Email from ABB: "Update about security deposits"

[Jess78]

Received the following email yesterday, did everyone with a security deposit receive this or am I being used as some kind of a laboratory chimp? I wonder what the mysterious "improvements to the security deposit feature" might be. I hope the update might be just actually collecting it/not lying about it!!! Text of the email below:

___________________________________________________________________________

How this affects you

Because one or more of your listings require a security deposit, please review the amount you require. It’s important to do this since it may be displayed more prominently and will need to be authorized on each guest’s payment method 48 hours before check-in.

Please review your security deposit settings

As part of our continuing effort to build trust on Airbnb, we're testing improvements to our security deposit feature.

Thank you for hosting,

The Airbnb Team

[Amy560]

I am wondering about this too! I don’t understand the email because I do not have a security deposit, never have. It says “because your listing requires it” but I have never heard that before. I checked my listing just a min ago and it still had no security deposit on it. What am I missing? Is ABB going to be adding a required deposit to my listing? 

[Sarah2174]

hi 

have also recieved this email about automatically holding a security deposit. 

have emailed them to ask them not to do this (they will be recieving the interest on the security deposit  whilst it is held maybe this is why they are wanting to do this)

Have had the same property for 20 year its low risk.... 2 guests only  

Now some guest may not book due to the security deposit as its an added payment thta they may not have up front 

As a host with rental experience in other property types that are high risk, the host should make this decision 

[Pippa13]

I also got this email - and have no idea what it actually mean in practice.  Another poor email from airbnb which doesn't explain what they are going to do and what the implications are.    Grrrr