Superhost Grants Leave Hosts Behind

[Sofie59]

So we just got the email about superhost grants, and it's all well and good. I applaud AirBnB for trying to do something. That said, first thing we did was to look at the eligibility requirements, and lo and behold, we're screwed again. This is for hosts with no more than two active listings, even though we're renting out part of our own home (3 rooms in total).

This was a huge chunk of our monthly income used to cover the mortgage and utilities. Thank you, AirBnB for leaving us high and dry.

[Nanxing0]

@Abigail6 I apologize if my comment makes you feel uncomfortable. It might be illegal if you list too many units from your own house due to local regulations so you might want to check with that. In Philadelphia there's a regulation stating that at most 3 unrelated people can live in the same house or unit. This regulation is different in different regions but I believe most US cities have such regulation. Some people argue that for STR it should be fine be cause this regulation has a clause of 30 days, but it's your decision if you want to touch this gray area, as it gets more complicated. That's why I'm saying the concept makes sense but due to the difference in the regulations the number 2 might be too arbitrary.

[Donald28]

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@Abigail6 wrote:

airbnb definitely screwed the people who just want to house hack. 

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For years, airbnb has offered us a unique opportunity to make some extra cash by renting parts of our properties that aren't always in use. To say that airbnb "screwed people"
 is an absolute ridiculous statement. Airbnb gave you a incredible opportunity. Some people used that as it was intended and are making out fine. Yet, other gluttonous people tried to make a living out of it and 1 global event has them upended and crying foul like they're the victims?! 

[Sofie59]

Again, you seem to do this out of the good of your own heart, so why don't you just offer your home for free? For the little bit that we're making as hosts, to call that "gluttonous" and what not, I think you need to take that some place else and troll there.

[Donald28]

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@Sofie59 wrote:

This was a huge chunk of our monthly income used to cover the mortgage and utilities

 For the little bit that we're making as hosts

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Which is it? A huge chunk or a little bit? 

[Brenda328]

My preference would be that Airbnb stop trying to pick winners and losers in this entire scenario and let everyone abide by the terms that they agreed to when they booked their reservation.  No more blanket emails to guests encouraging them to cancel, no more special policies, no more 25% of 50%, no more grants or asking for previous guests to send hosts money.  Just no.

Because I travel a lot I had three sets of airline tickets on various airlines that I had to cancel due to COVID-19.  All three sets of tickets were purchased as non-refundable.  I know what the term non-refundable means; I knew what it meant when I booked the tickets weeks before this became an issue. 

When the airlines actually gave me a credit for the amount of the tickets, I was beyond thrilled.  And the airlines had the authority to make that change and give me that credit because it was their money; it wasn't a third party booking agent like Travelocity arbitrarily deciding that they would cancel my airline ticket, refund my money, and that the airline would just eat it.  That is what Airbnb did.

Airbnb's guests would have been thrilled with credits or refunds or whatever the individual hosts chose to offer also if AIrbnb had not filled their heads with visions of full refunds.

[Sofie59]

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@Brenda328 wrote:

My preference would be that Airbnb stop trying to pick winners and losers in this entire scenario and let everyone abide by the terms that they agreed to when they booked their reservation.  No more blanket emails to guests encouraging them to cancel, no more special policies, no more 25% of 50%, no more grants or asking for previous guests to send hosts money.  Just no.

Because I travel a lot I had three sets of airline tickets on various airlines that I had to cancel due to COVID-19.  All three sets of tickets were purchased as non-refundable.  I know what the term non-refundable means; I knew what it meant when I booked the tickets weeks before this became an issue. 

When the airlines actually gave me a credit for the amount of the tickets, I was beyond thrilled.  And the airlines had the authority to make that change and give me that credit because it was their money; it wasn't a third party booking agent like Travelocity arbitrarily deciding that they would cancel my airline ticket, refund my money, and that the airline would just eat it.  That is what Airbnb did.

Airbnb's guests would have been thrilled with credits or refunds or whatever the individual hosts chose to offer also if AIrbnb had not filled their heads with visions of full refunds.

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I do agree about the picking winners and losers part. Other than that, not sure what this has to do with superhost grants, but OK.

[Steve-And-Karen1]

Hi Sofie:

I don't know if you'll see this message since your thread is sort of old but here are three sources for money for people like us:

1) https://covid19relief.sba.gov/ Apply for a $10,000 SBA grant.

2) Contact the bank you do business with for a "forgivable" SBA loan of up to $10,000 for self-employed (this grant opened 4/10, so hurry).

3) Apply for unemployment benefits for the self-employed from your state when this becomes available. We're in Colorado and the state hasn't rolled it out yet but it will be retroactive.

Apply asap!

Good luck. 

[Cynthia301]

I applied for the SBA grant. It was "closed" as all hosts fall under the Airbnb umbrella now! 

The grant money has been funneled to Airbnb and this is where the 25% Support Payment money is coming from. 

What a joke.....COVID-19 support payments from Airbnb; absurd!  

Hosts have been screwed and pressures by Airbnb the entire time to refund 100% of guest reservations with the promise of "shared financial burden" rhetoric from Airbnb.

I should have know better......

The 25% support payment amount is not calculated on the total amount of monies lost on "extenuating circumstance" cancelations. 25% is paid out on the amount which would have been refunded under normal "host set" refund policy. For us personally it works out to be 10% at best- as we operate with a "strick" refund policy for our guest reservations. 

I have suspended my (2) host accounts !

[Catherine1073]

Can anyone let me know where we can claim our 25% of cancelled bookings please?

[Caroline257]

I don't think you can"claim"them - it suggests that you will be automatically contacted if you qualify. There was supposed to be an email early April with more about this and it suggested qualifying refunds would be automatic. I have bookings that come into this criteria, but have heard nothing at all from Airbnb. Also I qualify under the Superhost Relief fund - but again, have heard nothing. Has ANYONE had further communication from Airbnb about either of these policies? 

Email sent 4th April

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We'll send an email with more details in early April to hosts who are getting a payout. Future payments from the fund will be made on a monthly basis to hosts with qualifying cancellations.

[Sofie59]

Yes, from what I understand, the refunds should be automatic if you qualify. If you think you qualify and haven't seen anything, open a ticket. Which means you may need to wait a while. If your cancellation policy was flexible, which is what ours is, I think you may be out of luck.

As for the superhost grants, I was told by support that they will be contacting people by email directly later this month.

[Cynthia301]

Hosts have been screwed and pressures by Airbnb the entire time to refund 100% of guest reservations with the promise of "shared financial burden" rhetoric from Airbnb.

I should have know better......

The 25% support payment amount is not calculated on the total amount of monies lost on "extenuating circumstance" cancelations. 25% is paid out on the amount which would have been refunded under normal "host set" refund policy. For us personally it works out to be 10% at best- as we operate with a "strick" refund policy for our guest reservations. 

I have suspended my (2) host accounts !

[Daisy91]

I live in NYC I’m depending on this grant, most of my income. 1 active listing, I live here, super host for over a year ... rent not paid going on 2 months ... no email yet!! 

[Alexandra168]

I believe the Airbnb algorithms for awarding Suoerhost status are incorrect. I have achieved a high proportion of outstanding reviews and ratings consistently for many years and yet I am still not considered for Superhost status!

The occasional low review has been unfair with these particular guests expecting Buckingham Palace for £45pn!!

Therefore your system is floored!

Coupled with the fact that not only myself but MANY other hosts who are in this unfair predicament are unable to claim for Superhost status financial support, yet we have lost out significantly financially, and so will result in MANY legal claims against Airbnb.

Brian Cheeky and his directors have made massive personal wealth off the back of hosts properties and yet they asked their own employees to put their hands in their pockets to raise money for hosts but so he will inevitably find themselves unemployed as a result of the pandemic.

CEO's and Directors have a duty to hold contingency funds on account for such business emergencies.

I think the best way to repay not only staff but hosts alike would be to offer shares in the company once it is floated on the stock exchange!

[Edmund73]

So it turns out now (although still not clear online) that you have to be down $30k to be considered for the grants. Is this really why AIRBNB started? It was to help people make some money on the side to cover bills. Disappointing. They looks after the big players now! Screw the superhosts who’ve been here years!