Instant Booking

[Julie186]

I am new to this and have not been able to turn off Instant Booking. I have tried the help and still can't find where to do the turn off. Very discouraging. I don't want to double book right out of the gate. Any help would be appreciated.

Thank you

[Gerry-And-Rashid0]

You are probably one of the unlucky new hosts who are part of the pilot where you cannot turn off instant booking.

Clearly this has issues and risks for hosts - you have no opportunity to have any discussion with potential guests to see if they are a good fit for your home. It's particularly so where guests are sharing the space with you - as opposed to a stand alone unit.

From and AirBnB perspective it's a good revenue generator as it allows and encourages impulse buys by guests.

There has been a lot of negative feedback from new hosts and existing hosts too - so you should provide your feedback asap on this issue. 

Some new hosts have reported that if they close their account and open a new one, they are able to disconnect instant booking as it seems like it is a % of new hosts that are being enrolled without their knowledge in the pilot.

[Allison2]

Unfortunately, they've set this as a default for new hosts. If you've followed the tutorials unsucessfully, I imagine you're in that group.

They are likely responding to the recent news about discrimination in acceptance rates of minorities by making a level playing field, but it's a horribly misguided policy. There are some things we can emulate from the hotel industry, but across the board Instant-Booking isn't one of them.

I suggest getting in touch with Airbnb customer service to voice your disapproval.

[Amaris0]

Hey Julie, 

Click on the link for a guide on IB - https://www.airbnb.co.uk/help/article/484/what-is-instant-book

If you are still unable to turn it off, then it is very possible that you are amongst a select few new host who do not have the option/ choice to turn off Instant Booking. Airbnb are experimenting on the possibility of compulsory Instant Booking and have chosen at random a small selection of new host for their experiment. If this is the case then you will not be able to turn it off.

I have heard that there is a possible way around it but it is not guaranteed and also  bit tedious. Basically you would need to deactivate your listing and relist it again and hope you do not fall into the unfortunate selection for the experiment.

Best wishes,

Ama

[Tania-and-Andrew0]

Hello,

If you have instant booking dates should automatically block so you should not fear a double-booking unless you have your place in other spaces similar to Airbnb.

Follow the tutorial you have already been given by other hosts and if you still can't turn it off at least make sure you choose the option that only guests with positive reviews and that have read and agreed to your house's rules can book. I have been on instant-booking for almost two years and it's been great 🙂

Good luck!