How to change the listing Admin

[Aarón2]

Hello, I want to change the listing admin, without disturbing the properties or bookings already in the account. What is the procedure?  Thank you.

[Maria1879]

Well, I guess I feel a bit better to know I'm not alone, but it's disapppointing there's no way to transfer an admin listing. And it raises red flags  -- does it seem sound to allow someone to set themselves up as an admin on a home without having to provide any proof of ownership or a rental agreement? In my case, a friend of a friend who AirBnbs at his rented apartment offered to "help" me get set up to host at the home I own.  I was new to hosting, so I said OK.  Only after the first couple guests, I realized that this person made himself both the admin and the primary host on my home. We earned 5-star reviews since the house is super-cute, but I didn't get any rating, since I was just a co-host.

When I discovered this, I immediately asked this person to change things around and he declined unless I agreed to keep letting him "manage" my listing for. For this and a few other reasons, I wanted to terminate working with them, but I was pretty much held hostage since he owned my listing -- and AirBnb offers no recourse. I had to change the locks and pay him off to go away. He made me the primary and gave me 100% of the revenue, but he is still attached to my listing. Since we couldn't find a way to transfer the admin status, I had to create a new listing, with a new professional property manager. Now I have admin hosting control of my home, and 0 ratings. 

And I'm still trying to figure out how to handle the existing bookings on the old account. Do I tell them to cancel and rebook on the new listing? Or should I cancel for them and tell them to rebook?

Can someone from AirBnb let us know what is being done to resolve this issue of admin right transfer? Delaying a solution will only create more problems... 

[Kathy-and-Pat0]

I'm in the same boat, only my listing admin is my husband and he is totally cool with making the change.  We are new at this so he quickly set up a listing and I've been tweeking it and improving it for the las few months.   I'd like to keep my past comments but I'm just starting out and happy to start over.  I need to know how to create another listing on our property (which will look exactly the same).  I don't mind losing old comments (only a few) but we have 12 guests booked over the next 5 months and I don't want to lose them. 

AIRBNB PLEASE HELP WITH THIS ISSUE.  Seems its been gong on for quite some time. 

1. can I set up a 2nd listing on the same property that looks exactly like the existing listing? 

2. can the present guests and future guests transfer to my new listing? 

[Gary432]

Maria, this sounds a lot like what I'm going through as owner. I allowed someone else to "help" and now my property is all wrapped up in her name, I can do nothing, and this seems to be a huge problem for many - where is airbnb when you need them?

[Rebecca277]

I am interested in this also. My cousin created a listing for a house we jointly own, but I am the one handling the listing. If Air BNB still insists that we kill the original listing, lose our bookings, lose our positive reviews, and have to re-create this from scratch, it seems a serious flaw. Surely they can create a system whereby the first person renounces their rights to the site, and transfers ownership to the co-host, or anyone else for that matter. It is done all the time on websites I create and then give to others...  

[Kathy-and-Pat0]

I've made some headway on changing the listing admin..... but still not convinced its been completed properly because my new listing looks somewhat different that the orignial listing and my last 2 guests have not posted reviews (or I cannot see the reviews).  That said, Airbnb said its completed and done properly showing my as the listing admin. (although I don't see proof of that on listing).

So here's what I did....  I created a new listing same as the original.  I then "unlisted" the original listing so it no longer shows up in on property searches.  That maintains all existing guests but the comments and host ratings do not transfer over.  My listing shows as a New Listing.  You can merge the calendars but I just blocked all the dates that are booked from original listing.  APPARENTLY, there's a way to change the future guests from one listing to another but when I was on the phone with help desk and we walked through together the Airbnb help person got stumped because it didn't allow the transfer.  That was 4 days ago and no one has contacted me!  Once this process is completed and I'm convinced it's done properly, I'll post again.  Super frustrating...... 

[Chris489]

Thanks for posting your experience. Keep us updated! Glad you’re making progress at least. Can you let me know if reviews transferred over? That’s kind of the dilemma I am in - “we” have hundreds of reviews which really sets our listings apart from nearby residences. I’m missing out on all the reviews, but don’t want to jeopardize the business to re-list (as listing manager) and finally gain reviews for myself 

[Eugen10]

Thanks for posting this. I am also interested in switching the Listing Admin of one property to a different person along with reviews gathered so far. This is truly ridiculous on Airbnb part. When setting up the account they were very misleading in formulating: 'The primary host can be changed any time.' (highlighted in green) making you believe that's the main account with the reviews. 

After clicking 'Read more' (which I haven't until now when I needed the change) you get to see in fact there's another level 'Listing admin' which gathers all the reviews, etc. 

I understand they're trying to avoid selling account with reviews and enabling a market of Airbnb reviews but this affects well intended people as well and it's not good. 

Hopefully, Airbnb will look into this and figure out a decent solution so that one doesn't need to cancel an account (with hundreds of reviews and future reservations) in order to change the Listing Admin. 

[Tamarah5]

How did this turn out?!  I’m seriously stuck right now!

[Matt438]

Two years and no action from AirBnB - they could easily transfer the reviews over with a note on them that says "The listing admin has changed since this review and it applies to the previous listing admin."

Then it would be transparent and done.  prospective guests could ask for insight into the reviews and why the transfer happened, etc.

This will only happen more and more as the service ages -- people die, they move, they get divorced, their business situations change... it's obscene that you have to dismantle an entire listing just to transfer the ownership.  Poor planning on AirBnB's part, and no response or solution after years of asking.

[Eugen10]

Hey Matt, I feel you. Hopfully, if hosts keep asking Airbnb, they will come up with a solution eventually. I just emailed them again today and this is the response I got:

'Hope this message finds you well.
We are aware of the discussion about changing the owners/admins for the listings.

Currently there are no options to transfer the listing, or the listing being taken over by co-host as this would open wide range of scams/review sales — as you said, you are aware of it yourself.

We have considered that as an option back in the days but the idea was too risky.

I know that your co host has putten alot of work and efffort in one of your listings. I beliece that the reviews and opinions are all about their hospitality.

The only way for them to take over is start from new, duplicate listing and unlist it on your side.

I realise that this is not the option you are looking for but currently that are the policies.

I will also forwards your feedback in that matter but can not promise that it will be brought to life. 

If you have any other questions, or I am missing the point on anything, please tell me.'

[Byron36]

Yes, we have a situation where an outsourced estate agent is the listed admin. She has now left her job and can no longer assist with co-hosting. We desperately need to change the listed admin without closing the account because we have loads of open bookings. 

[Eugen10]

Byron, not sure if this would would work for you but this is what I would try until Airbnb provides a solution:

1. Gain access to listing admin account

2. Change email address

3. Change name and ID associated with account with your own.

[Jonathan563]

Hey Eugen,

I bought 2 apartments from the same owner, so he can actually give me the account as he doesn't have any other listings.

I would like to know if doing that (gaining access to listing admin account and changing email+name+ID) won't affect the bookings?

I mean, we have 3 months of bookings on each apartments. Losing all the reviews and the Superhost status is stupid... but at LEAST if the booking are unaffected I will receive reviews from these 3 months and go forward.

Thanks for your feedback!

[Jimmie13]

It is now May 2023; did you get this figure out? Did you change the names and email addresses, and everything went on smoothly or did you have to delete and relist the property?

[Helen3]

Did Airbnb not offer advice when you spoke to them?