Airbnb's new direction.

[Robin4]

I took part in one of the hosting workshop meetings this morning, and I don't envy the job of the moderators in setting up this Host Advisory Board which is being so vigorously touted.

I would say, the reaction from the group was.....cool. We would love to see it happen, it sounds good but, we have been down this path before.

Each year since I have been associated with Airbnb the CEO comes out with one of these 'hosting path to glory' statements which seems to be designed to quell unrest amongst the ranks. We take the company at his word and wait for the promised assistance, support and benefits......and we wait.....and we wait! But each year we see our job as hosts become more difficult, less transparent, more of our hosting tools disappear and meaningful support being harder to get.

* Once upon a time I used to see a picture of every guest before they booked, even if it was simply an enquiry. To use the Airbnb platform guests had to supply an image identifiable with a current drivers licence or passport. A guest can get away with a dog on the beach, or a favourite pot plant, or even a generic grey alphabet letter in a circle these days.

* I used to be able to log-on and from the drop down menu go straight to my inbox to respond to a message. I now have to access 'Manage Listings' and from there in the toolbar, go to my inbox!

* All the information relating to a booking used to be on the message page. Payment details top left, then guest photo, address and contact details, then a calendar to see how the booking related to others in that month bottom left with the message stream on the right......no scrolling between different pages........

Oh to have the simplicity and downright user friendliness of that page again. Nobody that I am aware of asked for that format to be changed, it worked well.....that was probably its problem! 

* My statistics used to give me an accurate way of tracking my hosting progress. My 'Views' page showed me not just how many views I had in the past 30 days but, also how many bookings and on what days those bookings were  made.....

I used to be able to accurately track my star ratings. I could see how many stars I had in each category at a glance just by clicking an arrow in that category.....

These tools which were valuable to me as a host have been taken away and I am now bombarded with promotional tips on every aspect of my listing that are designed to send me bankrupt in order to satisfy Airbnb's algorithm.......

 I can see a Host Advisory Board as a good thing if it can be a place where hosts feedback can be gathered, correlated and suggestions put to the company that will be acted on instead of simply being ignored as they have been in the past. Surely management must see why we are not leaping out of our skins with enthusiasm.......This is a path well traveled!

We have had lots of words, now lets see if Mr Chesky is going to be true to his word this time!

As the Jeep ad says....'I'm in'..... but I wish the moderators luck, turning the ship around and getting hosts on board is going to be a tall order! We are going to want to see some action this time!

Cheers........Rob

[Sarah977]

The problem is, that you can get those "special little vests" online with no verification that it's for a real service animal. I've heard of dog owners borrowing them from friends so they can take their no-service dog pet to no-pets places.

The people who those with disabilities with legitimate service dogs should be pursuing and finding a way to crack down on isn't Airbnb hosts but the fake service dog owners who have created this no-trust situation.

@Debra300

[Debra300]

@Sarah977,

No argument from me.  Fake or legit vest, in the US these are the guidelines regarding what can/cannot be asked,

"To determine if an animal is a service animal, you may ask two questions:

1. Is the dog a service animal required because of a disability?
2. What work or task has the dog been trained to  perform?

You may not ask these questions if the need for the service animal is obvious. Examples include when a dog is guiding an individual who is blind or is pulling a person’s wheelchair. In addition:

• You may not ask about the nature or extent of an individual’s disability
• You may not require proof that the animal has been certified, trained or licensed as a service animal
• You may not require the animal to wear an identifying vest or tag
• You may not ask that the dog demonstrate its ability to perform the task or work

Under the ADA, it is training that distinguishes a service animal from other animals. Some service animals may be professionally trained; others may have been trained by their owners.  However, the task that the service animal is trained to do must be directly related to the owner’s disability.

The handler is responsible for the care and supervision of his or her service animal. If a service animal behaves in an unacceptable way and the person with a disability does not control the animal, a business or other entity has the right to ask that the dog be removed. A business also has the right to deny access to a dog that disrupts their business or poses a direct threat to the health and safety of others. For example, if a service dog barks repeatedly or growls at customers, it could be asked to leave.

Service animals in-training are not specifically addressed in the ADA.  However, some state laws may afford service animals in-training the same protections as service animals that have completed their training."

[Sharon1014]

@Robin4   It does beg the question, what now exists to prevent guests from bringing their pets to a "no pets allowed" listing, claiming the animal is an Emotional Support animal (dog, cat, bird, snake, lizard, buffalo (buffalo being @Anonymous 's brainchild) if no evidence is required of the disability or the animal's approved assistance animal status?  Absolutely nothing it seems?

[Robin4]

@Sharon1014 

Well you do remember this one, don't you Sharon......

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7HFXgyTya0&ab_channel=CollegeHumor

Cheers........Rob

[Sarah977]

9 points that Airbnb hosts MAY NOT DO and 1 that they may do. That pretty much says it all. @Robin4

[Jessica-and-Henry0]

Whenever the topic of service animals or emotional support animals (which is a concept that does not even exist in Korea) comes up, the Airbnb policies, dos and don'ts are so US-centric and clueless+ignorant about the reality in other countries or local laws/regulations that it's ALMOST funny. 

I am not knowledgeable in the detailed legal aspects, but most companies/employers are required (by law) to provide regular training+education to employees about public/workplace safety&security, anti-sexual harassment, disability awareness(inclusion) & service animals. Based on those annual training sessions and common perception in Korea, only seeing-eye dogs or guide dogs are typically recognized as a service animal. Emotional support animals are NOT service animals (in Korea) and are not provided with the same legal protection that service animals receive. 

@Robin4 @Sharon1014 @Debra300 @Melodie-And-John0 @Sarah977 

[Sharon1014]

@Jessica-and-Henry0   Agreed.  In Aussie, disability assistance animals need to have completed training and registration, and have certification from an approved body.  There is an actual certificate that the person with disability needs to have to prove the assistance animal has met these criteria and is fully registered for that specific purpose.

Suspect that ABB in its exuberance to create this magical world where everyone belongs, has once again exceeded its remit in writing that clause.  Odds on, it's going to need to be reconsidered and re-worded, along with numerous other clauses in the latest ToS.  The minimum requirement should be documented evidence of the approved disability assistance status of the animal.  Otherwise absolutely anyone could claim their family pet is an "Emotional Support Animal" and bring it along to a "no pets allowed" listing.  It should also be possible for the host to verify with the registration/training body for that animal, that the certification is authentic.

@Robin4 @Lizzie 

[Debra300]

@Jessica-and-Henry0,

In the US emotional support animals are not service animals, and do not get the same legal protections.  Airbnb has taken it upon themselves in the ToS to treat them in the same classification.  So, legally businesses can deny emotional support animals entrance into their establishments, but Airbnb will penalize a host.

[Mira63]

Thank you @Robin4 , your post is very interesting and inspiring to maintain a critical attitude. Ciao!