SAFETY- Hosts street name is now made public !

[Sorin0]

Hello new hosts,

I made  this post (  https://community.airbnb.com/t5/Host-Voice/SAFETY-Was-the-street-name-and-very-accurate-map-listed-b)   in a dif. Community Room and since is really imp. , I will also bring it to your attention here as well. 

     To change it back to where the street was not made public for the world to know, i suggest calling airbnb CS and let them know your feelings !  

[Gordon0]

Your link doesn't work for me. 

[Sorin0]

@Gordon0 

This one is valid

https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Host-Voice/SAFETY-Was-the-street-name-and-very-accurate-map-list...

Use this one instead-

https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Hosts/SAFTEY-Was-the-street-name-and-very-accurate-map-listed-be...

Anyways, whAt is imp. , is that what our location- street name is displayed on the bottom of each listing info, right on top of the google map. 

[Gordon0]

This is bad news. However, thanks to you bringing it to light, I've at least had the chance to remove the photo of my house so it isn't now 100% obvious which is mine. 

[Steve143]

Hello @Sorin0,

Thank you for the heads up. I had a street view photo of my house which I've now removed as, being on a short street, it would be easy to determine which house is mine from the photo.

Steve.

[Annette33]

Thanks for the heads up on this, @Sorin0 , I double checked and you're right!

I seem to remember that I had seen it like that - with the address except for the house number displayed - once or twice before, but then it disappeared again. I do hope that this change is only a temporary glitch, as I have noticed quite a few things out of whack when they changed the URL from community.airbn to community.withairbnb . I guess that just happened in the last 24 hours, and I'm sure you know that is why your original link didn't work, but others may not be aware of that. I also agree that I don't like it, but I will wait a bit and see what happens...

[Annette33]

did a bit more research on this, @Sorin0 , and this is what I found

1.) when I'm on the Airbnb app, as before, it just shows the green circle, but not the address, I took this screenshot just now:

edit: I see they didn't let me post it inline - so the screenshot is posted above.

2.) when I'm on mobile (my Ipad) but go to the Airbnb web site, I actually don't find my listing at all, see the now totally empty spot where my listing is supposed to be - not there, neither when scrolling through all listings!:

edit: not posting this screenshot because they don't let me post it inline and it becomes too confusing.....

3. but when I'm on my desktop, Airbnb website, then sometimes, I don't find my listing, and suddenly it does show up again, hit and miss. and then, indeed I see the address. So I think the website is temporarily screwed up. I will still wait and see ...but it sure is weird all around!

[Sorin0]

I looked on your listing( btw.- congratulations on superhost status !!) and as you know, if you go all the way down on listing page, that is where the map is with the other info. If you click " open map" the street name is not shown. I added a screenshot of it, i am not sure is the right thing to do b/c it is displaying the location...so maybe is other technical stuff on your end ? I know javascript should be enabled, and not much else i know about the tech part.

 
 From my devices- iphone, ipad and desktop they all show it-the circle and the street name.  Is already been a few days with this change so i do not think it is a glitch. They (airbnb) responded to me on twiteer 2 days ago. and confirmed it was changed and for now will stay like this.
   I  value your detailed responses ! 

[Annette33]

hi again, @Sorin0 , so this is how we learn from each other, thanks so much for your follow through!

bottom line seems to be that Airbnb is morphing inch by inch , or shall I say foot by foot, into your regular booking site, whereas a guest has address, phone number, etc, up front. Needless to repeat that renting one's own home, or even a room in that home, is an alltogether different story. Ultimatley we all just have to deal with those changes, if we like them or not. I do like @Louise0 ideas on the topic - right now I'll just wait and see. But wait til the majority of hosts here will get wind of it, there will be outrage!

[Louise0]

I'm not sure I understand the problem here.  Why does the publication of the street name, or indeed the entire address, make a host LESS safe?  I would have thought the opposite.  

Surely if someone was going to break in and make off with the TV they'd be less likely to do it if they knew it was an Airbnb house?  Unlike an ordinary residential property, where the occupants are most likely absent for most of the day, a house with Airbnb guests in residence is likely to occupied with no particular pattern.  For any would-be robber surely this would be a great deterrent?

Or perhaps you're concerned  that some random dude is going to knock on your door asking for accommodation simply because he saw it on Airbnb?  If so, why?  Just deal with it as you would any other door to door pest.  Either (a) take the offer, (b) tell him to book via the platform or (c) turn the hose on him.  

Either way, I don't see how advertising to the world that your place is an Airbnb place makes a host less safe.  I'd quite happily put a little sign on my front wall if one was made available.  At least it would stop my guests from wandering down the wrong driveway.

[Sorin0]

@Louise 
 
 
1)For a few $ you can make a big Airbnb sign and hang in front of your property advertising it !! But definitely not me....
 
2) I don't want guests to know my adress unless they have been approved and booked. 
 
3) Imagine  a host  who  is NOT living on the premises and has their property not booked, a person with bad intention will know house is empty. Doesn't that ring  a bell for you ??
4) There also those few guests who get declined and respond in a very rude manner( i've had quite a few, i guess b/c NY is a BIG place there are all sorts of folks around here....), so i prefer keeping my info private from certain ppl.
And last, for you as a women, and for women in general, this info should definitely be private. I know is good to promote our airbnb but it is a step in wrong direction the change that was done.
You are actually the first host from responses i get, who is ok with this change.

[Louise0]

Seriously, if I believed that every person I pissed off was a potential future assailant, I'd have to install a moat or perhaps a force field.  I do not feel in any way threatened by people knowing my address, any more than if I was running any other business with a bricks and mortar address.  

I suspect the real reason hosts are so 'outraged' by this possible outing of their location is because they may not have cleared it with their city/HOA/landlord.

[Gordon0]

@Louise0 Crooks can now take a look at the calendar of hosts and find out when it's vacant as this might be the time to rob the property. I'm talking entire properties. 

[Alice-and-Jeff0]

I'm with @Louise0 here.  Every time you accept a guest you have given that person and any other yahoo in the world they tell, your address.  Your approved and recommended guests might post it on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or their own personal blog where they have 100,000 followers. Heck they might take pictures of all your most prized possessions and post those along with the address.  You have no idea.  Having the street name posted doesn't make you MORE vulnerable, simply being an Airbnb host does.  

If you are worried about random people breaking in, get an alarm system.  If you are worried about random angry non-guests showing up, get a dog or an air pistol. 

[Joseph-and-Margaret0]

I just called Airbnb Customer Care and asked for my full address to be removed from my listing at public search stage. It took some time to do the necessary verifications but then it was removed. I must say the guy who spoke to me was very helpful. I suggest hosts who are not happy with this feature to call Airbnb and have it amended.