Profile Photo No Longer Required To Book

Susan17
Level 10
Dublin, Ireland

Profile Photo No Longer Required To Book

Latest news on profile photos. 

 

"Today, we’re announcing some changes we will be making to the way we display guest profile photos.

Moving forward, rather than displaying a potential guest’s profile photo before the booking is accepted, hosts will receive a guest’s photo in the booking process only after they’ve accepted the booking request. Airbnb does not require all guests to provide a photo. Instead, we’ll be giving hosts the option to ask their guests to provide a profile photo, which will only be presented to hosts after they accept the booking" 

 

https://press.airbnb.com/update-on-profile-photos/

 

 

110 Replies 110
Nancy26
Level 3
Delray Beach, FL

Was able to change my settings to require photo.  This is under booking requirements.  Not sure though why I am getting a request from someone who has not listed her government ID with airbnb when that is one of my preset requirements. 

Rome5
Level 2
Stockholm, Sweden

Hi

 

I will start to ask the guest to send an ID photo of themselves  on the message box before booking. This makes me feel comfortable with who I am inviting and sharing my place with.  I also would like to have one reference for long term booking and a review. 

Hi

I also feel extremely uncomfortable not knowing what the guest looks like.  What wording do you use when you ask for their photo 

Jillian100
Level 2
Chicago, IL

This is an old conversation I know, but I just learned of this policy.  I have not read the whole thread but basically there is a reason that the Chicago tenants ordinance allows for exclusions in owner occupied buildings etc.   How does airbnb get to skirt around local laws in this way?   So glad to see others who share the same concerns as I do!  I rent my guest room and have had dubious experiences even WITH photos!  so yeah, this is just baffling to me.

"Chicago Residential Landlord and Tenant Ordinance (RLTO). Section 5-12-010 says the Ordinance applies to all residential rental agreements in the city. But Section 5-12-020 excludes some rentals (in favor of those landlords). Most notorious is the exclusion of rentals in buildings with 6 or fewer units that are also owner occupied. That exclusion is illustrated here, including the example of a condo, a coach house, and a unit in a building "occupied" by it's owner's downstairs business. Other exclusions are also described, including college dorms, hotels and bed and breakfast stays of under 31 days, hospitals, old age homes, and renters who do work for the landlord in exchange for their tenancy."

Martini2
Level 2
Barcelona, Spain

Sincerely as many others said before me this new rule should be totally voided for hosts . It has nothing to do with racism , we want to see and decide with who are we going to share our homes ..... really frustrating how Airbnb recent years turned into big business machine squeezing us hosts with constant pressures , new “better “ rules and cancellation policy   ....

after all these years I deserve just like many others more respect . I want typical feel comfortable with person which is coming to my home this fact is Airbnb completely ignoring ;(((((( 

Joan241
Level 2
Olney, MD

If Airbnb is no longer going to allow us to see a profile picture of a guest with no reviews before we accept their reservation request,  then a written profile summary or a bio of who they are when they join Airbnb would be very helpful to the host in determining whether to accept a guest with no reviews.


- If Airbnb is going to take away our ability to see what kind of a guest we are accepting when they have NO reviews, then Airbnb should require that all new Airbnb sign ups provide a written profile summary of who they are and what makes them special - sort of like a personal resume when they provide their IDs and verifications at sign up.

 

We hosts provide this same profile information for the guest to look at when they choose our home to book. As a host, we would be able to tell whether the guest is likely to be a good match for OUR home. Airbnb needs to remember that it is OUR home that we are letting a stranger stay at. Removing the ability to see the potential guest's photo removes the "community" from Airbnb that Airbnb is trying to maintain and removes our freedom to CHOOSE who we allow our home privileges to.

 

I'd rather rent long term to a person that I can choose and vet, then to random people whom destroy my house and steal things.   A personal written profile summary of who they are when they join Airbnb would be very helpful to the host in determining whether to accept a guest with no reviews and no picture.

 

As a host, we have everything to lose by opening our home and the Airbnb guest has nothing to lose 

I totally agree; this is crap , we require all guest to submit after booking , another question; WHY IS AIRBNB NOT RESPONDING TO OUR CONCERNS?

Pam67
Level 2
Childersburg, AL

I want, no insist upon, a photo before I agree to book someone in my home. I also require meaningful messaged conversation about purposes for visit prior to agreeing to have someone in our small town and riverfront property. This enables us to better screen for safety purposes. There are crazy people out there!

Joan241
Level 2
Olney, MD

Pam67 - I don't understand how you accomplish this.   Airbnb won't show you the photo until you accept or approve the guests reservation - then after you approve them you are allowed to see their photo.   What do you do if they have a picture of a cat or something?   Cancel their reservation?    Doesn't that affect your superhost status?   AND, I thought that Airbnb was supposed to monitor their profile to make sure that their pictures are accurate and match their licenses.   I guess I'm just asking way too much...   

Mrs--and-Rick0
Level 3
Fairfield, IA

It is not worth $50 to rent to a wrong person in our homes could do $5000 damage within 5 minutes. Home is where we keep priceless items safe. We demand the ability to see the photos, and that AirBNB verify the photo against a Government ID. Not all people are the same, so not all Guests are the same. Some are statistically more likely to do crimes. That's not our fault. Political correctness has run amuck.  And it is not about skin color.  We need the ability to Google the Guest, and see if the Face matches on FaceBook.  AirBNB is for transparency minded guests with nothing to hide, not off-the-grid hiders who should go to a hotel.  As Hosts, WE have all the power with AirBNB if we stick together. With no Hosts, there is no product to sell. Everyone, please demand photos from Guests.

Hi

How do we get the photos from the guests? Can the guests send the photos thru the Airbnb portal?

@Mrs--and-Rick0  What makes you think everyone has a Facebook account and that if they aren't findable there or with a Google search that they are hiding something? I don't have any social media accounts and I certainly don't have my photo online anywhere except for my Airbnb account. And I can assure you I'm a respectable almost 70 year old.

And please explain what you mean by "some are statistically more likely to do crimes"? 

We said "And it is not about skin color. "  Wake up.  People who do previous crimes, regardless of color, are statistically more likely to do more crimes.   

 

*removed personal comment*

Well said.   I couldn't agree with you more.   Thanks for verbalizing what I feel every time I get a request to book from someone who doesn't provide a picture, or even a concise message of who they are and why they are looking to stay in MY home.    

Jude4
Level 2
Coromandel, New Zealand

We only rent our home  during the summer season and therefore I hadn’t  seen the change in policy that I can no longer see  guests photos or a profile description before I accept a booking, in fact the profile page has totally disappeared.  It’s taken me by surprise and I’m no longer sure after five years of hosting whether we’ll do so again. It would appear that the only way you can decide on the comparability  of guests is in the initial message they send to you. Am I missing something here?