And, we're done. Bye AirBNB

[Rebecca-and-Mike0]

We listed our beloved home on @Airbnb a few years ago, and while the extra money was helpful, it didn't really yield that much more than what we would have gotten renting it out on the normal property market.  All in all, it's been a positive experience (with the exception of @Airbnb plus , which was a total disaster and mismanaged). 

We now find ourselves shocked and disappointed by the total lack of care from AirBNB, as we all try to navigate through this challenging new world. 

After losing thousands of dollars in bookings, in just a few hours, we are done and putting our apartment on the rental market. Never to be listed on @Airbnb again. We don't trust the platform, and now realise that they really don't care about hosts.

I'm wondering how many of you are doing the same? Will you weather the virus storm, or are you also out? 

We are in Melbourne, Australia - superhosts, who have only ever had glowing reviews. Not that any of that hard work matters anymore... 

[Rebecca-and-Mike0]

Why wait, when we have the opportunity to claw back some money through renting it on the normal market. If AirBNB were more supportive, we wouldn't necessarily bow out, but they've left us no choice. 

Wait and then try and list on the rental market, my expectation is that the market will be flooded, and that will get harder as well. 

Get ahead of it.  AirBNB don't care about us.

[Sheila22]

@Rebecca-and-Mike0 

I'm am thinking of these things as well.  Do you have future bookings in June, July, August through Airbnb?   As @Paul1255 mentioned, that can put one between a rock and a hard place -- what to do about those.

I wonder how others are handling that or planning to handle that.

[Pai207]

The king is dead.  Long live the King.

[Bradley122]

Sorry, but the "If you're bowing out after a few weeks of a pandemic then you were nearly on the way out for a while" attitude is complete bullish*t. I get no bookings for January and February, pay minimums on everything and max out cards knowing I'm fully booked at the highest rates during Cherry Blossoms in DC.

[Jonathan1257]

Agree Rebecca & Mike

Can make as much renting out through agent. Airbnb never put anyone senior on the calls. This superhost stuff is meaningless. Airbnb will not get to profitability after this. They're loss making a decade down the line. That's why they charge guests so much. Our own site is getting more feed every year so it's possible to beat them.

All the best to you both and the city of Melbournbe.

[Wendy1071]

We have a building with 3 units and we divide the apartments up between local tenants in long term leases in two and one airbnb unit.  The Airbnb unit by far brings in a lot more income for half the usage.  Even still we didn't want the whole building being Airbnb-ed as the locals treat the house like it's their own and keep an eye on things.  (We live about 1000 km away).  We also didn't want to have people coming and going all the time for the neighbours' sake.  I never thought something like this could happen (who could have?). But in hindsight, I'm certainly glad I've got the diversity of both.    I've seen FB group pages where people have said they lost $60,000 in lost revenue from cancelled reservations in one week!!!   I feel for them but it might be time to rethink this strategy going forward.  I live in Toronto, where rental units are hard to find and are ridiculously priced, leaving locals scrambling.  I'm only just getting a sense of where all those newly built condos have been going... onto airbnb by major players/speculators relying on Airbnb for high returns.  I don't think this is how it was meant to be. It was meant as supplemental income and now a bunch of people are paying the price for using it otherwise and depending on it.  A global pandemic isn't Airbnb's fault.  They stated their terms when you signed up.  Hosts are not being made to pay back money they earned,  just not being able to make it as they hoped.   Taking money from people who have been affected by COVID19 and can't travel etc. would be just wrong.  If you absolutely need the income, you should be looking for more stable earnings of long term tenants.

[Donald28]

@Wendy1071 exactly what I have been saying only you've sugar coated it a bit so that everyone isn't jumping down your throat as they did mine. 

[Juan63]

@Donald28 They jumped down your throat because **

**[Inappropriate content hidden - Community Center Guidelines]

[Huma0]

@Wendy1071I understand your point, but it's not just major players/speculators who have been stung very badly by this. I am a live-in host, Airbnbing rooms in my own house to long-term guests (those coming for jobs, study etc.) not holidaymakers.

The new extenuating circumstances policy has hit many hosts very hard, but I guess it's natural that guests are going to want to cancel trips at this time (just a shame that Airbnb felt hosts should take all the financial burden). It's not this that bothers me so much. Sure, I was going to lose a lot, but was resigned to it. It's the fact that Airbnb are refunding guests outside of that policy, i.e. refunding guests who do not qualify for the new extenuating circumstances and not just for future nights, but for nights they already stayed. In one case, the guest got refunded in full for the two weeks she had already spent here!

These guests were willing to pay as per the long-term cancellation policy they signed up to (which still applied to them anyway). They said it was only fair. They were going to get the remaining months back and, in some cases, were being reimbursed elsewhere. Airbnb ignored this information (confirmed by both me and the guests) and refunded them anyway. Once the refunds are done, the guests changed their minds. "So sorry," they said. "I tried to do the right thing, but Airbnb made it too difficult."

Of course, it's a gamble to rely on Airbnb income, but we entered into a contract with the guest when they booked. What right does Airbnb have to step in and refund contrary to their own policy when the extenuating circumstances do not apply? I was willing to accept the change in the extenuating circumstances, but refunding guests for accommodation I provided already? What about my expenses, the utilities, cleaning costs? What about my time? Sorry, but that is just theft.

I know that Airbnb CS is overstretched, but they have gone mad. Rather than check if the booking falls under the extenuating circumstances, they are just automatically giving out refunds. They admitted to me that these refunds should not have been made, but are saying, what's done is done.

[Mike-And-Jane0]

Refunding money when guests have already stayed is just plain wrong and I recommend you take Airbnb to the small claims court.

The extenuating circumstances policy however is not new. If Coronavirus does not trigger it then I don't know what would.

At the end of the day this episode will sort the wheat from the chaff and those who have come aboard risking renting or buying houses just to put them on the short term rental market will realise that its not just an easy buck after all. This will leave a better situation for those who survive (and there will be some) as supply falls and demand returns

[Susan17]

@Mike-And-Jane0 

"This will leave a better situation for those who survive"

You're assuming that Airbnb will survive. Highly unlikely, at this point.

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Susan17 

I think Airbnb will survive given that their business model is fundamentally sound and they will be protected  by US chapter 11 bankruptcy laws

[Wendy1071]

@Huma0I agree that if you've already hosted and provided the service, refunds should not be given to guests.  I don't even know how Airbnb would do this.  These are trips where people are leaving part way though and you were yet to be paid?   If so, yes, you should definitely be paid for what you provided, no question.  Airbnb is scrambling now no doubt but hopefully they'll be able to address this issue, if not now, in the near future.  They may offer some other form of compensation when things get back to normal for people in your position who were not paid for service provided but as far as the contracts between all parties, I believe the contracts hosts have with guests are governed by the contracts hosts have with Airbnb, which includes the EC policy.  Providing full refunds for trips not yet taken are not unreasonable during a global pandemic when governments have closed airports and restricted travel.  Airbnb cannot possibly 'making money'.  No bookings = no fees.  Hosts are not taking all the financial burden as you say and so many people think.  You're not earning your hosting funds for a unit or two or three but Airbnb is not earning fees on millions of bookings worldwide.  Surely that must be seen as sharing in the financial burden.   Both parties are earning nothing on cancelled trips.

[Huma0]

@Wendy1071  I hope that you are right and that in the future there will be some sort of compensation, but I'm really not going to hold my breath. Airbnb do not care about hosts, full stop.

I understand totally that Airbnb CS is inundated and short staffed right now. We're all human and mistakes get made in times of extreme pressure. I can wait for an outcome, if it's the right one. 

However, what they are telling me is, yes, we screwed up, but no, we're not going to do anything about it. What's done is done, so be quiet and crawl back to your (now empty) Airbnb and your impending financial ruin. We refunded the guests too much, but we're not going to risk upsetting them, we'd so much rather cr*p on you.

And no, I am not exaggerating here. I freelanced for a travel magazine that has folded due to this crisis, so I have lost my future earnings (the difference is that they will pay me what they already owe me) as well as my Airbnb income. I would therefore really like to get paid what I am due. I am not asking them not to refund guests under their new Coronavirus extenuating circumstances. I am asking them to stop refunding bookings that are not covered by that policy, giving away my accommodation (which I pay a mortgage and bills on), time and expenses for free. It is not theirs to give and therefore it is THEFT!!

As you can probably tell, I'm pretty upset right now.

[Wendy1071]

@Huma0 This may not help you, since you have rooms in your home and may not be considered a landlord, however it could possibly help some so I'll post it here.  If you have solely rented unit, you should have landlord insurance.  Check you're policies!  Loss of income is one of the benefits.  Most will come with deductibles but, given the large losses of some hosts it may be worthwhile to file a claim.