Thank you Brian Chesky & Airbnb

[Michele511]

I see a lot of criticism on this community forum and I wanted to say something positive. I really appreciate Mr. Chesky’s talk today. I am not sure if I can stay a host with the minimal bookings and the lower rates, but I hope I can. I enjoy hosting even more than I thought I would

Airbnb has been a Godsend to me in my retirement. It has given me extra money, more space on my property, allowed me to meet so many wonderful people, many who have I keep in contact with and have come multiple time. I would miss this terribly.

So, @brianchesky, thank you for the updates. I look forward to hearing the cleaning solutions. And am praying I can hang in there financially until it gets going again!

@Lizzie

[Michele511]

@Sharon1014  

Thank you. Long list! Glad I have a small place!

 Interesting on the shower curtains.  Soap and water kill it. 

In the US disinfectants have sold out so when I run out it will be Clorox bleach mixture until they are back in stock. 

I read somewhere they will ask us to keep a day open in between guests to qualify

for the “status.” At this point I’d want to do that anyway. 

[Sharon1014]

@Michele511  Yw.  One of the things Brian said that resonated with me was the human connection thing.  And that's something hosts with only 1 or 2 listings or in-home hosts can do soooooo much better than hotels or property managers.  We don't meet our guests (self check-in) but it occurred to me that there are other ways to add that human to human touch.

Our guests coming next weekend let us know it is a getaway for her birthday (2 adults, 2 kids x 2 nights), so I'm going to make it a little special, birthday banner, bottle of champagne, chocolates and a full bacon n eggs breakfast.  Should be a nice surprise for them.   It's that human to human element that only real people with their finger on the pulse can (or are willing) to do.  And just nice for us to celebrate the return of guests and income as well by sharing with and rewarding our first guests in 8-9 weeks.

[Michele511]

@Sharon1014   What a nice gesture and a fun thing to do. Good idea to “bring out the bells and whistles” for our first few guests. 

My surprise last minute booking yesterday of 2 lovely young women staying in Santa Monica to get out of NYC (while it healed). I gave them a beautiful bottle of wine and told them how happy I was. That they gave me hope.  

[Lizzie]

Hello @Michele511,

Great to see @Sharon1014 has already helped you out here.

Just to mention you can also find  more details on the Cleaning Guidelines in this Airbnb Resource Center article. Take a look at this RC article here for a downloadable cleaning checklist. 

I hope this helps. 

Thank you. 

Lizzie

(Thanks Sharon for your help here)

[Jeanne207]

I am appalled at how they’re handling the situation? $250 million and they’re giving us what 1% of the booking when they know bookings are down. I depend on this business to pay my mortgage this will force me into a situation to sell my home if I don’t find an alternative. Because the banks will still expect their money at the end of the three months this is insanity!

[Sharon1014]

@Jeanne207  Don't know the situation with banks there or what type of bnb you have (your listing isn't showing up, can't get business in if you aren't open for business).  Banks here are  extending loan periods in exchange for waiving repayments for a limited time for eligible customers, so no expectation that ppl will have to cough up the entire outstanding amount in one hit once things resume (and how could they anyway when many ppl have no work, that doesn't make much logical sense). 

Do feel for you but every business venture is a risk. Many tens of thousands of property owners in the same boat.   I'd like to see a policy shift around bookings and refunds, where hosts are paid their 50% immediately at the time of booking, we decide what to do with our 50% per our cancellation policy, Airbnb decide what to do with their 50%.  Even if this was just for a limited time e.g. 6 months, to help hosts over the hump and put some up-front cash in the pockets of hosts like you who are reliant on the extra income.

[Michele511]

@Sharon1014  I like your idea for policy shift. Something along those lines is truly fair. We are each individual businesses in an uncertain time. 6 months and then reassess depending on what’s going on at the time.

[Wendy1071]

@Jeanne207  for lending purposes, banks look at Airbnb dependant income properties as speculation rather than a true income property and will not extend the same privileges.  It’s not a sound model as so many hosts are now learning. It’s having a real effect on the Toronto rental market as LTL are flooding the market and rents are going down significantly.   This in turn is affecting Condo selling prices in a likewise downward trend.  I hope you can find a substitute income for your lost revenue because I see this trend continuing for some time yet to come. 

[Michele511]

@Wendy1071  This must be specific to Canada? I got a refi on my property using multi-year, consistent income from Airbnb. But I am wondering if that will change after this? 

HOWEVER, in California evictions for non-payment of rent have been suspended. That, too is a risk. 

So many uncertainties right now. Another reason @Sharon1014 ‘s suggestion makes so much sense. Also, people may not try to take advantage of the cancellation policy if this were the case. Not that everyone is, but, I am getting a number of strange requests to book.

[Sharon1014]

@Michele511  We're also getting strange requests / enquiries.  Here's the latest one (that I declined)… the first bit requesting to book for 2 nights, just 1 person (very odd for a 2 bed apartment that sleeps 5, red flags all over it) but it came with a separate DM asking for $300/wk for a month.  I've found that there's a 100% "fail to proceed" rate when ppl enquire (regardless of how positive we are in the response). We have Instant Book turned on, I like this facility so much because when ppl are serious, they just do the deed and book immediately.   No fuss, no messing around. 😄

ENQUIRY DECLINED
Luke
1 guest · 2 nights · $265.92
Beach, Reef and Vines

Luke8:25 PM
Hi Sharon,

I'm just enquiring about price for a monthly rental from June 4th for 1 month. I'm looking to rent a property in the area, my current budget is $300 a week. Please let me know if you think this might be of any interest to you and your beautiful property.

Best,

Luke

[Michele511]

Oh man. Yeah. I’ve had about one lowball offer a day, inclusive of “compliments.”  The last one made me mad with his bit about “Hope you have a heart.”  I was giving people full refunds before they had the “cancel due to Covid” option. (Probably why the 25% was low in may case.)

“Hello there, Michele!

I am one of the many COVID-Refugees 😕 and I am reaching in hopes you are open to the possibilities of offering a special rate considering circumstances. A bit about me: East coast native (Boston) and former NCAA athlete, now founder of a men's health organization. I currently live in Australia but retuned to the USA to update my license and was asked to stay put. 😕 Much of business is abroad and impacted by these circumstances. Currently looking for housing for June 1- 30 and my budget is $2,100 USD/$3,200AUD.

I know this is significantly lower than your asking rate and hope you have a heart to make an exception. Just really want to lay my head somewhere in peace.

Looking forward to your response,

J”

MY RESPONSE: 

“Hello JuVan. I hope you will realize it has nothing to do with what’s in my heart when I tell you that I have a mortgage to pay. And the banks are heartless. As well, your profile tells me you live in San Francisco, not Australia. Sorry I cannot help you.”

[Sharon1014]

@Michele511  LOL, hilarious.  They do like to try it on huh?  Must be some scam routine doing the rounds with monthly bookings via Airbnb.  We don't do monthly, but my understanding is that hosts don't get paid until the end of the month?  So is the scam to stay and then complain about something so they get a month's accom for nothing, or is it something else?

[Michele511]

They sure do!. Re getting paid,  you’d get paid the first day they come, like any Airbnb guest or renter. But, here anyway, as soon as they stay 30 days, you can be stuck with them because they have the same rights as any tenants. So, there you are, with no deposit, and a tenant who has tons of rights, who can stay as long as they want...if they are doing it for that reason. No protections. After finding that out, and asking questions here, there is no way I want someone that long unless they have stayed here before. Or I know them.

[Michele511]

For everyone’s benefit, I just got another booking from a couple who live about and hour and a half away. No reduced price requests. (Which I have lowered a lot anyway.) She said she booked because I had “cleaned using CDC guidelines” on my listing. She is nervous to travel but really wanted to get out of Santa Barbara.

People are tip toeing in. 

I am comforted by people who are cautious. The 2 girls who left yesterday were lovely, but, they made me a little uncomfortable when they said “we’re not worried.” I wonder if there is a way to tell people if they think it’s a hoax (many in US do, sadly) that “this isn’t the place for you?” Or, “please respect that everyone has a different comfort level. Please use a mask when outside, etc.”

Anyone have thoughts on this?

[Marcela264]

Hello @Brian  Buenas tardes, el 3 de julio me llegó un mensaje donde me decían que por haber obtenido la calificación de Superhost 6 veces consecutivas, tenía a mi disposición un cupón de descuento. Pagué una reserva en un centro de ski, luego de haber informado al anfitrión que ibamos a esquiar. Luego de haberlo hecho, me informa el señor que el centro de ski no abrirá por COVID 19. Automáticamente lo cancelé. Ahora Airbnb dice que no puedo aplicarlo a una nueva reserva. Me parece muy injusto. Además de haber perdido reservas que se cayeron en abril , no recibimos ningún tipo de compensación y ahora dicen que no puede aplicar el descuento en otro alojamiento? No creo que esto no se pueda hacer. Que alguien de Airbnb me conteste por favor.