Airbnb discrimination policy is unfair and allows guests to discriminate against hosts.

[Linda844]

The policy on discrimination that airbnb updated awhile back actually allows guests to discriminate against hosts due to the fact that a guest can see a hosts photo before they decide to book. This allows a would be guest to decide they don't like the look of someone based on the age, skin colour or just general appearance. However, a host cannot see a guest profile photo until the booking is confirmed.

As the years roll by, I've been a host since 2014 guest profiles have no content: empty of a photo, empty of any informations about who they, what they do etc etc - information that used to be provided to ease the introduction to a stranger come to stay in your home. Many guests don't have any reviews so what is there to go on? Nothing.

I'm all for policies that support anti discriminatory behaviour but in the case of airbnb's it's a very uneven handed rule that has been imposed to the detriment of the airbnb host/guest experience.

As the airbnb operator said just now when I called to lodge my complaint, data gleaned by airbnb indicates that African American guests were being discriminated against getting bookings. Well I don't live in the USA and we don't have that many African Americans labelled as such in the UK. The UK is a long establish multi-racial society and we don't identify African, Indian, Asian nationals as such we call them British.  Airbnb is an American company that is showing is lack of cultural awareness in other countries, allowing discrimination against hosts and not making it safer for hosts who live alone who open their homes to strangers. My complaint to airbnb has not been taken seriously. So I'm putting this out to other host members to get some idea how many of us feel this way about withholding guest photos until after a booking is confirmed. 

[Fred13]

    Bright post indeed specially the part:  "Generalization is the way our brains work otherwise we would remain at the infant level our whole life." 

    No person (one hopes) starts each morning with a totally blank mind.

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Fred13   tnx.

@Mike-And-Jane0  Not every selection is discrimination and it becomes irritating how often it is falsely presented like such.

Of course some guests will say the host declined them based on their race/gender/age. That's easier than to admit they were declined for some other reason, like their bad reviews, entitled attitude, not reading the listing, or whatever.

[Julie4]

I agree 100% that this clearly discriminates against hosts and have just posted a similar thread. It isn’t acceptable. I require quests to provide this information prior to accepting a booking. If they refuse or don’t reply and I lose their booking it’s Airbnb’s loss not mine. I will not invite a random stranger to share my home based upon ‘Elf’ would like to book…. no further information required! 

[Craig948]

While I agree Airbnb is doing a good job at Antidiscrimination efforts per some "protected classes" as defined by Fair housing laws, they are failing when it comes to mental health disorders (a difficult subject, but it can't be ignored). Guests with documented ESAs and mental health disorders have no more hope on Airbnb.  This class has the same housing protections as race, color, religion, etc.  And 30+ days equals a tenancy, so completely taking them off site allows guests to get discriminated easily. Companies like Vacasa make this worse, by changing the definition of Emotional Support Animals as "authorized" pets (as soon as you get the Pet term, all bets are off).  Airbnb has it correct on their Accessibility page (well written), but ESA's are banned from most houses despite Fair housing laws protecting them for 30+ day stays in most dwellings (per HUD).  If you have an ESA and a documented disability, go somewhere else and don't go to VRBO or Vacasa (they are more anti-ESA).