New Pricing Structure

[Jamie192]

Sorry:  Posting this here as well:   

I understand Airbnb's desire to simplify its fee structure, but describing this simply as making pricing "easier" understates the financial impact on hosts. Airbnb is effectively transferring a substantial portion of what was previously a guest-paid service fee into the host's pricing structure. The host must then raise the advertised price substantially in order to avoid a significant reduction in earnings.

I also use Airbnb as a guest, and I have not received any notification explaining that Airbnb is changing its fee structure in a way that may cause hosts to substantially increase their advertised prices. If guests are no longer paying a separate Airbnb service fee but hosts are being required to incorporate that cost into their prices, it seems important that guests understand why the advertised prices of many listings may increase.

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Jamie192 As a guest  I looked at a property before the change  that cost a total of £100 per night including all fees (cleaning, Airbnb etc)). After the change the property still costs £100 if the host ran the tool and increased their charges. By increasing their prices the host gets the same net revenue.

I am struggling to see why this is an issue for you as a host. I admit I have simplified things a bit but in my calculations neither the host nor the guest loses out by more than a single percentage point or so.

[Jamie192]

I increased my price per the changes in the pricing structure.  However, those people who are not hosts have not been informed that they no longer need to pay the previous fee.  Many are unaware of this change and only notice that some hosts have increased theirs. I asked Airbnb several times to send out a note to travelers about this to be transparent, but got multiple notes back saying, "We hear you but..." regarding the structure changes.  

[Elaine701]

@Jamie192 

If you use the tool provided, there is little, if any change in the price the guest sees or pays, or your payout. It's pretty much the same as before. Nobody should even notice.

It's just more straightforward than the split fee system which is (obviously) confusing for everyone, and inconsistent with the way all commissionable business operates. 

Nonetheless, if you still feel uncomfortable about it, you might consider listing your place on booking.com, Expedia and Novasol. But I wouldn't close your listing on Airbnb quite yet, because what you learn from these other platforms will likely surprise you.

Anyway, good luck and happy hosting.