Airbnb profile update policy

[Amalia91]

I apologize if this issue had been discussed before, but in a search of the forums I didn't find anything related to this.

Is it just me that finds this new Host profile change a bit baffling? I understand having to fill out some basic information, uploading a picture, but being asked to fill out personal information weirdly similar to ones in dating apps seems a bit much. That paired with the information that soon host profiles will show up in searches for places makes me feel extremely icky.

I'm a single woman living alone. I find the relationship of sharing my home with guest already really delicate and I always take care to make sure that no lines are ever remotely in risk of being crossed, but when guests are booking places not for the accommodations but for the profile of the host I feel like the line is crossed even before the guest even arrives.

I feel like this change of focus just ruins Airbnb, I always relied on the reviews of previous hosts and felt safe with this being a professional platform, but if the focus changes from renting out a space to strangers to a personal relationship it just feels like an invasion of privacy. I get that guest and host interaction has always been a crucial part of airbnb, but it seems to me that the basic information and reviews from other guests should be enough.

If I meet a guest and feel comfortable maybe I'll want to tell them about my favorite song from highschool, of my most useless skill...but being required to give up any personal information so that I don't get less exposure on a professional app just seems wrong and I hate it.

[Amalia91]

Hi Helen, I get that I'm not forced to answer any questions, but I found as per the message I got from the airbnb support team it was implied that if I didn't, I'd get less exposure. That's the point that makes me feel uncomfortable. And to be clear, I never felt unsafe with any of the guests I've hosted, and always communicated well with everyone.

The point I was making was more about this shift in direction of airbnb making the hosts, aswell as the properties, the product of the platform. 

[Christine615]

I never EVER put the photo of my outside on my listing for that reason. Some people have suggested that I do, but I have been able to locate potential addresses of Airbnb's I'm thinking of booking by looking at the exterior then using Google Street view to "drive the neighborhood" in search of it.

That's when I knew I'd have a safety issue with people knowing when, based on my calendar, the apartment might be vacant.

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

Airbntinder 😄

[Karen114]

That's hilarious 😂