Seattle Times Article 1/10/2020

[Duane-And-Nancy0]

Today's paper has an article titled "Bill pushes sites like Airbnb to come clean on extra fees"!   A paragraph "According to Airbnb, hosts who advertise property on the booking platform must collect a standard service fee of about 13% of the total pretaxed price, which pays for the operation of the Airbnb site. The Vrbo.com we site says it charges a few that "may change from time to time.  Both platforms also collect a transient occupancy tax from renter in areas where such tax is required. But neither of the two booking platforms regulates how much property hosts are allowed to charge for other costs or services such as cleaning, parking, hosting a pet or checking in early.

1.  We believe that the service fee is a misprint or they don't have the correct information.

2.  After booking aren't the fees that the customer will pay revealed?

3.  If the customer that books sees what the fees will be they can cancel the booking anyhow?

4.  Is the tax that is charged from the County, State or city available for the customer to see when they book?

It would be helpful for us if Airbnb could clarify this.

Thank you  Airbnb Super Hosts

[Linda108]

Don't know about VRBO but Air BNB has limited system generated fees and those are the only fees that show up for the guest in the estimated booking which is shown prior to actually booking.  However, if a host has a pet fee, then the host collects that fee after the reservation is made. 

Unless Air BNB participates in the collection and remittance of occupancy taxes, it is not included in the rate.  So maybe Air BNB collects county tax but the host collects city tax.  Bit confusing for the guest.

Service fee from the guest side has a range which I believe is between 10 and 15%.