Key takeaways from CEO Brian Chesky’s message to our hosts

[Airbnb]

Over the past three weeks, we've held more than 50 online listening sessions with hosts from around the world, tracking every suggestion to learn where you’re hurting the most and how Airbnb can support you. 

Speaking from his home in San Francisco on Monday, CEO Brian Chesky announced three key initiatives and programs aimed specifically at helping our hosts:

1. We’re investing $250 million USD to share in the cost of COVID-19 cancellations.

We’re providing updated coverage under our extenuating circumstances policy for accommodation reservations booked on or before March 14 and with a check-in between March 14 and May 31, 2020. If a guest cancels an eligible reservation in this window, we’ll pay you 25% of what you would normally receive through your cancellation policy. For example, if you would’ve received $400 USD for a normal cancellation, we'll pay you 25% of that—or $100 USD. This cost will be covered entirely by Airbnb, with no impact to the guest. We view this as an investment in our future together.

Reservations booked after March 14 will not qualify for the COVID-19-related extenuating circumstances cancellations. Learn more at Airbnb.com/250MSupport.

2. We’re creating a $10 million USD relief fund for Superhosts and Airbnb Experiences hosts.

We know some of you are facing serious financial hardships, and we want to help. This fund will offer grants to Superhosts and Experiences hosts who need money to stay in the homes they live in. 

Our employees started the fund by raising the first $1 million USD, and our founders contributed the additional $9 million USD. Learn more about who is eligible at Airbnb.com/superhostrelief.

3. We’re making it easy for your previous guests to add contributions that go to you directly.

Just a few weeks ago, our global community was bringing more than 2 million people together every day. Collectively, you've made many millions of people feel at home. And thousands of them have told us how grateful they are for your flexibility—so we’re making it easy for them to help. We'll reach out to guests who’ve stayed with you recently and left 5-star reviews to ask if they want to send a note and a contribution in connection with a previous reservation. You will receive 100% of any guest contributions. 

This is just a start

We know many of you want—or need—to host right now, whether on the front lines or for people who live nearby. To help further support you, we’re also working on the following:

• Insurance options for you and your guests
• Programs to drive demand during the recovery period
• Airbnb housing for COVID-19 responders
• Cleaning guidelines and protocols informed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

 We will get through this together

Airbnb and our community are facing this challenging time together. We’ll continue working day and night toward solutions, and we’ll communicate regularly and transparently on the steps we’re taking to help you. We’re adapting in real time to the changing situation, but what doesn’t change is that when travel returns, your homes are the places where people want to stay.

At the core of our business is what is core to the human experience—that fundamental desire to connect and explore. It will take time to bounce back, but we will bounce back together. As always, thank you for being part of the Airbnb community, and thank you for all that you do to help us create a world where anyone can belong anywhere. 

[Natalie127]

@Susan1188  and @Belinda55 Valid points on both views, however Susan perhaps your last comment is where the main difference lies. Many of us think of the customer first (just as we as travellers would like to be thought of first), so many hosts will be aiming on making the process as suited to guests needs as possible, before adapting parameters to their own needs. (I'm not saying you don't think of your guests).

Realistically, most hotels offer full refunds at least 72 hours out, if not less, so as a traveller, to me that seems realistic, so personally for me even making it 5 days out seems stiff. Everyday life events happen, I get it, but this is not an everyday life event and the cancellation policies are rendered irrelevant anyway...they must all be cancelled, therefore we should all be considered on an even platform from that point of view. If we are truly a community, we will recognise everyone is hurting and the main point is ensuring everyone's health, cooperative behaviours to curb and prevent the spread.

[Kathy899]

Sure, if you run your airbnb like a hotel with one-night minimums.  Some of us can't do that, because we have HOA rules to follow.  I have a 14-night minimum, so a cancellation for me means loss of half my monthly income.  Airbnb needs to do a better job of protecting long-term stays - their 28 night long term policy is great, but how many guests actually stay that long?    Hosts need flexibility in tailoring their cancellation policies to their particular needs.

[Susan1188]

@Natalie127 

I'm glad you do admit that I can both
* have a cancellation policy, that is clear from the start, that I expect to stick to 
and also be
*"thinking of my guests"

Many guests book my place, 6+ months ahead,  because they really wanted to stay there.  They want to "be sure" they get it!  So they block my calendar!  And I will NEVER cancel a guest reservation for any reason, even if I have to go to a hotel myself or pay more than their booking to hire someone at a distance to take care of their needs, if I'm not around.  They agree to the "strict" cancellation policy when they book, despite much of the  competition in my area  offering flexible policies! 

As for "adapting parameters to my own needs"...   Yes of course I adapt to my own needs.  I provide beautiful holiday accomodations, people love them.  It is a full time job respecting all local laws, reporting requirements, tax declarations...  Of course I set my parameters on Airbnb to reflect my own needs!  Such as I require ID and meet all my guests personally, and I have a strict policy because I make investments to maintain and improve, I have contracts with my accountants and cleaners, etc!

@Natalie127 

Realistically, most hotels offer full refunds at least 72 hours out, if not less, so as a traveller, to me that seems realistic,

---

What?  Based on what?  Hotels with 200 rooms might offer flexible reservations - at a premium! and non-refundable - at a discount!  

If you go on Booking.com, the most notoriously flexible booking platform, not every property allows to you book with flexible cancellation!  It's a selling point and competitive advance, like price discount or extra services, you might want to offer or you might not!

Airlines and many others in the travel industry have been offering vouchers or travel credit even though FLIGHTS or cruises are cancelled, not refunds.

I'm very upset with the notion that people "don't care about their guests", because we expect the initial contract to be respected - in some measure - despite the rough times.

Most hosts like me have gone far out of their way to offer compensation and help to guests caught up in this dilemma, expecting a token cancellation fee is not unreasonable.

[Natalie127]

Yes, personally I'd rather not even hear about it ...it's like someone's poured bleach on an open wound! The other relief option is only if you have 2 listings or less...I have 3 (2 in my home, 1 in another cottage)....again, bleach in a wound!

[Steve2553]

@Natalie127 

Where did you hear that >2 listings will not get assistance?  We too have more than 2 listings, but all under one roof in one house.  Not sure why it matters or why they would choose an arbitrary number like "2"...

[Tracy6]

@Belinda55 I agree with you that those of us who did as we were encouraged to do and applied a cancellation policy that was less onerous on guests have now been disadvantaged.  And yes, whilst as pointed out by many other's comments, the choice of the cancellation policy we apply is of course that, our choice, most superhosts who choose moderate or less make it as it is what is best for guests.  I appreciate this is not an easy situation for anyone, but I'm not sure how Airbnb financially supporting some superhosts over others (purely based on their choice of cancellation policy) is fair for all.

[Robin290]

Same problem here. This is a real disappointment.

[Susan1188]

---

@Tracy6 wrote:

@Belinda55I agree with you that those of us who did as we were encouraged to do and applied a cancellation policy that was less onerous on guests have now been disadvantaged. 

 The platform "encourages" you to do things, that will boost your visibility and bookings.

By definition, most of those things are in favor of the guest (since the point is, to attract guests).

We are constantly encouraged to:

- have "flexible" policy
- turn on smart pricing
- lower prices, give discounts
- allow long term stays
- allow 1 night stays
- not charge for cleaning
- do not install cameras
- have self check in
- allow flexible agrements check in check out animals children smoking
- not have a reasonable security deposit
- not ask for guest IDs

etc.

Each of these things might make your listing stand out in the search results, and get you a higher occupancy.

It is up to each host to decide what is right for them, and if you mistakenly put the wrong parameters, look at the big picture take the loss and change your parameters for the next time.

We always knew that the platform pushes you to do things that are in favor of the guest, in order to get more bookings. 

The problem is now you can't trust that the parameters you put in place will not be changed mid-course.

[Robin4]

@Susan1188 

Susan, precisely........ hosts are blinded by Airbnb's rhetoric and possibly more than half of them are making nothing out of what they are doing because, their only interest is in getting bookings and the way you get bookings is to be cheaper than the next host!

I posted this on another thread today but it is relevant. Here is the Profit/Loss sheet I use to set my listing charge....

Using this sheet guarantees me I am going to make a profit through having strangers on my property.

Although I have this as an Excel editable file,  here is the blank sheet, put all your cost into it truthfully, and the result you get will probably alarm you!

Forget about what Airbnb are telling you to do, they have not the slightest consideration as to whether you make money or lose it. Their only desire is to secure reservations......nothing else!

Cheers......Rob

[Martyn53]

@Belinda55 Nailed it. We lost all our Xmas/New year/Australia Day bookings due to the bushfires and stared losing bookings from mid February due to Covid19 as people's weddings, birthday events were cancelled in the Highlands. Apply is fairly and take in to account the individual country circumstances.

[MariaCarolina3]

I share your feelings. 

[Andrew883]

Very well said. 

[Peter-and-Yana0]

@Belinda55  Completely agree with Belinda, I did not expect compensation from AirBnb, I am not getting it from Booking, Homeaway or TripAdviser, but I do feel that the meanest are getting rewarded. I choose flexible in part because I often get replacement bookings., like the non-flexibles all my booking have vanished but I get no slice of the cake. 

[Stela0]

Hi Belinda, this 25% means nothing, even cover the bills of water and gas. It is based on your cancelation policy. 

[Carina126]

I can see what you mean but just so you know, a lot of hosts that have chosen the strict policy won’t get bookings until close to arrival date. For example, I have a strict policy and normally I have a lot of guests from February-May but since no one is booking now I won’t recive anything eighter. 
So I think however Air Bnb is trying to help, someone is always gonna feel like its unfair since many of us rely on that income.