Profile Pictures

[Kevin-s0]

Does Airbnb require a valid profile picture?

I ask, as a lot of my guests from Asian countries appear to be teddy bears, stuffed dog toys, cartoon characters, or practically invisible as the photo was taken in such a dark room, that I cannot discern who they are.

What is Airbnb`s policy about the profile picture, and how is it enforced?  Is it enforced?

I`ve been pointing out to potential guests that they want to see who I am, and clear photos of my home.  Shouldn`t I get the same from them?

And shouldn`t you?

Kevin

[Bryce27]

I have realized that a host I just booked with has a fake profile picture that is actually one of a celebrity. He is said to be varified and is a "superhost", but I still find this concerning. He has great reviews but should I still be worried?

Thanks!

[Judy29]

I accepted a long term rent from a family that used Ryan Gossling for a profile picture.  I was seeing red flag right from the onset.  Their questions for request were odd and when asked why they were coming to our community for so long they did not have an answer that really made much sense.  I did accept which was a huge mistake and after three weeks, I told them I would give them one more week to relocate.  I called Airbnb to help relocate them.  They distroyed the cutlery drawer in the kitchen and now there is a mismatch to my cabinets (not by choice...fixed the best we could).  So many little issues that built up from day one till the end of their stay.  I did my own research on them once I knew who they were.  They too have a home they rent out through this site.  Turns out that they get the approx. twice as much for their place 80km away so they move to cheap accommodations elsewhere...in the meanwhile a tornado of distruction.  Turns out she is a PEng.  Her cheques were coming to our place long after this family moved.  In summary...you can never be sure who is on the other side of the keyboard!  I've learned that pictures arent the saving grace for their personalities but through this venue what choice do we have.  Nobody is scrutinized.  As least with bb.canada I speak..yes to a voice with personality which makes it much easier to scrutinize the guests invited to my location.

[Carol354]

I'm on instant booking.I would also like the guest to have a profile picture. We have had 3 recently without one. Could Airbnb have this as an option? I.E. if they want to book with me they have to have a clear picture of themselves.

I was also wondering if there is an option that the guest has to have at least one review. We have just had another first timer who has marked us down to 3 on accuracy because she didn't read our listing properly. I did have a feeling this might happen, so I mentioned the issue in my review of her.

[Ann397]

I have a picture of my dog as my profile picture, the same picture that I have as my profile picture on facebook.  I hate photos of myself and, apart from my passport, have none.

I have had the same picture since I joined in 2015.  I didn't even know that it should be a picture of yourself. Airbnb have never said anything to me and neither have any of the hosts I have stayed with until last week when one told me they could report me for it.

I have good feedback as a guest which is surely enough?

[Matthew285]

@Ann397 the problem for many hosts is that they want to make sure they are checking in the right person.

They are handing the keys off to a complete stranger, so they at least want to make sure the person in front of them is the *correct* complete stranger.

I mean, you could book a room and send your yoga instructor to stay there instead of you, and the host would never know.

[Ann397]

 Yes I can see that.  I belong to Airbnb but my husband doesn't.  Sometimes he stays in one for work.  I do always say when I make the booking that it will be my husband staying so it would make no difference then whether they knew what I looked like.

If airbnb make it compulsory to have your own photo I guess I will have to change it.  Until then I am not just because I hate photos of me so much plus I would have to have a photo taken as I have none

[Jay18]

@Matthew285 You are absolutely correct. We have had situations where the person we accepted for booking looks nothing like the person who checked in. No suppose something happens, say perhaps damage, or worse, and the police want to know who stayed. We only have the limited inmformation AirBnB provides, and if that information is not accurate, we could be in trouble ourselves.

AirBnB's policy should be that everyone must provide 100% accurate information, keep it current at all times, and that includes a reasonably representative photograph of everyone. It seems simple to me, yet AirBnB seems to struggle so hard with this.

[John232]

I had a guest who tried to book to stay with me who had a picture of a penguin in sunglasses. I told the guest that I would allow them to stay only IF they looked EXACTLY like their profile picture.  In my view guests who post avatar profile pctures are abusing the welcome expressed by the hosting community.

[Brenda220]

No it is not enough! I am a single woman with an Airbnb and it is a safety issue. I would require you to update your photo. 

You are not alone......I currently have an instant book from an Airbnb host that has a profile pic of a TREE!! 

Get a clue.

[David1374]

the funny thing is Airbnb says that they are against discrimination - so why is a Profile photo relevant?   Any host that asks for one is discriminating -    if I have a horrible photo will you stil host me?

I am a 5 star  HOST and GUEST  and I do not provide a photo of me,  nor ask for one from any of my guests.

If someone you don't like the physical appearance of comes to your door to stay - would you reject them?  I would hope not.

appearance means nothing - it is the person's behaviour that's important 🙂 

actually posting this now because I was searching about the rules - a host keeps harrassing me for a photo - I find this extremely unprofessional and irritating to say the least!!! 

[Victoria567]

It seems profile photo of guest is not enforced by air bnb.

Therefore I enforce my decision not to correspond with lets, pizzas or plates of spaghetti.

[Victoria567]

Typo....pets not lets!

[John232]

I absolutely share the concern expressed by many that potential guests seem to be seeking accommodation with avatar profile pictures. Airbnb tell me they always verify every new member and check thir profile pictures.  But that serves no useful purpose if guests are then able to withdraw or replace their profile pictures.  In my view it is an insult to Hosts if guests do not post a clear and recognisable profile picture.

What is now much worse is that Airbnb seem to be preventing hosts from seeing new guest profiel pctures until after they have accepted a new booking.  This prevents hosts form abny sort of scrutiny of a potential guest before inviting them into their home.  This is certainly very important to me because I treat all my guests as if they were a member of my own family, and I also often have children / grandchildren here.

I hope other hosts will challenge this stupid decision made by Airbnb.

[J74]

I agree and it's very stressful. This will backfire on Airbnb... This is a perfect time for another site to emerge using Airbnb as a model yet having guest and host adhere to basically the same rules. As host, be are like an open book while guest are basically anonymous. 

[Siân1]

I came here because I genuinely thought a profile picture was matched to the photo ID as part of the airbnb validation process and I wanted to find out why I am getting so many grey silhouettes and cuddly toys.  Because I thought a profile pic. was an airbnb minimum standard I have been asking guests to add a photo when they book (we have instant booking).

But now it seems this is not a requirement to book - I can't even find the profile pic checkbox ???

1. Go to the listing you’d like to require profile photos for
2. Click Booking settings
3. Click Edit next to the Guest requirements heading
4. Check the box next to Profile photo
5. Click Save

Early on in my airbnb experience I had a booking from a guest, with a profile pic. The pic was removed a couple of days after booking and the guest (man in his 40's resembling the photo) arrived with his 'son' and his 'sons girlfriend' for 2 nights. They stayed in the house the whole 2 days and our cleaners were horrified to find bodily fluids smeared over the mirrors, hanks of hair around the house and the bedding and towels thrown around the house. I didn't leave any feedback or report to airbnb for fear of recipricol feedback being offensive/negative and he did not submit feedback anyway. I believe the house had been used for some sort of sexual pleasure and I live in self-doubt with regard to how consensual it would have been and whether I should have gone to the police. 

Since then I have been really careful to check we have full ID and I check the profile pics on booking and that it is still in place on day of arrival. But if there is no pic now I don't think, unlike when I first signed up to airbnb, I have a leg to stand on if I want to insist on one and would lose my superhost if I cancelled a booking if I felt uncomfortable. 

I don't and wouldn't judge anyone on their picture, I just thought airbnb required a picture to match to ID which makes me feel safer than running a B&B any other way.