A fee for every heartbeat in my home

[Richard531]

Airbnb is an extremely sophisticated tech company.  So there’s no reason that hosts are not given customizable fee structures for hosts to charge what they’d like to charge for their home in any way, shape, or form. 

For example, when the new “pet fees” were rumored to be rolling out, I got excited!  Until we found our that “pet fees” meant a single flat free regardless of number of animals, animal type, or number of nights.  I’m here to tell you: there’s a big difference between a 1-night stay with a hypo allergenic toy poodle than 5-nights with 3 slobbering 50 lb bulldogs.  MAKES ZERO SENSE.

Then, there’s the dreaded “infant” problem.  As a proud father of a 6-month-old, I’m here to tell you, infants put more strain on a home than a well-behaved adult and it’s not even close.  A full trash can of diapers.  All towels, rags, wash clothes are fully used, etc.   Slobber on whatever the kid touches.  I could go on.  So then why are infants free?  And toddlers?  They should cost double! 

The question is why, then?  If Airbnb can easily roll this stuff out, why do they make us do what someone else thinks is the right thing to do when that person is incorrect?  I mean, the functional requirement team must either be ignorant, dumb, or both!

Hosts should be able to charge whatever they want for whomever/whatever they want and base that on total nights or for the entire stay.  It should be up to the host.   Why is this not happening?

[Teresa31]

Right on right on right on!!!👏🏼👏🏼👍🏼👍🏼

I’ve been with airbnb close to 10 years, it’s hard to believe the “functional requirement team” ( it’s really called that?!) is really that inane, i don’t believe they are. These “roll outs” that are supposed to be helping us, are simply bait & switch, make them wait tactics. Airbnb has no interest in making a platform for hosts, it’s all for the guest. Airbnb has turned into a machine geared towards gathering more “followers” guests, at any cost to the host. They don’t give a rats tail end about what we go thru. 

thank you for your spot on coverage…..As we “speak” i have a guest, already booked for tomorrow requesting to bring their golden retriever. It’s a small one bedroom apt. My listing clearly states no shedders. It’s unending.Good luck. I have no faith it’ll ever change. looking forward to retirement!😉

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Richard531  I agree 100%. 

Many hosts have solved the problem by no longer accepting children and pets, so now such guests have less choice than before.

[Rhonda301]

That is exactly why we did no pets no children no infants none. We aren’t baby proofing a house after all these years. It’s a ti y hoise so a crib high chair play pen toys etc etc have no place to be stored in between.  And we updated a 122 real farmhouse so no pets either. Our last guests, adults, nearly wrecked the place all by themselves. 

[JoAnn-And-Derek0]

I have been complaining to Airbnb since they first started this flat pet fee. I don’t understand why you can add a guest with a per night charge but for some reason a pet is only a one time fee regardless if they’re staying one night or 30 nights. Come on Airbnb, please fix this!

[Rhonda301]

I lived in an altar Kent during Hurricane Irma aftermath and they charged a lot they fee per dog to the rent so y’all if that can happen AirBNB can do it. They want to keep guests happy not hosts.  Other platforms allow pet per day.  

[Jennifer2682]

I put my listing on Houfy and one of the first things I noticed was the ability to fully customize fees.  For pets, you can choose per stay, per number of pets, per number of nights... it's EXACTLY what we've been asking of Airbnb for years.  AND Houfy gives hosts the ability to customize their own fees (for example, if I wanted a fee for sauna use, all I have to do is type it in).  Plus, for a basic listing, there are no service fees for hosts or guests.  Houfy is small and relatively unheard of, but I predict a mass exodus of Airbnb from hosts and guests alike, and Houfy seems like it could be a good alternative!

[Ted307]

@Richard531 @Branka-and-Silvia0 

We are one of the hosts who no longer accept pets and or children. We took dogs under 40 pounds, until we got a couple who brought a Husky. They let it on the couch and the bed, (in violation of our house rules) -- got hair on all of our blankets, we even found one of our blankets on the floor, obviously used as a dog bed, in spite of our offering of old, used towels for dog use. It took a trip to the cleaners for the blanket, and almost a week of our time to try and de-hair the couch and bed. Many Costco lint rollers were used! Far in excess of our $25.00/stay pet fee just for the cleaners and lint rollers. Our time was unpaid, just the cost of using AirBnB. We still find Husky hairs now and then on the couch months later. They are embedded in the crevices.

When we allowed a family with 2 young children to stay, we got a 4 star review, that our house was small. They knew it was small, and pleaded for us to stretch our 3 person limit to four for them. Thanks for the reward for letting you stay here! One of the only people who have given us a 4 star review. Now, no kids, no pets, and we get better reviews for our little bunkhouse. Until we are not punished for allowing kids and pets, we will not have them.

[Richard531]

@Ted307  Both of these stories are ABSOLUTELY heartbreaking.  I know there are probably hundreds like this every day across the platform.  But still. . .  the way you describe these situations really resonated with me.

And in both cases, now Airbnb inventory (and therefore guests) suffer.  And only AFTER you stuck your butt out to do something that is good for Airbnb AND good for the Sharing Economy in the first place.  

Again, really breaks my heart because it's extremely manageable in the moment and even preventable before it happens.  Yet we don't have the functionality to at least assist us in doing so.  And lack of recourse for you as the host above is beyond unfair.  It can be helped!  But there's just not enough time/energy at the deeper level where we are as hosts.  So we get results like this. . .

So saddening!  

[Ted307]

@Richard531 

I like kids and dogs, and wanted to host them. But as the saying goes, "The beatings will continue until morale improves"! So I will not host them and get low reviews for my efforts. If someone finds a Husky hair, there goes our cleanliness rating.

[Rhonda301]

Our last guest left water damage to the tube of $2400 and Airbnb ignores us. Ghosted us basically. You get form emails asking for all you have to submitted to make a Aircover request.  I so upset with Airbnb. You see guests complaints too and hosts complaints so Airbnb only protects themselves. 

[Ann72]

@Richard531  100% agree.  The drop-down fees are too restrictive.  I would like to add extra housekeeping days for longer stays.  Nope, someone booking for three weeks pays one housekeeping fee.  But you can lower the fee for shorter stays.  I understand that in theory a person who stays one or two nights should require less housekeeping.  But I haven't seen that in practice.  

I like @Branka-and-Silvia0's point that because of these restrictions on hosts, we've restricted pets and children, so there are fewer options for guests with those needs.

[Rhonda301]

I  believe it’s too late the guests happier at the hosts expense. Our properties are simply revenue  stream for them no more. Our happiness is irrelevant to ABB 

[Robert1555]

Airbnb support services is all lip service. I have specific fees for rule violations. I have front door cameras. Even after providing undisputed evidence of smoking violations and having to clean up cigarette butts all over my property, a month later and over 15 emails sent to me from different support providers, none of which read my responses to the previous support provider, I am told that Airbnb does not provide payment for rule violations without documented damages. So beware to articulate the cost for you to clean up as a damage and your time is valuable!! So disappointed with Airbnb “support” or lack there of!!