Airbnb IPO Launch - Host Wishlist - What do hosts want fixed?

[Sharon1014]

@Super47  @Ute42   @Cormac0  @Sarah977   @Anonymous 

Just running a flag up the pole, and thinking about writing to the US Securities and Exchange Commission about factual information in Airbnb's up-coming prospectus as well as issues hosts would like to see fixed prior to going public.

Information Integrity: 

Main concern at present is the presentation of the company to potential investors as a home-sharing platform (which if recent indications are reliable, is how the company plans to market itself to investors). 

Identifying  on the listing page authentic local hosts vs non-resident/remote property managers.

Wishlist: 

Guest review rating system overhaul, so that anything less than 5 stars stops being a fail.

Outlier guest reviews being removed.

Fairness to hosts when guests complain about non-issues and get a full refund.

Damages to property - applying the security deposit.

Host control of all refunds, regardless of reason.

Anyone have other suggestions to make?

[Sharon1014]

Does anyone happen to know what ABB intend to spend the public offer money on, specifically?

[Super47]

@Sharon1014

That information will be included in the S-1 when it's publicly released. 

[Sharon1014]

@Super47   Why do I have this sinking feeling that not a single brass razoo will be spent on addressing the issues that matter most to authentic local hosts?  That we will be used as the cover for an ABB hotel / conglomerate spending spree?

[Florence372]

@Nikki4 @Sharon1014 @Sarah977 @Super47 @Cormac0 

Based on recent horrible bad experiences where Airbnb lack of support was appalling: 

- Background check on guests, specially for reservations 28 days or more

- All guests staying in the reservation should required advance registration 

- Hosts need to control security deposit (or at least a portion of it)

- Airbnb should enforced fines listed in house rules accepted with booking 

- They need to change their refund policy regarding smoking (specially marijuana) - they don't recognized damages for cigarette burns on fixtures or professional laundry / dry cleaning needed or anything related to smell impregnated on linens and furniture. 

[Nikki4]

Wow, great conversation.  I would add the following:

1) Airbnb needs to implement a Party Fine, not just a Party Ban.   Guests should be held accountable for unauthorized parties.  Fine should be 3x the nightly rate, or $100 per extra person, whichever is greater.  Currently,  hosts are being held accountable for guests throwing parties, which is just ridiculous and unfair.  If Airbnb wants to deal with their party problem, they need to make the guests pay.  

2) No unexplained account terminations, listing suspensions or other abuses of power

[Sarah977]

@Nikki4  Party fine is definitely a good one. I can't imagine how Airbnb could collect on it, though. Those kinds of guests won't even pay up if they break a $50 chair, let alone a $100 fine per extra head. 

But for sure fines, if they can be enforced, are the only deterrent when people ignore rules and behave like that. In Canada, they've started fining people really hefty amounts for ignoring COVID regulations and throwing parties- nothing to do with Airbnb or that the party was out of control, just that they are contravening COVID directives re the number of people that can gather in one place.

[Super47]

@Nikki4 @Sarah977

While fines would definitely be in order, even stopping the current ridiculous practice of refunding evicted partying guests for nights not spent would be a good start. And holding them financially accountable for the damages they do - rather than rewarding them with refunds for their bad behaviour - might make them think twice about pulling the same stunts on other hosts in future. 

There was a new thread  on the forum earlier about a place where the maximum number of guests allowed is 13 and the host has an extra-person fee for everyone over six people. Guest threw a 34 person party and Airbnb would only give the host $200 of his $800 security deposit even though he documented $2200 of damages. The thread seems to have disappeared now though. Guess it must've gotten gobbled up by the phantom 'spam quarantine filter' 

[Nikki4]

@Super47  Absolutely agree.  This has happened on so many occasions- Guest breaks the rules, gets kicked out, and Airbnb refunds.  INSANE. 

Thankfully VRBO and others do not operate this way.  

I've just imposed a 2 night weekend min on all of my STR's.  Hopefully that will help.

[Sarah977]

@Super47  And the icing on the cake is that even when they get booted out for partying, destroying property, and then Airbnb grants them a refund, they get to leave a 1* review!

[Sharon1014]

All host funds for upcoming bookings to be held in escrow accounts, and this money NOT available to Airbnb to use for its own purposes.  Unbelievable that the company would somehow think this money is theirs to do with as they wish.  

Minimum $100 damage or extra cleaning refundable deposit that hosts control.

@Florence372 @Sarah977 @Nikki4 @Super47 @Cormac0 

[Alba160]

@Sarah977 @Sharon1014 @Nikki4 

Only way those bad actors would learn is to hit them in their pocket. Although  we all know Airbnb doesnt want "their guest" to be unhappy or lost their business.  One time i have almost 64 vídeos from my Ringdoor bell showing a 25+ people party, plus police also 'attending'  the party due to a fight...airbnb gave me only colitis as a reward. Nothing. My rules  didn't apply. Oh yes, i did get a 1* review. Little that i knew about their 'business'  practices. 

[Sharon1014]

The latest on the IPO launch, delayed until next week, maybe later

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-11-10/airbnb-is-said-to-push-back-ipo-filing-to-avoid-e...

And this from Dennis Schaal on Twitter, big tech journalist

@Sarah977 @Robin4 @Ute42 @Jessica-and-Henry0  @Ingrid38 @Rebecca181 @Ann72  @Emilia42 @Cormac0  @Alba160 @Florence372 @Nikki4 

[Ann72]

@Sharon1014  Offering travel insurance with the booking, the way airlines do.