Trip Insurance

[Sky13]

In the case of a pandemic or other unexpected catastrophe, Airbnb should have something in place to protect hosts. After all, hosts are the reason why they exist. We take our properties off of the rental market so all of us can do business and prosper. This is no small commitment as you all know! Airbnb seems short sighted in this regard.

In the case of normal operations,  Airbnb should offer guests trip insurance. It is a simple thing to do. Just like the airlines. This would cover hosts and guests, as well as greatly reduce the impact on hosts when a cancellation (usually last minute) does happen... But despite the outcry of hosts around this call for policy change, Airbnb does nothing. What can be done to get Airbnb’s attention?? 

[Karen765]

Go to the corona virus cancellation policy feed and sign the petition

AirBnB, you have abused and neglected the rights of your Hosts. You bite that hand that feeds you. Without us, you would not have guests! It is not your right, to decide what to do with OUR earnings. Many Hosts are outraged and not accepting this! You need to implement a new system and stop screwing us! You can offer credits to guests for future stays, for example, or use the VRBO model which "suggests" Hosts to refund their guest but leaves it to the sole "Discretion of the Host" . These are legally binding contracts that we engage in as hosts, and travelers should be taking their own measures like purchasing travelers insurance. Why should we carry this weight? We have lights to keep on, bills to pay, mouths to feed, and for many this is their SOLE income. Shame on your AirBnB for throwing us under the bus, and we are NOT Standing for it! Many on the forums are stating they will remove listings, only use VRBO, remove instant booking, raise rates and it will get worse! You will love business for making this daring action on our behalf, a community that is the lifeblood of your business and YOUR income! We will sign this petition and show you this is unacceptable AIRBNB and you need to change this plan immediately.

[Sharaya0]

I just had all of my reservations fully refunded to guests for fear of wildfires that my properties are not even under evacuation for. Hosts are left as last line of insurance for guests extenuating circumstances. Offer guests trip insurance to protect hosts! It’s a simple solution to. Huge problem for hosts. We are vulnerable to a huge loophole to full refunds. 

[Lee438]

I completely concur re trip cancellation insurance. This is a note I sent to an Airbnb Ambassador:

I do have a suggestion thou that would be beneficial for guests, hosts and Airbnb. Difficult to imagine this hasn't come up in internal discussions; much like the airlines offer 3rd party trip cancellation insurance, I'd like to see this offered to the Airbnb community.

[Lee438]

Take guest #1, #2 and #3. If insurance was offered or provided by Airbnb (baked into the fees charged by Airbnb to guests and hosts) this would have remedied all 3 of these situations. If purchased or provided, they could have utilized the insurance w/this smoke/fire situation we're currently experiencing in Tahoe. By me providing the ability for guest #3 to change his booking, I'm essentially offering a full refund to #3 as there's little doubt I would have rec'd a booking for those dates (It's the MLK holiday weekend).

[Lee438]

This type of insurance/feature would endear hosts and guests and keep Airbnb from being the arbiter and upsetting whomever your decision went against. Right now I'm very unhappy re Guest #1, Guest #2 is very unhappy w/me and Airbnb and #3 is happy, but I'd have much preferred to get paid from the insurance and had my home available to be booked for those dates in January. Hope this is making sense and you run this past senior management to get their opinion.
Please advise re all the above.

[Lee438]

I truly believe this is a win, win, win for Airbnb, guests and hosts alike and feel it's important we press this issue w/senior management to affect this change.

How can we best move this initiative forward to everyone's benefit. The structure in place right now is to everyones detriment and there's an easy fix.