Selling my Airbnb home

[Franca-And-Anthony0]

We are selling our property and the new owners want to continue with Airbnb. I have confirmed bookings for later in the year which the new owners are most happy to accommodate, so there will be no need to cancel these bookings.  Do the new owners need to set up a whole new listing or can we make the changes on my current listing in regards to personal information and change of account details? 

Cheers

Franca

[Leonie3]

They will have to do a new listing.

[Corky1]

So they will need to create a new listing and REbook all the future reservations? 

[Alice-and-Jeff0]

Yes, you cannot force the current guests to stay with the new owners and properties cannot be transferred between hosts.  The new owners may not be the same kind of hosts as you and your guests get to negotiate the terms under which they stay with the new hosts.  Additionally, it is againt Airbnb policy to rent a space that does not legally belong to you.  Once you sell the property, it's no longer yours to use as a host and, therefore, you cannot contract with the guests for a stay.

Airbnb is a host-based service, not a location-based service.  If the guests want to rebook with the new owners, they can and you should certainly communicate to them why you are cancelling their booking.  You need to reach out right away to Airbnb to make sure that you are not penalized for all the cancels (see the help center for the penalties of cancelling).  This is why you should only take bookings you know that you, yourself will be able to accommodate.

You should snooze the listing immediately so you do not take any more reservations.  The new hosts will need to set up their own profile and listing page for the property.  They cannot start taking reservations until after the close of the property.  Be mindful that you will be invalidating the Host Guarantee and any protections provided to you by Airbnb if you continue to take reservations and if you try to work around the system.  Read the Terms and Conditions for more detail.

Good luck.  

[Corky1]

Thanks for the info everyone...having control over when a property will sell is sort of impossible.  This one was listed for over 2 years and finally generated an offer.  I will certainly get in touch with Airbnb with regard to the cancellations though as I know it's a heavy hit to do 1 let alone multiple cancellations.  Listing has already been snoozed to eliminate further bookings...did this asap when it went pending.  Thanks again for the advice!  Will contact Airbnb now.  Cheers

[Lilian20]

Agree with @Leonie3 

Have your read this post : https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Host-Circle/Hosting-with-Airbnb-helped-me-sell-my-house/m-p/4976...

[Marit-Anne0]

@Franca-And-Anthony0

It might work if you register the new owners as co-hosts, but to be on the safe side you would need to inform your guests about the situation and give them the option to cancel.

[Alice-and-Jeff0]

@Marit-Anne0 - I think there needs to be more clarity about the Co-host option for sure because this was my initial thought.  However, a co-host is acting as your agent and getting over the hurdle of "being able to rent a property that does not belong to you" isn't overcome with that option.  Certainly seems like a good idea, but I wonder if it would still violate the terms and conditions of Airbnb.  

Once again, someone at Airbnb should be able to answer this question once and for all since it comes up again and again.  🙂 

[Robin4]

@Marit-Anne0  @Alice-and-Jeff0  ...Yes Marit Anne, that was my thought, take the new owner on as a ABB VERIFIED co-host.

One argument would say, that's fine while you still own the property, and lets face it, you do until settlement day! But once you hand over the property you have no interest in it any more which is Alice & Jeffs argument. But, as Airbnb's rules stand there is nothing preventing you from listing a property you don't own....tennants do it all the time...ABB don't care, they will list it!

Alice & Jeffs other statement though is quite correct. Although the property enters into it for obvious reasons the agreement is between a host and a guest.

And @Corky1 point is a good one....what if the property does not sell for 18 months? Do you put yourself in limbo for that entire time.

My knowledge is limited because, although I have spent 18 months regularly on this forum I have never run into any problems with my hosting so I have never had to test any of these issues. But my feeling is, if it were me and the new owner wishes to keep the listing going I would be inclined to get the new owner to verify themselves with ABB and co-host with you. This will give them some experience in how the system works and once you decide you don't want any involvement any more ABB can attend to the listing details being changed. This is something that can only be done directly with ABB, you cannot do it via your listing and it will involve a totally new ABB account, but the co-host as the new owner will be able to retain the listing as is viewed but they will not be able to retain your reviews.

Cheers.....Rob

[Clay0]

Guys,

I understand that technically speaking Airbnb does not allow transfers of properties to new accounts but let's be real here.

For example, I have 20k in future reservations on the books currently for my entire home property listing. If I sold my home, all I would need to do is update the email address on my account to be the email for the new owner and update the bank account info so that the funds go to their account. This isn't rocket science and do you really think airbnb is going to notice or care? And if they do, would they rather me cancel 20k in bookings or allow the new user to run my account and keep the bookings? 

So to recap:

1) Change the email address on your account and profile info/contact info to be the new owners.

2) Update banking info for money to be routed to new owners account.

3) Send a message out to each booked guest informing them that they may notice the name change on the account but not to be alarmed and to expect the same level of service as the previous owner (assuming previous owner was highly reviewed etc)

4. Be a great host and provide great experiences and the world keeps spinning.

*Additional note: My comments are related to changing ownership of an entire home listing and how it does not change as much about the property as it would if it were a shared home situation. A shared home listing is obviously a much more intimate situation where the individual homeowner plays a bigger role and brings a much more personal twist to the guest experience. 

[Robin4]

@Clay0....It is absolutely not as simple as that Clay! The only details you can change from your listing are those pertinent to the property. You cannot change any personal information...email address, banking details, phone number...in short any verified material.

And you certainly can't can't involve another host who is not a verified ABB account holder. This is an ABB safeguard to prevent fraud by others!

You cannot simply 'hand over' a listing to another host...the system just does not work that way!

Cheers.....Rob

[Louise154]

Hi Robin

You seem to know the Airbnb rules when selling property and I notice live in Oz too.  Hope that you won't mind answering my question on this topic.  I am about to sell to a person whom is a previous Superhost and is currently co-host on my property whilst the contacts are being exchanged etc.  Seeing she is verified does this make a difference to transferring the 'business' listing.

Cheers

Louise

[Robin4]

@Louise154

Louise, I am sorry so late on the scene here, have been away from the computer for most of yesterday!

I will respond later on today...am off to Meals on Wheels now to prepare todays meals for the olds in this community but will have a few hours later this afternoon to respond to you then however I would in the interem call Airbnb on 02 85203333 and get them to walk you through the proceedure.

Will respond later...cheers....Rob

[Louise154]

Thanks for taking the time to reply.  I did MOW today too!!

Cheers

Louise

[Robin4]

@Louise154

Oh hell what a day, hey, that's great that you are a MOW person too. Here in Mt Barker we are a 'cook/chill' kitchen and supply to an average of around 58 clients a day. It's hard because there are 117 volunteers in the branch and it's a real melting pot of personalities, from those who demand political correctness to be observed to the letter, to those who live from one good baudy joke to the next!! Airbnb requires you to be something of a councillor.....so does Meals on Wheels! 

Now this transfer of yours.....your co-host is verified which crosses a certain obstacle but as you are the principal host the business that has occured with this listing has happened and been accumulated because of you. Your co-host can certainly take over the listing but every future booking will have to be given the opportunity of either remaining or cancelling! And the reviews that you have built up stay with you and cannot be transfered to her. You have to realise that Airbnb is a host-based service, not a location-based one and she cannot simply take over your goodwill.

As I said this morning if you both contact Airbnb and work with them they will chart the best way to effect this transfer keeping the listing in tact as much as possible, but Louise you cannot simply transfer the listing 'lock, stock and barrel' to her just like that!

Good luck for the future Louise, hope we catch up at a get together some time!

Cheers......Rob