How do we get access to a list of other Airbnb hosts in our towns so that if I can't accommodate a guest, I can refer them to someone myself?

Answered!
Lisa722
Level 4
Seattle, WA

How do we get access to a list of other Airbnb hosts in our towns so that if I can't accommodate a guest, I can refer them to someone myself?

I believe the "100 new whatevers" Airbnb sent us recently was also supposed to allow us to be able to contact other Airbnb hosts in our towns, but I can't figure it out. And I don't know if I'm the only one having issues with the reworking of the Airbnb site, but in the past two days I have had to spend more time dealing with inquiries than in the last four years total!  And none of it resulted in bookings. I think our listings are pretty clear, but so many people are asking for things not allowed or different prices or other things that are obviously a "no" answer. Kind of frustrating. Just never gotten any of this before. Anyway, I just had a guest I couldn't accommodate and would have loved to have been able to recommend a fellow Airbnb host. I have no idea how many or where any other properties there are in my town. Being able to access a list of them would be super helpful. Anyone know how to do that?

1 Best Answer
Sarah977
Level 10
Sayulita, Mexico

@Lisa722  I also saw that it seems you haven't hosted since Sept. 2019, if your reviews (great reviews, BTW) are anything to go by.

 

I can see that you've had lovely, appreciative guests in the past, so you may be unaware that the demographic

of guests has reportedly changed a lot lately. Long time hosts are reporting that they are getting the worst guests they've ever had. Rule-breakers, partiers and house trashers, guests making up lies in order to get a refund and scam a free stay.

 

So it's really important now to be aware of red flags in guest inquiries and requests, whereas a year and a half ago, the proliferation of these types of guests wasn't a thing.

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19 Replies 19
Mike-And-Jane0
Level 10
England, United Kingdom

@Lisa722 you could always use the holiday search feature on Airbnb.com.

Sarah977
Level 10
Sayulita, Mexico

@Lisa722  Check to see if there is a Facebook hosting group for Seattle. I'd bet there is. You could connect with other area hosts there.

I'm not in Seattle and I thought Airbnb was supposed to have made it easier for Airbnb hosts in the same area to get in touch with each other. As it is, my neighbor across the street has turned his home into a vacation rental, but uses a local service and not Airbnb. He also accepts pets, so I send him business instead of another Airbnb host in my town.

Emiel1
Level 10
Leeuwarden, The Netherlands

@Lisa722 

There is no such list, but you can search your town as a guest and zoom into your neighbourhood to see all listings (filtered on certain options if desired). But that is offcourse what the guest can do also.

Here are some hosts near your location, if you zoom out on the map there are more showing:

 

https://www.airbnb.com/s/homes?map_toggle=true

 

added:

i use a trick to generate a URL from the host profile, which shows other listings in the direct neighbourhood of where the host's listing(s) are located.

it is not a common Airbnb feature. The URL may stop working after some time have passed..

Emiel1
Level 10
Leeuwarden, The Netherlands

@Lisa722 

Also when a guest (or you) are viewing your listing, then at the bottom of the listing page alternative listings are shown and also an option to view listings in same town (Although it is not as usefull as the link i provided).

BTW i wonder if hosts are happy in general about "compatitors" shown on their listing(s)....(?)

Actually, I was hoping we were all part of a community that helps each other, not necessarily competes with each other. But I have to say, I don't recall that being a feature before. I'm def not up to speed with all of these 100 "improvements" Airbnb has instituted, but I will have to make my way through them one at a time and try to get them figured. out. I swear one of them said we would be able to contact other hosts more easily.

I'm not tech savvy enough to dink around looking for all these tricks. I just need EASY to access info.

Michelle53
Level 10
Chicago, IL

@Lisa722  I can think of at least 10 reasons why one would not want such a list to be available.  Security and privacy are at the top. 

 

If hosts belong to a private Facebook group in a particular location and agree to share data, that's one thing. To have public lists of Airbnbs circulating is really something else entirely. 

 

One time, someone I know in my neighborhood who used to offer an  Airbnb space asked if she could walk though my space and take a look, because she was going through something personal, and wanted to rehouse her guests. 

 

I declined to allow that. Guests she had booked may have been perfectly lovely, but also may not have been a fit for my space at all, so I couldn't guarantee accepting any of them. It could have been a nightmare for me and for her guests. 

 

First off, I am not asking about any sort of public listing of our information. That's something I absolutely wouldn't want for myself, either! But if we are all Airbnb hosts, I don't understand why we wouldn't be able to contact each other. I just had someone I had to turn down today who made an inquiry, despite the fact that I'm clear on not allowing pets and he has one. I would love to have been able to have already had knowledge of another property that might have been similar to mine and DID accept pets. I don't have the will or time to have to parse all of the listings in town for them in order to help them find accommodations. Just seems like a sensible option for hosts to be able to do.

@Lisa722 

I don't have the will or time to have to parse all of the listings in town for them in order to help them find accommodations.

 

Why do you feel that it is your responsibility to help them? After your explanation of why your place isn't a good fit I'd say you've done your job. Can they not go back to the search filters and contact other hosts themselves?

It's not my responsibility, but I think it would certainly add to a positive experience to a potential Airbnb guest that we might be able to steer them to a listing that we know of that would be a better fit for them, in this case, one that might be in my similar location, but one that would accept dogs. 

@Lisa722 I guess I am just confused because regardless of whether or not you have contact info for nearby listings, you would have to use the Airbnb search function to search for the dates and use the Pet-Friendly filter. This is the exact same process that the guest would do to find other listings. 

 

Also, when guests send inquiries they typically reach out to many hosts with the same questions so chances are the nearby listings that you would recommend are already in communication with the guest. Or the guest has already viewed the places and isn't satisfied with them. 

 

And, you can reach out to other hosts. You would send them an inquiry for some random date and explain the situation just as the guest would. Although this really isn't a common pratice. 

Too much work. We should be able to see the other listings in town without having to go through all that rigamarole. We're all on the same "team", so I don't get what everyone's being so wanky about.

@Lisa722    In the situation you're describing, the guest has already made an inquiry of a no-pets listing, asking to bring a pet.  This would appear to be somewhat of a red flag. 

I wouldn't think it fair to another host to pass along a guest who seems to be poor at reading the listing details. 

 

Also, it doesn't help either the guest or the other host if the other host is already booked. That's a fruitless quest for the guest, and an unnecessary contact for the other host.

 

Better to redirect them back to the search, which already takes availability into account.