would not relent.  They took over $800.00 out of my next guest payment.  I've never trusted Airbnb to back me since.  And now the reviews cannot be part of the decision to approve or decline.  Makes no sense to me.

[Anne8545]

You should be able to see reviews before accepting bookings, at least we are! If you do automatic bookings, you can change the settings to only accept guests who were previously recommended by hosts. When you receive an inquiry or reservation request, you can click on the user and see their profile with any previous reviews. 

We also decline anyone with zero reviews, as our problem guests have almost always been first-time users. 

I suspect "bad guests" also create new profiles to hide any bad reviews.

We specifically mention in our description that we will only accept guests with previous reviews.