May 2019 Host Newsletter

[Lizzie]

Hello everyone,

There are some popular topics covered in the May edition of Host News, here it is:

May 2019 Host News (click to view)

Hightlights include:

• Your top hosting questions, answered

Location ratings, hosting fees, and guest profile photos are just some of the hot topics covered at Host Q&A events this spring. Watch video clips and read recaps of the answers. View here.

• Inside Airbnb's global host listening event

In April, Airbnb’s Laura Chambers and other team members set off on a whirlwind world tour to meet hosts in Tokyo, Sydney, Rome, London, and Toronto. Get a behind-the-scenes look at the tour and the Host Q&A we did along the way. Read here.

• Introducing new & improved Guidebooks

The Guidebooks tool is being reintroduced with new features that make it easier to use and more appealing to your guests. Read here.

• What are hosts talking about here in the Community Center

Every day in the Community Center, hosts share hospitality tips, answer each other’s questions, and swap stories. Here are some recent conversations you might want to join. Here are a couple of active topics from the month:  Do you reply to reviews? / Susatainability: energy saving products in the home

I hope you enjoy this month's edition. It would be lovely to hear your thoughts, so please feel free to comment.

Have a super June. 

Thanks,

Lizzie

[Lera17]

Information was useful to me, I searched a lot about it  

   jigsaw puzzle

[Bon610]

The images you share are very beautiful and very lively, I really like the posts from you. Thank you for sharing. powerline io

[Robin129]

Perhaps I should take a little more time to consider this before saying it, but I won't. With each new change I feel more and more marginalized, as if Airbnb is no longer interested in the true home-share.

Every change makes it more difficult for my listing to be seen. I do not have an "experience." I do not have a private guest bathroom (which also keeps me out of business listings). I do not have a private guest suite - separate apartment or house, or barn, or loft, or ... preventing me participating in the "Plus" program - which would boost my listing.  It is assumed that I will discriminate against a guest so I'm not permitted to view their photo until I've entered into a contract which I am forced to break if things don't add up. 

I have a very modest home. I have one room to share, and we all share everything else, including the single bathroom. I'll never qualify for a business travel listing, I'll never qualify for Plus, I don't have an "experience" to offer [other than a great place to stay]. The only thing I have is Superhost, and I'm not sure that is worth fighting for. 

I have always felt Airbnb was a good deal. I sacrifice a small amount for the benefit of the "free" listing, payment processing, scheduling, guest verification, customer [some] service, etc. Oh and the occassional "we love you so here is a free magazine and keyring" tokens. I'm not sure that is true anymmore. I cut back on taking guests last year, due to some increase in my other business, and found I missed it. So, I started adding available dates this year. But now I'm wondering if I should continue with all these issues.

I am not sure the Big Airbnb Corporation gives a &#!* anymore. If they did they would be reading the Host Circle very, very closely.

[Cj61]

@Robin129I agree. Everytime exclusive groups are formed regular hosts lose travellers that they used to enjoy hosting. I have had plenty of business people and, like you, aside from the stupid separate bathroom criteria (which has never been an issue in my home) I cater well for them. Air bnb push us more and more towards acting as if we are a hotel or hostel not people hosting others in their home. And I have (nearly) never been able to get assistance when I have needed it. I have never asked for insurance payout on things broken and damaged because of two reasons, one - I want to 'save that up' in case anything serious ever happens and two - I have heard that Air bnb firstly try to screw down the traveller and then never pay the host anyway. Sorry to dump so much into your thread (conversation). I really do hope, as you said above, that they read these posts and that they will start remembering that more respectful treatment creates loyalty.

[Helen427]

@Lizzie 

Thanks for including a list of some of the topics available to be read in Community Centre - Let's hope it attracts some more regular contributors in here.

Would we please be able to have ABB reach out to all in the Community about ongoing IT / Tech issues, INCLUDING GOOGLE outages!!??

Downdetector is very good for picking up on who's impacted on where, as is looking up say Airbnb Outage, Microsoft outage etc on the internet - when we can recieve 'access' to I!!!

Thnaks in advance

Central To All Home & Location