SAFETY-Was the street name and very accurate map listed before on host listings ?

SAFETY-Was the street name and very accurate map listed before on host listings ?

I posted this( https://community.airbnb.com/t5/Hosts/SAFTEY-Was-the-street-name-and-very-accurate-map-listed-before...)   last night and is good idea  to also post this concern here.

 

Ps- i apologize for misspelling "safety" !

 

The whole post is here also :

 

I do hosting for few years now, and form what i've knew, without a confirmed booking, potential guests were shown only the radius location of adress.

NOW, i see airbnb lists our(hosts) street also, and togheter with that radius location, a host adress can quite easily be found if a potential troubled guest wants to. I've had quite a few, very descriptive, negative and mean messages written after i've had to decline certain potential guests.

The adress can not be changed once you save one, only a new listing can have dif. Adress, but thne you loose the reviews...

What are your thoughts about this ?

29 Comments
Linda108
Level 10

I agree, @Sorin0, this addition of the street name to the location map is not good for basic safety of many hosts.  I would like Air BNB to add an opt out feature for hosts who feel safety is compromised.

I agree as well. This is not healthy at all. I have complained about this a couple of days ago. The address should either be removed altogether and then made known to the guest at confirmation stage or else, as suggested by Linda in her post, AirBnb should add an opt out feature for hosts who are not happy with this feature.

Kati18
Level 7

As a single female host, this concerns me greatly.  Now that potential guest have my street address it's an easy search of Google maps to find the exact location.  With rural locations it would be even easier to locate.  No longer will guests need to book to find the house/space and depending on the description they would know if it's host occupied or not, leaving it open for theft or vandalism.  I feel as though the voice of the host is getting outweighed more and more by the demands of the guest these days.

Sorin0
Level 4
@Kati0So true !! I did not even realize the last part you've mentioned. I know it applies for hosts who rent the whole apt./house. The way i see it, is hosts whom should always be priority b/c good hosts are not too many. I had many one time guests users, and their level of responsabilities is much lower compared to hosts.
Jane2
Level 2

For many years, the radius option seemed to work wonders and millions of guests booked accommodation. If guests were concerned about distance to services etc, they could ask before booking. This new feature then is unnecessary and more importantly , unsafe for many hosts. Providing the street name,in my case,could open up my apartment to being targeted by non-guests looking for somewhere that might be empty and thus vandalized,robbed,squatted etc. Break-ins are a serious problem in Paris and I would hate to imagine that this platform could simplify the task for people looking do to damage. Host security and safety is a serious issue and I do hope that Airbnb will allow hosts to opt out of this new feature.

Sorin0
Level 4
I will just go step by step and contact as many hosts as i can, send them this link in a message and make them aware, so that this is reversed asap. Have to check if is legal or anywhere written in the contract i made with airbnb to give out our addresses like that !!
Kate157
Level 10

Why did Airbnb "fix" a feature that wasn't broken? The old way was just fine, it showed the general area, no specifics until confirmation. This is unwanted and not safe. I joined Airbnb mid-2013. For my first years I LOVED the company. Now, I find it hard to like them on many levels, and this kind of thing adds to that.

Jane2
Level 2

I spoke to someone from Airbnb today who was unaware of the change. As he pointed out to me, with the exact street name mentioned, the radius is obsolete. And yet it is still there as well. He told me he would look into and get back to me tomorrow. I can imagine many people haven't noticed this feature as there was no notification. Should some hosts find it useful-fine. But I really don't want it to appear.

Ken28
Level 10

If I recall, the radius can be moved as desired. I did that with mine - moving it to a nearby intersection.

 

Did that change?

Ken28
Level 10

OH MY... I see what you mean now! My street is public!