Interesting article about ABB complaints on Twitter

[Laura2592]

https://www.businessinsider.com/airbnb-trending-twitter-customers-complain-host-cleaning-fees-rules-...

So, people don't want to pay a cleaning fee BUT ABB charges additional "service fees" that are not explained.  Responsibility is put back on hosts when the cleaning fee is just one part of that package. 

Guests don't like host rules. Again focus is shifted back onto hosts instead of explaining that this is an alternative form of accommodation and is NOT a hotel. 

Also interesting about the percentage of corporate rentals.  

[Pat271]

I have a hard time understanding why people use a service repeatedly and then complain repeatedly. Fees and taxes are a way of life; you see them in your phone bill, in your cable bill, and in your car rental. The important dollar amount is the total, bottom line. If that bottom line is more attractive on some other platform or at a hotel, then guests should simply choose those.

Someone in the article above said stated Airbnbs now cost just as much as a hotel room. What alternate universe do these people live in? I would really like to see price comparisons between a 2-bedroom whole-home Airbnb and a like-kind, same-area 2-bedroom hotel suite with a complete kitchen and living room. I’m pretty sure it wouldn’t even be close.

[Colleen253]

@Pat271 So true. There are a lot of dim witted people in the world. I hope they all book hotels instead of my Airbnb. 

[Elaine701]

@Pat271 

Yep. In high season, we average about 50€ per person. A typical 3* hotel is 55€. 5* is 95€ - €150. 

In winter, we average 35€ per person. The local hostel, where you have to share a bathroom with other guests, is 38€ per person. 

When an inquiry questions the price or wants a "discount", I often send them a link to the local hostel and suggest that maybe it's more suitable to their budget. 

[Historic-Bed-And-Breakfast0]

"Fees and taxes are a way of life"

Good thing you weren't around in 1773.!!!

[Anonymous]

@Laura2592  As a guest, I'm never bothered by a Cleaning Fee if I'm satisfied with the total price of the stay. But that's largely because I can see it from the host perspective and recognize that it's actually a short-stay supplement, rather than a reflection of the actual cost/value of the cleaning. If not for that, I'd find it strange that there could be such huge discrepancies between similar listings, where one has no cleaning fee and another charges $200 or more. It wouldn't be unreasonable to wonder if the one home is really that much cleaner than the other.

I've gotten a lot of remarks from guests about how high Airbnb's "service fee" is in proportion to the nightly rate. They get that this amount isn't set by the host, but understandably wonder what amazing "service" they're getting for that money compared to other platforms that don't display added guest fees. I don't have a good answer for this.

[Janice68]

I've long understood that hosts who charge "cleaning fees", are a turn-off to travelers and guests. That is not even my opinion, it's statements directly from guests who have been surprised at "check outs" that the cleaning fees AND AirBnB fees are added to their nightly/weekly/monthly charges. I would rather bump up my nightly fee to cover any cleaning fees and be done with it. 

The corporate rentals are another story. I guess AirBnB should do a shoot-off company called "AirBnB Hotels". MIght help the typical homeowner who has space to rent to not be challenged by the Corporate Landlords.

[Colleen253]

@Janice68 Airbnb is in fact already in the hotel business, providing competition for it's home hosts, not helping said.

https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Hosting/Is-Airbnb-replacing-Hosts-with-Hotels/m-p/1273241

[Janice68]

Wow, I did not know that. I stopped hosting when the Pandemic hit and am only reopening now so I need to catch up on business. Thanks for that link!

It seems AirBnB has changed since it's IPO. 

[Sarah977]

@Janice68  Their hotel acquisitions started back in early 2019, so nothing to do with changing after the IPO.

Make sure to check through the Amenities list when you're catching up on business. They have changed and added a lot of stuff.

[Julia3061]

We've put our price up to cover cost of anti bac wipes, alcohol spray in the room, disposable gloves and alcohol gel at entrance and in each room of our house. Makes more sense to me than a cleaning fee.

[Mark116]

I saw that twitter thread and it was annoying!  However, the fees and taxes are now so high that I can't blame people for having sticker shock.  In NJ the fees and all the taxes amount to more than 20% on top of the rate and cleaning fee.  

BTW I also now have the new format and it sucks, white space I don't need and more clicks to find what I used to see when I logged on.  

[Dave52]

@Mark116   This tweet sums up the thread-

"AirBnb and Uber trippin. We back to yellow cabs and hotels this summer. They not gonna fee us to death," one person tweeted.

 Challenged by basic English, challenged by basic Math. 

Think this person understands the Total for their Stay??  Or Check-in Check-out date, number of nights. 

So this is what we are dealing with.....

[Sarah977]

@Dave52  I would wager they are also unclear about why hosting 6 guests incurs more expenses for the host than 1 guest, or why being expected to wash their dirty dishes or gather up the garbage, doesn't mean they have " done all the host's cleaning for them".

[Colleen253]

@Dave52 LOL. Like I said, hoping they DO choose a hotel, not my Airbnb.