New To Airbnb, About To Publish My Listing, But - Are Hosts As Unhappy As They Seem?

[Rebecca181]

Hi Everyone,

I am excited to be joining the Airbnb community. I spent several days getting my first home listing together and was just about to publish it but then decided to do some research on the community forums here to see what sorts of issues / challenges I might face as a new host, and as a host in general. It seems clear from reading the many posts from unhappy hosts that things were going along relatively well until 2015, when many changes occurred that seemed to favor guests and seemed unfair, unpalatable, or even intolerable to hosts sharing their spaces / rental properties on a short term basis - to the point where several hosts stated they were fed up, angry, have had enough, and are removing their listings all together from Airbnb. The main issues presented by host forum contributors that concern me are:

1) A buggy software system that causes hosts to receive double or triple bookings; when hosts try and cancel the later bookings they are 'penalized' by Airbnb for 'cancelling'.

2) Customer service seems impossible to reach. Emails are not responded to; a live human being is difficult to access. When one is reached (a miracle, it seems), the host allegedly hears vapid and meaningless responses such as, "Oh, I have never heard about that before. I'll talk to a manager about it and get back to you." And (you guessed it) the host never hears back from any support staff  of any kind at Airbnb.

3) When a guest damages property, claims are denied, even when the host follows the claims instructions down to the letter. I have only seen two cases on these forums where a claim was successfully and expediently resolved. The fact that the Host Protection Insurance policy itself is unavailable for hosts to review (or for most anyone to review, for that matter, although I have come across one insurance agent who has an actual copy of it - It is about 180 pages long, with a lot of exclusions, reportedly) does not add to my sense of confidence were an issue of damaged property to arise in relation to one of my Airbnb guests.

4) InstaBooking: Is this something a new host should avoid at first, even though it seems we are, in a sense, penalized for not signing up for this feature (listing not prominent in searches; harsher cancellation penalties, etc) as it could "overwhelm" us in relation to where we are as first-time hosts on the Airbnb learning curve? 

And so I am ultimately wondering, are there any happy hosts out there, including newer hosts that have listed properties since 2015? Am I likely to have a positive experience with Airbnb, if I do my best to follow all of the recommendations on how to offer a good housing experience for guests? Or is the host experience on Airbnb deteriorating to the point where new people like me should think twice before joining this particular sharing community? I really would love to meet people from all over the world, from all walks of life, as I cannot travel these days much for various reasons, and I value the 'sharing' mindset, so this is why I was hoping to find most of my guests through Airbnb (my listing is in a much-sought-after beach vacation rental area).

Thank you all so much in advance for any insights, experiences, or words of wisdom you may have for me!

Rebecca

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

Hi @Rebecca181 and welcome to Airbnb community 🙂 I am host just 8 months and from the begining I am on Airbnb and Booking.com

You did your research well 🙂 Not far from the truth I am affraid.

1) calendar has issues if you want to have your calendar open 3 months in advance. If it is open more than you should not have problems. At least I didn't have.

2) When I need customer service I contact them by text message on https://www.airbnb.com/help/contact_us or twitter message. They always get back to me in 2 hours max and I had all my problems resolved.

3) I was lucky and guests did not damage my place, but I am affraid that is just the metter of time when they will. I don't belive Airbnb host guarantee or security deposit will be of any help 😞 I think this is THE WORST thing on Airbnb. You should have your own house insurance outside of Airbnb .

4) I have instant book. I asked Airbnb twice to cancel reservations because I didn't feel confortable with guests and they did canceled without any penalties for me

I still like Airbnb more than Booking.com but also researching about VRBO , tripadviser etc...

[Rebecca181]

Your detailed response is extraordinarily helpful and does help to reassure me somewhat. I am most appreciative of your taking time to address my questions in such a specific manner, with examples from your own 'real life' experiences on Airbnb, and feel a bit more confident about publishing my listing. If you are ever on the Oregon coast, please come and visit! - Rebecca

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Rebecca181 just publish, you can allways unpublish if you want to. Other sites also have their issues, no one is perfect. You did a good job to research before, you will be fine.

Just don't ever cancel by yourself and if your guest wants to cancel and you get a message with a question "do you agree that X cancel this reservation on your behalf" - do not agree! 

Be carefull with scam messages that leads you on another websites which looks like Aibnb but don't have green padlock on the begining of url - do not log in!

Thanks for your invite in Oregon 🙂 If you ever decide to visit Zagreb, Croatia remember us 🙂

Good luck and happy hosting 🙂

[Rebecca181]

Thank you so much - It is connecting with generous people like you that causes me to feel very hopeful about becoming a host with Airbnb! I will remember all of your warnings and recommendations - Forewarned is forearmed!

Best,

Rebecca

[Robin4]

@Rebecca181 @Andrea9 @Karen-and-Brian0 @Lawrene0

Hey Rebecca, just come across your post and felt I had to stick my oar in.

Do not be discouraged by what you find on this forum! There are over 800,000 Airbnb hosts around the world. We are all transacting business with Airbnb....I have a guest in my cottage right now....we have had a pleasant couple of hours having a drink or two and just talking, and tomorrow I will look back on this hosting with fond memories. 

Things do go wrong, but not often, and the community centre is the magnet for things that have gone wrong. Rebecca, you are doing exactly the right thing and you are doing what all new hosts should do! You are gaining experience and learning from others who have been through it before. You will be a much better host for having been here....there is nothing that you cannot learn from the forum! But don't let it frighten you!

I have had two years of wonderful experiences thanks to hosting with Airbnb. I have never had a problem, my payments always arrive on time in my nominated bank account, I have met a lot of really nice people and it is a part of my life I would not want to swap with anyone.

'Are hosts as unhappy as they seem'.....definitely not, you are looking at the tip of the iceberg....everything that is under the surface is comfortable and loving what they are doing.

This forum can be soul destroying, but Rebecca it is not you, and will probably never be you. I can show you hosts who have hosted over 400 guests and have never had a problem....never had a reason to call Airbnb.

Believe me this platform is the best....release that boat of yours onto the Airbnb ocean and let those experiences take you where that ocean flows, you won't be disappointed!

Cheers.....Rob

[Rebecca181]

Hi Robin,

What a wonderful analogy, oars and oceans and releases...I grow more excited by the minute and cannot wait to take those last few critical photos and get my listing published properly. I feel I am about to go on a great adventure, and I am eager to share the wonderful space I have been fortunate enough to capture for my own and call 'home'. One of the main reasons I bought the house is that it has this wonderful, self contained, private turn-key guest suite; I just have to convert the laundry room into a proper kitchenette (another reason for these final delays before I list). I am so happy to have these forums as a resource, and I will remember to not let the negative reports and complaints scare me; I'm sure for every negative experience there are at least 10 good ones the same hosts could report, but of course, forums are a place to air concerns, grievances, and complaints and learn from others, and receive support. 

Thanks again, Robin, very grateful for your encouragement and support.

Rebecca

[Jillian16]

Do you ask for a flat rate $50 rental insurance charge instead of a deposit? Just wondering if that would be better if airbnb is not good about damage claims?  

[Jen13]

Hi Rebecca,

Welcome to the community. I am sorry you have this feeling... I have had a few issues myself recently but I always have been able to reach a customer service, actually it seems better than before and they solved my problems.

I am surprised about the Instant Booking, I have had my listing in that way without my consent, even without my knowledge, but once again, the customer service solved it.

However I must say that I, too, have the feeling that Airbnb doesn't respect too much the hosts, for example when you have to agree that you MUST accept any guest no matter his skin color, religion or origin. I agree that it is not a criteria of rejection, but they come live in MY house, with me and/or my neighbors, and some cultural aspects would be unacceptable. I have not had this issue yet. And I want to know about them before accepting.

Good luck with your place, take a lot of precautions and everything should be ok.

[Rebecca181]

Hi Jen, 

Thank you for the warm welcome. I love Paris, and miss visiting there (sigh...). I am very grateful to you for taking time to share your experiences. I also understand and respect your point about this being your HOME that you are opening up. Our listings are not hotels. For those who buy properties and do not live in them and rent them out, well, they do not have the same concerns as those of us who actually LIVE on our properties and are choosing to SHARE space in exchange for financial compensation. It seems Airbnb is pushing hosts into a pseudo-hotel business / role, as are the increasing regulations from cities, counties and states (at least here in the United States and elsewhere - not sure about Paris and other European countries. I must pay the county and the state a 'Transient Lodging Tax' that is over 10%, total, of my rental earnings, including cleaning fees). We fall into a gray area, don't we? - Not a hotel; not just a primary residence. I do hope that Airbnb will listen to hosts' concerns and respect the fact that in the end we are taking certain risks in opening up our homes to strangers, even when we have our own primary insurance (and not all insurance companies in the United States are willing to insure short term rentals associated with primary housing - It is a real problem in the U.S. and England, Australia, and elsewhere, I hear). But I love the idea of being a part of a community that has a 'sharing' mentality, and so I likely will take those risks and publish my rental here. These replies I am getting to this post are really helping, especially because I am hearing I CAN reach customer service in a timely manner, so this is a great relief. Please come visit if you are ever on the Oregon coast, I would love to host you!  -Rebecca

[Maria-Lurdes0]

I've been on Airbnb for almost 7 years and I've hosted thousands of guests (multi lister).   This forum is a great place to have a rant or whine about something, or just get some feedback on a situation from our peer community.  Things definitely have changed over the last few years as Airbnb has transitioned from a cozy kumbaya place to a business just like any other.    

Publish your listing, take care of your guests, take time to take care of yourself too, and grow your business!  We will be here for you whenever you need an ear 🙂

[Rebecca181]

Thank you so much - I am feeling so much more confident now after reading these replies tonight, and I now know that the peer support available here will be invaluable to me as a host. I will take the leap and publish! Just putting the finishing touches on my suite and want to take better photos of the rooms and grounds with a wide angle lens; there are no free Airbnb-supplied photographers in my area. 

Appreciatively,

Rebecca

[Lawrene0]

Excellent questions, @Rebecca181, and I agree with everyone. I'll just add that in a help forum, by its nature, you are seeing the worst that can happen. We cannot all hop on every day with, "Just met the most amazing people - again!" and I think that would be closer to the truth of the experience for all of us. It is mostly amazing. I am a longtime host. Not being a polyanna here. If it were not mostly amazing, none of us would do it. 

Wishing you the best with hosting!

[Rebecca181]

Hi Lawrene,

That is so good to hear! I felt a bit of trepidation earlier (obvious from my original post) but now am feeling very excited and hopeful again. My place is beautiful and I really would love to share it with others who would appreciate it. So far everyone responding has been so encouraging and overall very positive. I am looking forward to getting started as a host. I know I will have have many questions once I get rolling with Airbnb, but I'll search the forums first to see if they have already been addressed elsewhere. 

Best,

Rebecca

[Karen-and-Brian0]

Hi @Rebecca181 Welcome! How I wish all new hosts would take the time to educate themselves the way that you have done! Well done, you! In your browsings here, you've no doubt seen the number of posts from new hosts who have stepped on the exact same, easily avoided "land mines"? The poor hapless souls who have Instant Book turned on, but don't know what Instant Book is or even where to find it and now "someone booked my place without my approval so I cancelled & now the dates are blocked!". There are so many of them, bless their hearts. If they had taken the time to read a bit here, they could have avoided all that but noooooo.

I don't understand why more people don't approach this the way you have, most just seem to jump in with both feet. It's a steep learning curve, the very best thing anyone can do before letting their listing go live is spend time reading the forums, and reading all the articles in the Help Centre. You are miles ahead for having done just that.

Yes, as others have said, don't be discouraged by the venting here - we don't tend to post about our awesome guests (the vast majority), we come here when we need to let of steam about those less than stellar guests. Those posts are great learning tools too, often you can pick up tips to avoid running into a similar problem. You will be great at this. All the very best of luck with your listing! Karen