Profile Photo No Longer Required To Book

[Susan17]

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/

[Mike1034]

I fully agree with Alice & Jeff. Guests could see our photos before they book while we don't know who book our rooms.

From my two years experience, I have found that AirBnb don't screen guests at all. I have had very bad experience with some guests. In addition, AirBnb are very strict about rejecting a booking request. If a host has less than 80% acceptance rate, you will lose super host status. A friends of mine accepted a guest and later found that this guest has criminal records. I feel that as hosts we are not protected at all by AirBnb.

[Danny286]

Why question is, why get into this type of business if you are that nervous or afraid of your customers?  just a question?  look at how many hotels there are on this planet..they don't require photos of their guest but the guest has photos of the staff...  just a thought..

[Vintage-Bungalow0]

I became an Airbnb host for the experience of meeting travelers from all over the world, to learn about their culture and to share mine, to use my home to create a community for solo  travelers to meet and socialize.  I was not at all interested in the hotel "business" or having "customers".  The Airbnb platform was based on the sharing "experience", but their decision to hide such important guest information from prospective hosts shows that their focus has shifted.  In general, the level of host support has completely plummeted.  Until about 2015, I felt really secure hosting on Airbnb, but the current  lack of support and lack of concern for host safety is causing me to reconsider the entire endeavor. Airbnb is not what it used to be, and it seems to be heading in an opposing direction to the principles upon which it was founded. Very sad.

[Bruce-And-Patty0]

@Danny286 :  For me, it is not a question of nervousness or fear, but rather I am more comfortable if I have a better feel for who is in my home.  While you are correct it is true that hotels do not require photos of their guests, a hotel is not someone's residence.  Even hotels take a risk when they allow people into their establishment, but if a guest at a hotel destroys the room they are staying in, it does not bring their entire business to a halt.  It's a huge risk to Airbnb hosts.

[Lawrene0]

Thanks, @Susan17. And @Mark116 and @Alice-and-Jeff0, not that I have been too bothered by profile photos that seldom resemble the guest anyway, but I looked to see where we turn the feature on proactively, and couldn't find it. What I did find was a shock, however. I found I had no House Rules on either of my listings! All said "not set". Everything I had set - no smoking, no children, no parties or events, everything - all gone. 

So I just spent a frantic half hour re-setting everything. I am safe from chain-smoking toddlers throwing parties for now, but will keep checking over the next few days.

Do check your own, okay? 

[Alice-and-Jeff0]

Found the same thing - but was happy that I could post a very small blurb about why my property is not suitable for kids.  Unfortunately, they don't let me make a distinction about why it's unsuited for under 2 and why it is differently unsuited for children under 12 - they only allow for the same remarks repeated.  My reasons for a baby are completely different from the reasons for someone under 12. 

[Andrew216]

Why do you need to explain why? There's no compunction to accept kids. I just don't like them.... 😉

[Sammy35]

hahah neither do it.  but its a legality matter in the US.  all one needs to say is non compliance with safe kids worldwide requirements/criteria

[Danny286]

Ha ha nice..!

[Daniel1992]

I can say that the "host will receive a photo after accepting the booking" is total BS, as the last guest that I accepted (after conversation) did not have a profile picture, nor did I receive a photo of him.

A better way to do this in my opinion is to take the Uber approach: if you're deciding whether to accept someone or not for a property that's NOT a shared living situation, don't share a photo, name, or any other information from the platform while discussing the situation.  If it's a shared living situation, then provide the gender.  After the request is approved by the host, THEN release the photo and personal information, but still require the potential guest to have a profile picture.

[Rebecca181]

Thanks for the heads up, Susan. Now I better go and see if my House Rules are still up... Never a dull moment!

[Rebecca181]

@Susan17  @Lawrene0 So when I previewed both my listings just now, the House Rules are no longer evident anywhere. ALL my house rules have been changed to 'Not Set'. What the heck is going on???

[Mark116]

Same here, I had to go in and redo them, but I still never found a place where I can request that a guest have a photo.  

It doesn't really promote much trust.  Apparently, we hosts are so awful that we can't be trusted to see anyone's photo in advance, so I guess if you accept the reservation of some nut who is posing with an automatic weapon or wearing a hockey mask the host has to just suck it up and keep 911 on speed dial from now on.

[Andrew216]

If I get a booking with no photo, I simply send a message that says put one up. 

[Christine1]

@Mark0 in jersey.

Lol.