Transfer of Property Ownership

Transfer of Property Ownership

How do I simply transfer my AirBnB account with write up, pictures, descriptions, etc. to the new owners of the property ??

 

I sold property.  How do I transfer all contacts, etc. ??

102 Replies 102

Guests cannot be forced to rent with a new host, unfortunately, @Ilona5.  When you agreed to host, the guests agreed to the terms of that contract at that time.  Those terms include things like the furnishings found in the property, the house rules, the configuration of the beds, your reviews and experience, and there are so many items that may easily be different with new hosts.  It's not about simple "transfer" of reservations, it's an entirely new contract that Airbnb has with the new host and the guest.  If the guests ONLY care about the location, then you can easily get them to rebook with the new host - but it's usually more than just where the place is located.  And for the inconvenience of no longer being able to host these guests, you can offer them the reimbursement of any lost cancellation fees, and you can negotiate for that loss in your closing documents for the condo.

If I cancel my guests due to selling, will these cancellations count against me or will I be fined. I am a super host & have other properties on Airbnb.

Hey, 

 

 

 

A couple of years ago my partner (at the time) and I started an Air BnB on my property. We didn't know at the time that because she originally set up the listing she would permanently be the listing host. I have always been the one taking care of the guests, organizing the cleaners,  performing maintenance and I'm the owner of the property.. My ex and I have since parted ways and are on good terms, we both want the same thing here, have me as the listing host and cut her free from the taxes. We have over 210 reviews, calender booked for the next 6 months and a 4.98 star rating.  Dealing with Air BnB is like having your fingernails ripped out slowly, no one can or will help us.  I just want to be able to deal with the year end tax stuff as we have already swapped over all other details of the listing.  Please HELP!!

 

 

Ned-And-Laura0
Level 10
Simi Valley, CA

Will you be hosting a new listing somewhere or are you out of the business all together?  If you will have no other listings and dont need to take your reviews and feedback with you then why can't you just give them your log in info so they can just change the profile and banking info...then poof, its all transferred over to them in one step.  

This is wrong on so many levels I can't even begin..... @Ned-And-Laura0.  First of all, it violates the Airbnb ToS and you, the new owners and your property can be permanently removed from Airbnb.  Second, it's fraud.  Third, it goes against the basic principles of Airbnb at it's core. 

@Alice-and-Jeff0  I will go on record that I have no idea what the airbnb policy is in this regard but it wouldn't be fraud by any stretch of the imagination.  They are the new owners of the property, why wouldn't they gain control of all aspects of the business tied to that property? If I was to buy a small business, for example a local coffee shop, I would expect to not only gain control of the business, its employees, its recepies and menu, but also its email customer lists, marketing programs, facebook page, yelp business page and anything else tied to that business.  They could easily put at the top of the listing description "Under New Ownership as of 01//01/2019" or whatever date it was.  They change the profile with their info and they are up and running.  With existing reservations they could easily contact each guest and inform them of the new ownership and give them each the option to cancel without penalty or keep the reservation.  Maybe offer a small discount to ease the transition.  I don't see how that is fraud or even unethical in any way.  

@Ned-And-Laura0 -

fraud - a person or thing intended to deceive others, typically by unjustifiably claiming or being credited with accomplishments or qualities
 

The  " business" is not the property - the business is the HOSTING.  The host is an essential  part of the business and changing the host means you are changing the business.  A new host is a NEW business, not changing hands like "management".  This is why the reviews are tied to the host not the property.  If the host leaves one property and goes to the other, the reviews go with the host because what they do, how they do it, and how they provide HOSTING is the business. No 2 hosts are alike and by perpetuating yourself as being someone else, is, at it's core, fraud. By changing the name, email, and other profile items by allowing someone to pretend they are YOU in doing so, this is fraud at the outset.  If anyone logged onto your account that is not you, you would call it hacking and hacking IS fraud (and criminal). 

 

Also, each reservation is a contract.  You cannot change the terms of the contract without consent of all parties. The guests chose THAT host at THAT property.  Any of those conditions change, then the contract is void.  By changing the names on the accounts, you are affecting a fraud on those people who have contracted to stay there.  This is basic fraud - misrepresenting yourself - it's not unlike a guest sending another person instead of themselves.  Additionally, unless everything stays exactly the same (the furniture, the configuration, the bed, the appliances, the way the kitchen is outfitted, the co-host, etc.) - all material items in which the guest chose this property over another - these are changes that can get a guest a full refund and cancellation because they are considered something of a "bait and switch" which is why there is a review mark for "accuracy". 

 

Let's talk briefly about the trust and verification that happens - when the account was set up it was verified by Airbnb regarding the original host. By changing material items, name, email, etc., all those verification steps are now worthless.  If a guest did this, any person who passes the verification process and then "gives" their account to someone else, is doing so fraudulently, to bypass basic security measures.  https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/1308/does-airbnb-perform-background-checks-on-members .  

 

https://www.airbnb.com/terms

4. Account Registration

        4.4 ...You may not assign or otherwise transfer your Airbnb Account to another party.

10. Ratings and Reviews

       10.4 Ratings and Reviews are part of a Member’s public profile ...

14. Prohibited Activities

  • avoid, bypass, remove, deactivate, impair, descramble, or otherwise attempt to circumvent any technological measure implemented by Airbnb or any of Airbnb's providers or any other third party to protect the Airbnb Platform;

15. Term and Termination, Suspension and other Measures

       15.5 ...(iii) you have provided inaccurate, fraudulent, outdated or incomplete information during the Airbnb Account registration, Listing process or thereafter...

 

Hopefully this has helped you understand why this is fraud and against policy.  

I disagree with this policy but at least you have managed to explain the reasons better than Airbnb was able to. Is there a painless way to copy across details of a property rather than having to rebuild the listing from scratch? I have bought four properties that are very similar and need to transfer to my account. thankfully it’s a seasonal ski business - while it is shocking UX as is it could be so much worse for people with constant year round  bookings.

 

The Policy sucks! We have our house with a 4.8 star rating not just because of the host, but because of the money we are putting into the house to maintain it. The host is only booking the guests. We have walked away from her and we now lose all the ratings. 

 

@Mari182 Wow, thats a spin not expected. What a headache to sort that one out!

 

Potentially any host/agent(?) can hold owners to ransom over this ensuring them a 'job for life' or a painful departure.

That is exactly how it works. I don't think the formula is fair to the owner of the house. The property manager literally walked out on us when we had just been asked to join the Plus program (after the photographer was there). 

AirBnB needs to come up with some solution, quite frankly. What is more important the house or the host?

Mari 

Absolutely horrible and same situation I’m in. I’m still with my management company and I have no intention of leaving. They did however create my listing which means that my reviews for my property belong to them. I understand from the management side, In order for them to properly manage the account and money they need to be the main host. Being a co host limits them from being able to do what I hired a management company to do in the first place. 

I want to transfer my account and put it in my spouse's name ( with her PAN number and bank account details) ... how does one go about it ? Kindly advise.

Yes

best of luck to everyone