2022-01-25 Host Thoughts/ Opinions

[M199]

Hi All Hosts

I just recieved an Airbnb Newsroom email about Brian living at an Airbnb.  From what I gather, to vet the guest experience.  But I could be incorrect.

What are your thoughts and opinions about this latest information,  as a host?

[Colleen253]

@M199 No I haven’t seen that yet. But I can only imagine what we will be in for after this experiment is over. 

Instead of being a guest, what I would prefer to see is Brian Chesky becoming a host, putting his own house on Airbnb. Of course he would have instant book (no check boxes allowed) and smart pricing enabled with Airbnb’s suggested price, and all the discounts set. He should get a last minute 3 month long booking from ‘Jim K.’ who just signed up a minute ago, didn’t read the listing or rules, has an incomplete profile/no photo, no verified ID, who intends to bring his wife, 3 free infants, and shows up with 5 emotional support dogs as well (undisclosed of course). 

PS, tag you’re it. Name your nightmare hosting scenario for Brian. 🤣

[Christine615]

I personally think that Brian should change his name and book the West Hollywood Airbnb I just booked that turned out to be a fake address.

I agree. He should host people with zero reviews who only have nicknames and dogs or city landscapes (from cities other than their own) as profile photos. But only the ones that just joined the platform before Airbnb checks to see if the credit card is actually valid.

Maybe he should book the place in Atlanta I had to cancel after contacting Airbnb when the host suddenly had a fake property manager contact me to ask for payment information and an ID off platform.

We should come up with a list of challenges for him to take. Maybe he'll get lucky and get the empty field a boy scout troop booked in Florida because ya know - we let anyone come on the platform, hide the details, but don't vett them.

And yes - I'll be traveling with my  emotional support squirrels, peacocks, mountain lions and elephants. He'll need to provide a tank big enough for my emotional support humpback whale I'm shipping in. The terms of service says he can't charge me extra for the water bill.

[M199]

@Colleen253, @Christine615, @Sarah977

And everyone else let's just put our opinions and thoughts  out there for conversation. This is a partial print screen of the email.

[Sarah977]

@M199 @Christine615 @Colleen253 

He's so out of touch. "Live anywhere"???

Isn't the whole point of strs that they are short term?  We don't want guests "living" at our places. 

And if he wants guests to live in Airbnbs, he needs to allow hosts to employ all the safeguards landlords use when accepting tenants. Oh, and pay hosts if their guests become tenants after a month and decide to squat. He needs to pay hosts for the money they are losing while the host goes through a months long process of evicting tenants under the landlord/tenant laws. And pay hosts for their time to negotiate that process.

Think he'll go for that?

[Colleen253]

@Sarah977 If only he could experience all that himself, without any support, just as many Airbnb hosts do every day. The sad thing is, there are so many eager newbie hosts out there with stars in their eyes, who have just jumped into hosting and are accepting long term stays at Airbnb’s urging. They have no idea what may be coming their way. @M199 @Christine615 

[Sarah977]

@Colleen253  And I can imagine the hosts who will be beside themselves with excitement to have Chesky book with them, considering it a huge honor, and also trepidation as to the review he'll leave or whether they'll get delisted.

I wonder if he'll book under an alias with a grey sillouette as a profile photo. He'll probably travel with an ESA. One that sheds a lot and uses "pee pads".