It's July, what about those "required essentials"? What is going to happen if we DON'T provide them?

[Timothy19]

I believe Air claimed that starting July 1 all hosts would be required to provide Toilet paper, towels, sheets, etc. For many of us, those things are NOT provided for guests visiting our town. There have been numerous discussions about this "rule" and I don't want to start another one. I know some people are shocked that these things would not be provided, but those people are not familiar with every tradition in every town around the world. Customs and traditions are different. Properties are different. Staying in a guest room in someone's home is different than renting an entire house for a week or a month. 

Anyway, I am not looking for any debate on the merits of the rule. What I am looking for is an actual response from AirBnB. It has been months since they announced this. There have been many discussions here and on other sites. Comments have been posted on Twitter. AirBnB has said NOTHING.

AirBnB - What are the rules? What has to be provided and how much? Is a starter pack/roll of toilet paper enough, or do we need to provide enough to last all of our guests the entirety of their stay? And how does one calculate THAT?  Is a hand soap dispenser in the bathroom "soap" or do you mean bath soap? How much of that is "enough"? Does "provide" linens and towels mean they are included in the price or is it OK to state they are available for an extra fee? And finally, what happens if we DON'T provide the required amenities? Are we going to be de-listed? Warned? Down-ranked in the search results? What?

Tim

[Linda108]

@Timothy19  During the Host Q and A, it was stated that the essentials "rule" is now considered to be a "suggestion" given the host feedback that ensued after the rule was announced.

When the Host Q&A is published, you might find a few nuggets that are useful for you 😛 in spite of the long discussion to the contrary.

[Timothy19]

@Linda108 - thanks for the news. I did not tune in to the Q&A, and saw the thread about it being "thoroughly useless" so I assumed there was not much of note. I'll be curious to see the transcript.

-Tim

[Gillian19]

@Timothy19 @Linda108 thanks guys - really helpful. I shall be interested to see the Q&A transcript. I too have been wondering what I am supposed to do about towels as I really didn't want the hassle of providing them. Although one of my listing still has warnings that it doesn't meet basic requirements so I'm not sure if their change to a 'suggestion' has flowed through to the system. Trouble is the warnign doesn't actually tell me why it's warning me so it could be somethign else - it's like looking for a needle in a haystack.

[Lawrene0]

@Timothy19, it was declared "totally useless" by someone who did not watch it. Don't go by that. @Gillian19, the  summary (not quite a transcript, but close enough) is at  https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Host-Q-A/idb-p/2018-q2-qanda-en

@Linda108, I agree that there are useful nuggets. Like Timothy, I have been turned upside down by the basic amenities requirements.

So, Timothy, although I thought it ridiculous to provide things my guests have never wanted, I did go ahead in June and make changes. Guests were already being asked to tick yes or no on whether they received each of the things, and I knew it would take me some time to cut and install a mattress, find sheets, etc. 

If you are able to put the essentials in place - and I know it is not possible for every listing - it does not matter what type of soap (mine is biodegradable camp soap that survives freezing in winter), the toilet paper question said "sufficient", I think, and no to charging for the sheets, pillows or towels, as they are essentials and not extras. But this is all moot now. 

[Gillian19]

@Lawrene0 That link didn't work - any idea on where to find this summary via the UI?

[Lawrene0]

Hmm, I'll try again, @Gillian19. I may have added a space. Try this: https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Host-Q-A/idb-p/2018-q2-qanda-en

[Gillian19]

@Lawrene0 Thanks - that worked