Terms of Service - update

[Ryan111]

The new terms of servic updates are too heavy handed and too much in favor of airbnb but I have no way to communicate with or log into my account and the reservations previously booked under old terms of services without agreeing to the new terms of service.  I am not sure of the legality of this method as those reservations were confirmed under past terms with airbnb and this seems like illegally forcing all hosts (and all reservations) to abide by the updated terms.  I am posting this in objection to the changes, which continue to be extremely host unfriendly.  Arbitration, lack of insurance, removal of the ability for a class action lawsuit and more don't create a friendly "vibe" with airbnb and can put us (hosts) at odds with the service and the site in ways that give airbnb a meaningful advantage.  I am writing this to voice my concern at the changes and my disagreement with the current changes to the terms of service.  We have come a long way from that original couch.  (and in an ironic move, I can't even post this to the forum without agreeing to the new terms)

[Sandra126]

Basically, it is your choice of continuing with the platform. Terms change, and we can move along with them or move out. I don't think there is anything you can do to change them! I had to agree just to post, as well, I had a trawl through just to take note of things. An interesting line I found was ''Airbnb does not act as an insurer'' which will be helpful to quote to hosts who ask frequently here about the ''host guarantee'' thinking they don't need to insure further.

Anyway, most companies change their terms from time to time to protect them further and stitch up previous loose ends.

[Ryan111]

Yes, the insurer clause is very frightening.  Also of note now is that under the host guarantee, you need a police  report for any damage more than $300.  The NYPD will laugh at us in NYC for this and I am thus not very excited if there is damage beyond $300.  Does this mean that the mattress that was ruined in the past by a wet bed from a child that stayed, and which cost more than $300 would need a police call?  Airbnb, I am sure, in the future will force us to use our personal insurance and our personal insurance will want airbnb to back up their service and we will be caught in the middle.

[Ange2]

@Ryan111    "The NYPD will laugh at us in NYC for this "  -   Love that, and yes they will.  It'll get a headline in the NYPost.

[Jiw0]

> Yes, the insurer clause is very frightening. you need

> police  report for  any damage more than $300. 

> Does this mean that the mattress that was ruined

> in the past by a wet bed from a child that stayed, 

> would need a police call?  Airbnb, I am sure, in the

> future will force us to use our personal insurance 

I think this indicates that you misunderstood the host guarantee to begin with (and/or that AirBnB was deliberately confusing people with the host guarantee)

To answer your question: no you would not get a police report in this case, because the host guarantee wouldn't pay out for something like this.  And neither would any regular personal home insurance you might get.  A guest in your house is just an occupant, similar to your own child.  Will you go for an insurance pay day if your own child wets his/her bed?

[Ryan111]

No but airbnb is askign for a police report for any damage more than $300 so if the security deposit doesn't cover the damage than this seems to be the only recourse.  This was an extreme example but if a guest pulls a sink out of the wall would you call your insurance, get a police report and submit to airbnb or do nothing and just "suck it up".

[Jiw0]

Right.. indeed when a guest ripped a sink of the wall it didn't even occur to me to contacted AirBnB, we just installed a new sink, and then the guest paid for it.   🙂

[Maria-Lurdes0]

I agree that these changes are weighted heavily in favor of the guest, at the cost of the host.  They are basically providing step by step instructions to unscrupulous guests on how to get free stays.   Walk in, stay the night.  Next day, claim it's dirty.  Give host chance to clean, then say "still dirty" but that you don't want to leave.   Host gets dinged for the first two nights, and you just got your two nights free.  We'll see variations of this play out as frustrated hosts post on these forums.

[CarlandDiane0]

If all this becomes too onerous (many Airbnb hosts now report that in their areas, guest searches for Airbnb properties automatically filter out any hosts that don't accept Instant Book reservations, which is ridiculous), we will move over the fence to VRBO and its broad family of vacation rental sites, including HomeAway. Both of those sites allow hosts to determine if a potential guest is a fit before approving the reservation, whereas Airbnb is obviously phasing that ability out in the guise of promoting diversity and inclusion. (In fact, I'd wager this whole recent push for hosts to agree to the Commitment to Diversity pledge is merely a device for ushering in universal Instant Book. And if that's the case, it makes Airbnb's commitment look craven indeed.)

It's my understanding that HomeAway also calculates local occupancy tax amounts for hosts who are required to pay them, and those amounts appear as taxes in the total price guests see. Airbnb hasn't bothered to do this, and its suggested workarounds are pathetic. (Sending a potential guest a "Special Offer" that's actually 15 percent more than the amount they thought they would be paying? Thanks Airbnb. What a great suggestion. What guest wouldn't want to recieve a Special Offer like that?)

Don't get me wrong: I like the Airbnb platform. But I'd rather see more attention paid to these issues than, say, trying to turn hosts into local tour guides.

[Monica4]

@CarlandDiane0Most of my bookings are no longer with Airbnb. I was lucky enough to get my listing established during the early days and now most of my business is worth of mouth and repeat guests. The last few bookings online have been with VRBO. It very easy to navigate that site and if there are any issues a real person can be reached. It is a lot more host-friendly and professional than Airbnb. Since I have to pay a tourist tax, that amount is shown separately on the invoice to the guest. There is no option for instant booking, so all hosts are on a "level playing field" and no favoritism in search results. There is no "super host" program which would be impossible to implement anyway because most guests who use that site don't leave reviews. I don't have a single review on the VRBO site, maybe because the guest is not reviewed in exchange. I now use the Airbnb listing as a reference link for reviews, mostly, and advertize my listing on facebook with a link to the Airbnb page.

True, a company must continually update their terms and conditions, but we as hosts must also examine our profitablity and methods of advertising and perhaps put our Airbnb listing on a back-burner in order to concentrate on other alternatives.

[CarlandDiane0]

@Monica4, you very well may have just outlined my new business model. Thanks so much!

[Ryan111]

My biggest problem here is that in order to access previously booked reservations (old terms), I had to agree to the new terms.  So I am now locked into the changes, which I may or may not agree with.  

[Deborah1]

I am concerned about the "travel issues" section. I could have to pay for a guest accomodation at a hotel , because of any number of travel issues. This could be expenisve and seems very unfair!

[Ryan111]

Yeah, this past week I had a guest cancel a booking because they said that they couldn't contact me after I texted, messaged them on airbnb and emailed.  It was clear that they were not telling the truth.  They got 100% back the day of the reservation based on their lie.  Luckily, I had the proof and the booking was reconfirmed, only if I hosted them again the next day and approved a new reservation.  So now I am hosting someone who was not using the system correctly and put me at risk of losing 10 days of rental income. But there was no mechanism for checking they were cancelling for a valid reason despite my strict cancellation policy which should be in my favor, at first, before airbnb refunds everything to them and comes after me.  There are flaws in the system.  

[Mary234]

Hello, can you tell me how you managed Airbnb to hear this case. A guest made his reservation and received his confirmation for my place, but immediately after Airbnb sent a refund for cancellation. In my calendar appears the date blocked, the guest wants to make the reservation. ?What I can do?