New Discrimination Policy

[Liam9]

On Airbnb's new descrimination policy, Bloomberg reported the following: 

Hosts will be prevented from listing a unit on the same day if they previously told a prospective guest that the property was unavailable, a step aimed at discouraging them from unfairly vetting customers. Airbnb will also urge hosts to let guests to book a unit without being screened, through a new feature called Instant Book.

I disagree with this policy.  I rent an entire home in a beach town. I will often deny party's because of lack of referrals - I don't want a new customer to come and throw a party at the house.  This is an issue for places like beach towns. I had one prospective guest that had no referrals, whose photo was just a "Play Like a Champion" banner. I don't want to rent my house to someone like that. That's not descrimination, that's common sense. Now I'd be denied from having my place available for those days?  I care about referrals, and that is something Airbnb does not let you vet by. 

Liam

[Cathy-and-Ed0]

I used to be able to call Airbnb (as a SuperHost) and get decent customer service.  Today I called 3 numbers.  All out of country:) call centers.  The first option was 1) call about a current reservation and press 2) if not.  Press 2 and you get a message that it is for emergencies.  I waited on hold for awhile, then talked to rep.  Why was I calling?  I was inquiring about 'incorrect response rate' on my listing.  My response rate has always been 100%, but it was showing 90% (the minimum for SuperHost status). However, under my dashboard stats it showed 99%.  The guy that answered went thru the usual verifications, my name, birthday, email address, phone # and method of payment.  He really did not know why I would question this and kept interrupting me and putting me on hold.  I ask for a US # for hosts which he said he would give me when he finished answering my concerns.  He proceeded to direct me to the 'help section' on their site.  That was supposed to help me???? I kept asking for the phone # for Host and he finally gave me another # which he said was in the U.S.  I called it and heard the same recorded menu.  I did not wait to talk to another to direct me to their help section.  I am so disappointed and frustrated with Airbnb!!  Whether you are a SuperHost or not, all host should be able to talk to someone to resolve questions or issues.  Even if they can't help you, they should be knowledgeable enough to understand your concerns.  

[Ivan-and-Debra0]

These are all great points... Another point is the 5 star rating... we all work hard to become super hosts. Now where is Airbnb to reward us for taking on guests who simply take adavantage of our hospitality? Do we just swallow folks who throw a party at our house when they know its against the rule, then leave you a bad review..?... Airbnb if you open up the closet then be prepared to clean it out.

I propose that whenever guests are rude and disrecptful ( i.e. invite additional guest wo paying, cook when there's a no cooking rule, etc..and provided you have accurate documentation ) that the host receives a 5 star rating as a default.

Reward the people that truly take on the liability.

[Gigi15]

Airbnb is removing the mainstay of Hosting, i.e. The ability to determine if the prospective guest is a fit to have "in your home".
After unfortunate experiences I have indicated numerous times that I will only host guests WITH REVIEWS, yet Airbnb continues to send requests by new members with No Profile data. There is a real breakdown of the system here. I get calls from Airbnb representatives asking me to join in a walk or to have a meet up with neighborhood hosts. I would much rather they $pend the time getting their HOSTING interface working and remember who the people are that allow them to have this business they have created. The hosts. Without us there would be no Airbnb.

[Dawn33]

With Brian's mass email, I hope to get clarification on this:

"Instant Book
We’ll increase the availability of Instant Book, which allows our hosts to offer their homes to be booked immediately without their prior approval of a specific guest. Instant Book makes booking easier for everyone, and our goal is to have 1 million listings bookable via Instant Book by January 1st, 2017."

[Sandra126]

@Dawn33, I have not had Brian's email. Maybe he is planning on sending me a personal one after he has informad all the rest? I am only gleaning the info here this morning on the forum. This is the biggest thing which has happened to Airbnb since they started. The next biggest thing is when they have to maneuvre their rep as a booking site where you get cancelled. Or after the first serious IB related crime? I am not sure hosts will leave the site easily, think that is a lot of bravado as we like the income too much and there is no comparative site at the moment, but that can of course change at the drop of a hat.

The way to make us voluntarily go on IB is to list the non-IB last. In my village of 3000 inhabitants we have over 300 listings. I am usually the first listing to show, but you can easily make me come last and I will panic!

Let's see what will happen next.

[Julie104]

Just an aside, you are always the first listing to show if you view from your own machine. Try viewing not logged in from someone elses machine and you may (like me) find yourself on page 4!

[Tina87]

This new policy concerns me. It seems that AirBnB is forgetting a major component in the whole scheme -- hosts are SHARING our homes. Yes, there are some hosts who are taking advantage of the whole concept and buying up places just to make some money and game the system. But most of us, as hosts, are opening our homes to strangers. I always want to know about the people who will be staying at my home. I don't care about race, color, gender, religion, etc. That's not important to me. But I do want to know if my home is be rented for a big party, or if the guest seems very pushy and demanding. I've been making my home available to strangers for more than 15 years -- mostly without the aid of a service like AirBnB, and I've always (and successfully) relied on my own sense of people. Hosts are the ones taking on the liability, not AirBnB.

I really disagree with the new Instant Book policy. This is in AirBnB's favor, not the host. I read the report. There is nothing in it that shows what they actually found out in the way of metrics. It seems to me, they are making this whole new discrimination policy sound like they're trying to change the world to the good, one reservation at a time. I believe it's a facade of social change. The fact is that AirBnB is a business, above all. This is helping them make money and avoid lawsuits. There is little in the new policy that actually helps Hosts -- and having great Hosts is what makes this whole thing work.

[Dawn33]

I don't think it is a facade of change, but insurance of not being sued and losing their profits.

I am with you----- I don't care WHO you are, just HOW you treat others and their spaces.

[Tina87]

That's why I call it a "facade" -- they are hiding behind some "kumbaya" feeling when in fact all the changes they're advancing benefit AirBnB -- more profit with Instant Booking and fewer lawsuits -- and not helping Hosts at all. Hosts are what make the whole thing work. I agree with the earlier comment -- "this is not Motel 6."

[John353]

Thank you for writing this.  I'm here totally because of the desire of Airbnb to move as much business as possible to Instant Book.  I do believe that Airbnb wants to move more and more Host to instant book to make the system more like a regular Motel/Hotel booking system.  I can see the value in it; however, I believe it's not in my favor for the following reasons:

Some clients want to book for months -  if not years at a time.

The Instant Book system does not enforce "House Rules" at the time of booking.

I do not want to give up control of my house to a stranger, even if it does seem to make the world a more equitable place.  My house is my home and I should be able to review and reject whomever I like - regardless.

As for equitability and non-discrimination, I would like for Airbnb to publicably make available it's Search Algorithm so we an determine how listing are being promoted.  I have an uneasy feeling in the future, if not now, that Instant Book listing will rise to the top of all listing and the rest of us who prefer to interact with potential guest will be pushed to the bottom.

In some regards, I feel that Airbnb is using the issue of precieved and real discrimination to push their corporate agenda of having ALL host move to Instant Booking.

[John480]

I will cancel any instant book they try to they try and FORCE upon me... I share my apartment WITH guets, I will not have any UNAUTHORIZED GUEST IN MY HOME, that I HAVENT PERSONALLY APPROVED... and Air BnB has disapponted me and misrepresented its guest TO OFTEN TO TRUST THEM...  How dare they create a divide, where NONE WERE...  this policy is OFFENSIVE. I will join any class action suit, ( a first) .

[Ange2]

I'm with @Liam9 , I disagree with this policy too.  

It's a sledgehammer approach and not in keeping with what Airbnb branded itself as: staying in a private home with a local.

The question should be, does Airbnb ( or fill in the blank) discriminate against hosts?

My  space is not equipped for children, pets or physically handicapped, my building is a walk up I do not have an elevator. 

I have read some posts where people say they were discriminated against because they were declined, no mention or reason or proof. Who is going to follow up, hear the host's side?    Or is this going to be another:  Host wrong, Guest right, scenario,  like (see posts) many a refund awarded to guest without proof for compaint.   If  declining / unavailability is going to be the measure of discrimination I can see more abuse and fines and penalties coming the hosts way and more negative situations for hosts who feel they cannot decline for fear of being penalized out of business.

As for instant book for all - bad, bad, bad  idea.  The host needs some measure of control as to who they allow into their homes. Right now on Airbnb you can be a flower, a horizon, a cat and with only an email or phone number (so easy to fake) and still be verified and instantbook!   And even with awful reviews of terrible behavior you can still instantbook!

To quote @Dawn33 :    "I don't care WHO you are, just HOW you treat others and their spaces"

[Lauren18]

I see some big problems for AIRBNB with this one.  Anyone who is not accepted  can now claim "discrimination"?

I rent rooms in my home, mostly to graduate students, travelling scholars, nurses and other professionals.  Peace, quiet, and safety, along with a friendly and courteous atmosphere, is what my guests appreciate about my home, and so do I, because I also live there.  I have had people of all colors and nationalities, and of course I don't care about their sexual preferences, religion, or age.  But I do care about the harmony and safety of my house, and I screen applicants according to how they present themselves quite often.  Often people stay for 2 or 3 months, which is a long time to live with someone.  Without a profile and some kind of sense of who they are how can I tell if they will be compatible with this household (and it is a household).  

Why should we be asked to let people into our homes without knowing anything about who they are?  Would that be how one would chose a roomate?  With two people in the houes  working on their dissertations, should I take in an 18 year old freshman who describes himself as a "party animal"?  I would soon lose my other tenants, as well as driving me crazy!  

Once I had to deal with a paranoid shizophrenic, who was convinced I was poisoning the air in her car, and played loud music to "block out the spy  cameras".  Would I have to prove I was not discriminating if I did not wish to rent to her again?   A home is not the same as Motel 6. 

[Amy38]

People who are resident on the rental property are excused from the Fair Housing rules legally, so don't wory about rejecting anyone.

On the other hand, how is Abnb going to treat reasonable exclusion?

[Ange2]

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