Hosts can’t see profile photos...but future guests can see your photo...

[Jessica1062]

Hi There, my name is Jess and I am am so disappointed in AirBnB news platform for hosts NOT being able to see future guests profile pictures!!! This is a new update that is awful for many reasons. For starters, I am a female who probably weighs about 105 lbs and just got out of an abusive relationship with my husband. AirBnB offered a secure way for me to afford to stay in my current living situation as I currently reside in a 2 bedroom apt in NYC! Renting out the other bedroom allows me to meet global travelers and hear there stories! I feel like I get to travel without leaving home and love it. However, recently AirBnB changed their standards for hosts, no one is explaining why and fails to address this issue, where hosts can no longer see profile pictures of potential guests. Why?! This doesn’t make sense. However, future travelers/guests can see me the host’s profile picture....this really doesn’t make sense!! Allowing hosts to see pictures engages hosts with a safe community and allows us to build a connection with future guests. Everyone has a face to face interview before being accepted for a job...I mean employers don’t just correspond via an annoyimous email and accept a future employer, they usually invite them in for several interviews as a means of building a personal connection. People on Craigslist also have several email exchanges and then invite potential room mates into their home to meet them in person. Since AirBnB hosts global travelers, these profile photos allows hosts to have these personal experiences. Better means need to be done to ensure the hosts safety and well being. Hence, profile photos need to be available upon inquiry from future guests. That is just the way that relationships work. People need to build personal connections with others. Hosts have many responsibilities of providing guests with the best experience, which I LOVE. However, AirBnB needs to provide support for hosts...especially hosts that offer shared spaces. In shared spaces we see these people in the kitchen, in our living rooms, in our bathrooms and we want them to feel like they are at home. However, it is even more so important that the host, who is opening up their home to complete strangers to feel comfortable and most importantly safe. I want to know if I have a man or woman, or even if this potential host is GNC, that’s FINE with me, I just need to connect with them. AirBnB is not a hotel that provides security and private rooms only. We share our entire lives with strangers. Please allow hosts and guests to see each other’s photos again so that Superhosts, in a shared space like me, don’t consider leaving AirBnB’s community because of failed safety concerns being addressed...

[Iyanga0]

Airbnb recently changed it to where guests can see the host photo but hosts cannot see the guests photo. There was a post from the Admin that discussed it. If I can locate it, I will link it here. From my understanding, Airbnb "listened" to guests. Reportedly, it keeps hosts from discriminating against who is staying in the home or who they allow to book their listing. Some hosts may not allow a booking because a potential guests looks a certain way, has a certain nationality etc. Even though it isn't said, it seems that some hosts have had trends of this behavior. As hosts, we wouldn't know the REAL reason why this is happening. They clearly didn't take into consideration that hosts need to know who they are allowing in their homes. Some hosts have moved platforms because of this and some have chosen to disable their listings. As a host, I've taken my own measures to know who I'm allowing in my home and guests have been very cooperative and understanding.

[Daisy91]

I can’t agree with you more!!!! I’ve been complaining, calling Airbnb, writing on there platform about this... been hosting since 2015, nyc, tiny place. I have a right to know the basics. Gender, age etc... just a general vibe... I’ve taken people with no reviews, all races, from all over the world. Even if the picture is just of a rainbow dyed poodle, or cartoon of a girl with flowers (true story both of which I accepted) even if it’s a picture of a strawberry! I like strawberries! At least I get some consept of how that person defines themselves... this thing withblocking out pictures, then getting fined if you cancel is completely unfair to the people that work so hard at making this platform what it is ... 

[Delphine-And-Michael0]

We have instant booking turned on for guests in good standing, so often when we get a request it is because we have to delve more into the booking request to know why they are not able to instant book looking at the reviews they received and also the reviews they left at this point.

By the way if the guest has received reviews and left reviews for that host you can go look up their review and see their photo.

Some of the policies Aitbnb comes up with are not very well thought out, especially the one where your listing is defaulted to show your address immediately when someone books within the 48 hour window to cancel.  I found that one out the hard way, we had a booking where they canceled the next day only to find the guests daughter standing outside our door waiting for us to negotiate a cash deal.  So imagine you have some criminal that books and cancels those that have not changed their default have given away all your details.