Airbnb cannot back up its Host Relief Act

[Brooke229]

When all of this started about a month ago, Brian Chesky (CEO of Airbnb) was feeling the heat. In an effort to get gig worker hosts and ongoing media coverage off his back he quickly released a statement indicating that the Host Relief Act would provide 250M in relief grants to hosts that qualified. 

I think it was something up to $5000 each. Has anyone seen a dime?

I am here to tell you now, I am an eligible host. Not a single cancellation. 100% occupancy rate. Super host and in a popular location as well.

I've made a lot of money off Airbnb and I've made them a lot of money as well.

Called the first time to apply for application for grant, after asking the Airbnb representative a series of reasonable questions (when can we expect it? how much will each person get, etc), not only did she have no idea what I was talking about but she also got beligerant and hung up on me.

Ok.

Called back. 2nd rep had to do some lengthy research but did in fact find the grant information. Sadly, she nor I realized IT WAS COMING OUT OF THE EMPLOYEES POCKETS ACCORDING TO THE GRANT STATEMENT! 

She kept her composure, ensured that I am in fact eligible and would be receiving an application in days to come.

It's been two more weeks and nothing.

My dudes. This is a joke. We have been duped. Homeaway is already calling me and trying to sway my business over to them because they know that Airbnb has not protected us as hosts, this needs to be dealt with. 

Some of us have lost THOUSANDS in a matter of weeks with absolutely no liability to Airbnb itself it is disgraceful and I'd like to hear what some of the rest of you have to say about it because I'm disgusted.

[Susan17]

$250 Million Host Aid

Message from Airbnb - 20/04/20

* Hosts will receive an email when a support payment is issued.

* This email will have an attached csv file which they can open in  Excel or Google sheets to review details of all the reservations that were included in the disbursement

* If a host hasn't received an email yet, their disbursement hasn't been issued yet

Timeline for next waves of hosts to receive payments and emails

1. 20 April 2020 - 20K hosts
2. 21 April 2020 - 145K hosts
3. 22 April 2020 - 150K hosts
4. 23 April 2020 - 184K hosts

Thanks again for being a valued Airbnb host.

Superhost Relief Fund

Starting on April 10, 2020, a specialized team at Airbnb will be inviting eligible Superhosts and hosts of experiences to apply for a relief grant via email.  Invitations to apply will go out first to long-standing Superhosts who are in the greatest financial need, by looking at the earnings decline from this year to last. This same team will evaluate applications and get in touch with hosts to let them know whether their applications are approved. All invitations will be sent out by May 15, 2020.

[Leslie253]

I am a bit confused about the timeline above. for the 20k, 145k, 150k, 184k, is that the number of hosts that should be receiving the 25% deposit refunds on those dates? I also have had many cancellations, I am also a super host for the past couple of years. I have received no emails or invitation to apply for the $5000 grants. Not holding my breath but sure would be nice. Also, I checked the AirBnB listings for my area. I plugged in some dates and I used to be on the first page with my listings, maybe the second page at the most. Now for some reason, I am buried on page 13 or higher.

[Susan17]

@Leslie253

YYes. That's the number of hosts who should be receiving payouts from the $250 million Host Aid fund (the 12.5% payouts) on those dates. 

[Susan17]

Also, the reason for your sudden slide down the rankings is probably because you still have strict cancellation policy, and Airbnb is heavily promoting listings with flexible cancellations at the moment 

[Leslie253]

Thank you Susan for replying. I have moved my cancellation policy to flexible for the next two months at AirBnB suggestion. Didn't change much. I hope they send at least the refund money soon. In Florida, we are not allowed to rent for less than 30 days until after April 30 unless the Governor extends that date. Which he has already extended it once from mid- April to the 30th. We are not even supposed to accept reservation requests until after the 30th. So basically, no income and no hope for any rentals in the near future. The only exceptions to the 30 day requirement is hotel and resorts. The local and state authorities are checking this too with properties that accept short stays in spite of the Governor's ruling run the possibility of loosing our state or county licenses. As a owner that doesn't run payroll, I am not eligible for any of the grants or PPP loans they are offering, which run out of money before the applications are in anyway. It seems to be a lose lose situation from all corners.

[Jean-François73]

Wow very helpful hope it happen thank you

[Lee353]

Is this real?  Did anyone receive this email between April 20-23?

[Susan17]

@Lee353

The top part about the.dates for disbursement is an email received by a host, from Airbnb CX, in response to a query on when the 25% (12.5%) payouts would be received. 

The second part, about the Superhost Relief Fund, is copy and pasted from Airbnb's own Resource pages. 

I just put them together in one post  to try to give people some clarity, because the same questions were being asked over and over again on the CC about those two very issues.

So yes, very much real. 

[Paul1242]

Has anyone received an email I have been wait and nothing?

[Sue682]

Hi @Susan17: 

It looks like you got more information than most.    

Reading your response makes me assume that if I haven't heard anything by April 23rd, that I may not hear anything at all.   So many people haven't received anything so I'm not sure it's worth the time calling. 

However, I do, qualify.  I have one rental home and had 5 cancellations from March to May, all booked before March, 2020 and I have a strict cancellation policy.   From what I read I qualify but haven't heard anything. 

250 Million Host Aid

Message from Airbnb - 20/04/20

* Hosts will receive an email when a support payment is issued.

* This email will have an attached csv file which they can open in  Excel or Google sheets to review details of all the reservations that were included in the disbursement

* If a host hasn't received an email yet, their disbursement hasn't been issued yet

Timeline for next waves of hosts to receive payments and emails

1. 20 April 2020 - 20K hosts
2. 21 April 2020 - 145K hosts
3. 22 April 2020 - 150K hosts
4. 23 April 2020 - 184K hosts

Thanks again for being a valued Airbnb host.

Thanks for posting your information

Sue

[Susan17]

Hi @Sue682

Unfortunately. it appears that the information imparted by the CX agent in this instance wasn't quite correct (or more likely, that's what he was told to say)

Being the sceptical type, I queried that information with Airbnb VP and global lead of Customer Support, Aisling Hassell. See my questions and her response to them on the thread below..

Reaching Community Support - Page 2 - Airbnb Community
https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Help/Reaching-Community-Support/td-p/1274235/page/2

[Brooke229]

So where is it then Airbnb? These are more blanket statements for a not ONE SIZE FITS ALL situation.

[Ciel-Red0]

I haven't received a word from Airbnb...nothing....absolutely nothing.  I own and run The Chianti Life Retreat in California.  I have been a host on Airbnb for nearly 9 years with nothing less than a 5-star review.  I have been a SuperHost since Airbnb started the program. I joined Airbnb shortly after Brian Chesky and his partner stated the company back in 2008 during the beginning of the Great Recession in the States. I have tirelessly to make an extraordinary place of beauty and peace and healing for every single guest that stays with us, with personalized treatment on every level.  In the past two years I have seen an enormous drop in income from Airbnb. This despite over 300 5-star reviews. The problem? Airbnb just got too huge.  It never stopped growing from the waterbed on the floor of their SF apartment in 2008 to a billion dollar ( or is it trillion now?? I think so) company and now everyone who has a back bedroom or a garage fixed with a bed, can host on Airbnb...and for me it has cut my business in half.....despite...the hundreds of 5-star reviews.  I bring this up because I have written 3 times to Brian Chesky about this to see what can be done to change this. Back when I started I could call up their office and speak to really friendly staff in San Francisco....it truly WAS like a Partnership back then.  The very "partnership" that Brian spoke of on his live podcast in March. But this partnership is no longer what it used to be.  I'm afraid they just didn't know when to stop expanding and they will continue I am sure. And it ruins the incentive to really do one's best when you feel that they are not doing their best for you.  This is the way I feel. I no longer expect to receive a reply from the beautiful letter I sent to Mr. Chesky thanking him for restoring my faith in Airbnb after his podcast.  My faith is no longer restored.  I no longer expect I will be one of the "chosen few" that receive the $5,000 check because my earning were down last year because of their exponential growth...where I live...in a small community of around 2,000 people, there are over 450 hosts on Airbnb now.  What chance is there to get booked even when you have such enormous reviews in your favor? NONE.  or very little.  I am deeply saddened by it all because I had so much faith in this company in the beginning and now it feels like a stab in the back.  Oh....and Brooke....I, too, had a cold response from an Airbnb Support team member....telling me today..."you just have to wait!"....and marking the conversation "Closed". Michele was her name....and I was never one bit rude or cold to her.  So this is where Airbnb stands now? really sad.

[Brooke229]

I appreciate your candor. I am saddened by the inhumanity and greed of it all. Can't believe it.

[Paul1242]

I think this was just to appease the restless and nothing will materialize.  I even tried the SBA that they said Congress was going to grant Airbnb hosts and nothing there either.