Disable 'Instant Book' - can't find option anywhere.

[Jan54]

After using AirBNB as a traveler on my last holiday I decided to join the hosts and offer my own apartment.

One problem;

After creating my listing and looking at the preview I saw quests can book my apartment without prior agreement; the so called 'Instant book' option. I check all the help pages, but every answer points me to options that are no longer there, or at least not for me.

I would still like to have some kind of control over the guest, for example when because of work the guest schedules and mine doesn't match up for exchanging the keys.

I really am *NOT* up to letting people book without a quick exchange beforehand. Is there some way to disable this instant book setting? Or maybe a way to contact the airbnb team about this?

This is really frustrating, even more so since everybody else in my town is able to host without instantbooking enabled. I was looking forward to hosting, now not so much. 😞

My option screen without a single option to disable instant book.

Thanks for any help.

[Nola2]

This is CRAZY. are you kidding, i cant turn off instant book? do i need to delete my listing and make a new non-instant bookable one? 

[Louise0]

Any prescriptive stance by Airbnb with regard to Instant Book may have capital gains tax consequences for Australian hosts, particularly those of us who are in-home hosts in our main residence.  It does this because it may remove a possible defence to the claim that we are offering our places to 'the market'.  Though I doubt anyone, even in the Sydney office, has considered this aspect.

[Andrew83]

Thanks Clare,

I have left them a short note to say TURN IT OFF NOW basically.

Cheers,

AS

[Daphne7]

Thanks for the reply, Clare! However as of now, they have even taken out the lightning bolt (at least in my account) so there's no way I'm able to turn off Instant Booking...

[Nrrddn0]

Hello guys.

I am turning crazy about this.

I can't disable it neither. I almost had i big issu with a poor guest arriving from Korea (I am in London).
I can't understand how they force this to us. And I can't understand how we can stay in a community in which some people have the privilege of disabling this, and some others just can't. 
I am angry, disapointed, and feel a bit used as a sample and had no option but to be silent.

I contact everyone - through the website, by phone, by email via facebook via twitter. Always that same pre-written answer they gave you.

I am mad, mad and mad again. I feel like a number on their computer, and it was not the initial spirit of Airbnb.

Best Regards.
Nourreddine, a bitter host.

How can we force this out. Please. 
Best Regards.

[Clare0]

@Nrrddn0 I totally understand your frustration!  You can send feedback to Airbnb here: 

https://www.airbnb.com/help/feedback

They won't respond to your feedback but they will get your message. I don't have IB, but I think it's unfair to impose it especially on new hosts and I've registered my point of view.  Maybe if enough hosts complain, they'll reverse this policy. 

Good luck!

[Nrrddn0]

@Clare0 I Left 4 feedbacks this week. I am going to send one per day now. It can't continue.

[Clare0]

@Nrrddn0 Did I see a post from you on Twitter to @airbnb too?

[Nrrddn0]

@Clare0
Yes it was me, and on Facebook as well. 
I won't stop this.

[Libor1]

I also left several feedbacks - I think they hundreths of messages saying: "PLEASE PLEASE TURN OFF INSTANT BOOK !!" every single day but for some reason they don't listen 😞

If they won't change the policy soon, I will remove my listing. This is too much...

[Libor1]

None of this works:

1) the "bolt icon" in preview is not clickable - I tried it in Firefox and Edge browsers.

2) There is no "Calendar and More" option in Manage Listing - only "Calendar" which shows just the calendar and nothing else

The "Booking" menu does not contain any instant book settings only a set of rules and custom rules.

[Victoria70]

What you describe is no longer there!  The lightning bolt only shows orange on the listing to potential guests!

[Brandon18]

Clare, 

Niether of those options appear for me. Has the site been changed?

[Clare0]

@Brandon18 Another host reported in this thread that they were able to remove IB on their Android app.  A possiblitly for you, perhaps?

[Heather107]

Thank you for this. I am having the same issue. Lightning bolt is grey, "no one" option is selected. Still people aer booking instantly!

Heather