I am pretty sure the computer programming for Disaster Response listing is not functioning well. I am in British Columbia wildfire disaster area and have had huge problems trying to make the system work. Talking with a Airbnb person via the help center did not help. He also was not familiar with the programming or the site.
A few things: 1. If you have a cleaning fee it is still charged automatically to the guest inquiring, even though the accommodation is listed on the site as $0. (Lost an evacuee on that surprise.)
2. Your regular guests who are booking via your listing that carries the quoted nightly fee can end up only being charged the cleaning fee and not the nighly fee. (Lost another booking when I wrote back via the 'request money route', and said there had been a mistake and asked for the nightly fee. Not very pleasant for a potential guest who thinks they have paid one fee, then get asked for another.)
3. Lost another booking when Airbnb charged them just the nightly fee and mysteriously omitted to charge the cleaning fee. HAd also wrote them back to explain the mysterious mistake and they cancelled.
I have had hundreds of guests and these mistakes have never happened so I am concluding it is the programming of the Disaster Response site that is faultly. And I have no recourse to recover those losses.
So I just "opted out" of the Disaster Response sadly. I am about to communicate with Airbnb again to register feedback that that Disaster Response is not working, is not user friendly, has inadeguate instructions, and staff are not trained to problem solve it in the Resolution Center
So - Genevieve, your questipon on how to list it - you will find a message at the top of your listing that gives 2 choices - "I need a place to stay", and "I have a space to offer" - something like that. Follow the links and you will get listed in your area via the Disaster Response site which potential evacuees can find when they click on "I need a place to stay". But I found it so cumbersome I actually went down in person to the local Emergency Registration Center and personally gave them my name and phone number and details. It had to be 'outside the system' as for obvious reasons official Emergency Services won't recommend housing to complete strangers who just happen to have an airbnb listing - no criminal record check, etc etc. And I posted my info on the local Facebook sites that pop up in a disaster area.
Airbnb posts that they contact local Emergency Organizations and Government Offices in the Disaster site to pave the way but I am pretty sure that never happened here.
So great you are reaching out to evacuees - keep trying - but not just in one way - in many ways.
And when you get a chance give feedback to Airbnb.
