Can am existing AirBNB user's listing be transferred to me?

[Stuart297]

I am in negotiations to buy a property that is already listed on Airbnb and has bookings into the Autumn. The owner and current host is a superhost and has very good reviews. I would like to transfer the listing (& reviews) to myself but understand that this might not be possible? I'm wondering how best to do it.

I'm assuming I need to first set up as a host - although I'm not completing on the property for a few months? So could I set up as a host on my home address but just block all dates out? & then add the new property once I've completed on it?

What about future bookings under the existing host - is it best to agree a set date on which listings will stop on the property (set to around the completion date?)

Is there a way of showing previous reviews on the property relating to previous owners/ users? 

[Sarah977 · Accepted solution]

@Stuart297  No, you can't transfer listings or reviews. Reviews are really reviews of the host, not the property, even though they mention the property itself. A listing could be a great property, but if the host wasn't conscientious, didn't make sure the place was well-cleaned and that everything was working properly, was rude in their interactions with guests or didn't give timely responses to guest messages, it wouldn't matter how nice the place was, it'll still get bad reviews. Conversely, you could have a very basic offering, nothing fancy about it at all, but guests are treated really well, the place is super clean and comfortable, and will get rave reviews.

This is why the reviews stay with the profile rather than being transferable. 

If the previous owner wants to let you use the same photos and text, that's between you two. but you'd have to copy it, you can't just transfer it to another account.

It would be best if the current owner blocks his calendar from reservations past the closing date, otherwise all the booked guests would have to be contacted to advise of the change of host, and given the opportunity to either have the reservation cancelled with full refund, or rebooked under your account. Guests book based in part on the reviews, so there may be some who wouldn't want to take a chance with a new host, or they might be fine with it.

[Stuart297]

Thanks Sarah - I appreciate your advice. To get things going, I could become a host on my existing and just block the days out (as I live here). Once I complete on the new property, I could add that property to my name and then de-list my home?

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Stuart297 I am afraid your suggestion doesn't work. Moving your new property into your name is not possible (per the rules). I think the right way to do it is to create a new listing in your name and then ask (via Airbnb) all the currently booked people to transfer their bookings to your account from the sellers account. Its all very difficult!

[Stuart297]

Hi Mike and Jane, I would only propose listing the new property once I actually owned it (i.e. after completion had taken place), so that seems OK? I would ask the existing owner to block out any dates after the proposed completion date, so we wouldn't be in a position to transfer any bookings that way? Hopefully that might be the simplest way of doing it? I don't really want to get into transferring bookings as that might impact on the vendor of the property who has amazing reviews and is currently a superhost. 

[Helen3]

The owner should be blocking out dates in his calendar way after the proposed completion date now, or else he could be taking booking Up to a year in the future that he won’t be able to honour @Stuart297 

When I was moving I blocked my calendar so I could only accept booking for up to 8 weeks to avoid taking booking I most likely wouldn’t be able to honour. And that even now in the peak tourism many London hosts say they are struggling to get bookings in this post Covid world as the overseas market which many London hosts rely on has dried up. 

Also Airbnb don’t say they will transfer bookings to a new host so you are right not to rely on this suggestion. 

To familiarise yourself with how Airbnb works do have a look at the AirbnbHelp website and the useful guides on the Community Forum.

Also if you are buying in London remember you can only do STR up to 90 days a year. 

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Stuart297 That would work - You could, with the owners permission, create a copy (manually I am afraid) of the listing and snooze it so its not visible for bookings. When you complete on the purchase you can then make the listing live and hope the bookings flood in.

[Stuart297]

That's a potential solution - thanks very much Mike & Jane!

[Suzanne781]

I’m in the same situation, and although I understand that sometimes reviews are about the owner, in this case it mostly is not fitting, because as current tenants and renters that live upstairs, we are the ones that interact with the guests and we are the ones that help them with restaurant recommendations, etc., or if they have trouble getting into their unit. We are in the process of buying the home, and therefore the Airbnb unit. The owner lives in another town, so we do most of the legwork. It would be so much easier to just transfer ownership of the account, and have any future bookings have to sign off on that. As it stands, I will have to set up a whole new account, when everything is essentially staying the same except for the owner, who was not present anyway, even the furnishings will stay the same. The new account won’t have any reviews, and it will look like a brand new listing, and somebody else did suggest that I could try to link it to the old account and the old account could stay active for sometime until I got new reviews, but this is not ideal.

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Suzanne781 It would be wrong to just agree with the ex owner to take over their password and then change the payment account and address etc..........

[Suzanne781]

So wrong 😅 But the email is the main thing, and I wonder if that can be changed also…because of course that would be so wrong also…