Policy change to "work-ready" listings

Policy change to "work-ready" listings

I have recently noticed that the "Work Collection" item is missing from the Hosting Progress "Opportunities" screen.

 

On enquiring with Airbnb Support via chat, I have been advised that the policy for work-ready listing has recently been changed. I was advised during the chat that this policy change has not been communicated to hosts.

 

Under the previous policy, hosts who met the work ready requirements could tag their listing, and it would then appear in searches when the "Work trip" filter was selected. If I remember correctly, these requirements were:

 

  • A high overall review rating (4.7+)
  • Smoke alarm and carbon monoxide alarms fitted.
  • Instant booking
  • Entire home or apartment
  • Flexible cancellation policy
  • Unattended check-in (key safe)

 

Under the new policy, the requirements are now:

 

  • At least one business review
  • A high business review rating from guests (4.8+)
  • A high overall review rating (4.7+)
  • An indication from the host that there is a smoke alarm and a carbon monoxide alarm

 

(https://www.airbnb.com.au/help/article/1185/how-do-i-search-for-a-place-to-stay-when-i-travel-for-wo...)

 

There seems to be a problem with this new policy. We previously had achieved the necessary criteria with our listing, and had tagged the listing to be shown as suitable for business travellers. However, we have not as yet had any guests tag their reservation as a business trip, thus we have not as yet received any business reviews. 

 

As a result, under the new policy, our listing is now not displayed when the "Work trip" filter is selected in a search. As people searching for listings for work trips will now not find our listing, it is now significantly less likely that we will receive any reservations for business trips, thus we will not receive any business reviews.

 

Under this policy, it thus appears that very few if any listings that did not previously receive business reviews under the old policy will now ever be able to appear in a work trip search.

 

The Support agent is formally reporting this, and I have left Feedback on the Airbnb site, referring to the Support case.

 

Has anyone else noticed this, or is anyone aware of any actions being taken about it?

 

- Keith De La Rue

8 Replies 8
Inna22
Level 10
Chicago, IL

@Keith-and-Marilyn0 same happened with family collection. I do not know what the new requirements are but I just noticed that I no longer qualify. You had to have three reviews from families to qualify in the first place and I did so something else was added to the requirements. I could not find it easily in help pages and decided not to call. Mostly because whatever they require is probably out of my hands. At least with family they can tell it is a family when people enter a number of children but with business I personally never mark it off as such when sites ask because I feel like it is none of their business. Add the people who do not read and do not even notice that button and the chances of business trip being tagged as such become very slim

@Inna22, thanks for the follow up on the family collection. I just checked and I am no longer part of the family collection either! I too do not know what requirements have changed and didn't see any change in a quick search. 

 

Perhaps someone else can shed some light? 

Inna22
Level 10
Chicago, IL

@John1080 my curiosity took over and I called airbnb. Apparently family collection is no longer a feature!

John1080
Level 10
Westcliffe, CO

@Inna22, ha news to me! I hadn't even thought about it or check it! Thank you for following up. 

Laura2217
Level 2
Mill Valley, CA

My place is in Mill Valley, CA just 15 minutes from San Francisco and home of AirBNB.  I’ve been working with support on the same issue and have provided feedback.  This filter is flawed.

 

My place is consistently on the first search page and should meet all the criteria, but no business traveler in their right mind would book with me, if I’m not showing up as suitable for work.

 

The customer support gives me the same boiler plate response.  I hope they fix this, as I like having professionals stay.  The few I’ve had just booked as regular guests.  They all gave me 5 star reviews, but with out business accounts, they don’t meet the review criteria.  Very frustrating and unprofessional AirBNB experience.


Thanks for posting and let me know if you get any where with support.

 

Laurie Boscoe

Susan17
Level 10
Dublin, Ireland

@Keith-and-Marilyn0 @Laura2217 @Inna22 @John1080 

 

The reason the Work Collection has quietly disappeared is that Airbnb is now funnelling business and corporate  travellers towards the "professional" and commercial operators. Continuing with its run of investments into a number of "hosts" on its own platform, in August 2019, the company also acquired Urbandoor, who provide furnished  apartments for business and long-term stays, in 1500 cities across 60 countries.

 

In early December, Airbnb also participated in a $55 million funding round in corporate housing start-up, Zeus Living, whose 2000+ listings (pre-funding) have also been incorporated into the Airbnb platform. 

 

Airbnb Acquires Urbandoor 

https://news.airbnb.com/airbnb-acquires-urbandoor/

 

Doubling Down On Business Travellers, Airbnb Acquires Urbandoor

https://techcrunch.com/2019/08/05/doubling-down-on-business-travelers-airbnb-acquires-urbandoor/

 

Airbnb Invests As Zeus Corporate Housing Raises $55 Million 

https://techcrunch.com/2019/12/09/airbnb-zeus/

 

Airbnb Invests In Zeus Living's $55 Series B Round 

https://shorttermrentalz.com/news/airbnb-zeus-living-seriesb-round/

 

Thank you Susan.  This is useful and explains my lackluster response the support team gave me.  

This is interesting, as they are assuming most business travelers want the amenities, like concierge, gym ...  I’ve had a few guests who stayed with me, as they were relocating, and they all wanted to be part of a community and experience living in a neighborhood.  

Hopefully, they find the need for both hospitality situations and make home stays part of the work travel platform.

 

Best,

 

Laurie Boscoe

Mark3058
Level 2
Raleigh, NC

Brilliant. So it is now impossible to ever have my listing show when the "For work" filter is in effect no matter how suitable we are for business travelers. Once that filter is on, my listing will not show up even if searched by name. If the filter is off, then any reservation is not 'business' - so I can never have what Airbnb considers a business rental and thus never appear when the "For work" filter is on. Absolutely brilliant.