Airbnb "party blocks" getting out of control, hosts need to be able to override

[Sara952]

I appreciate that Airbnb is trying to step up protection of hosts, but the number of legitimate reservations getting blocked is getting unreasonable and causing lots of lost income, and hosts need control to override these blocks.  Here are some examples (ones I know about...I'm sure there are plenty more where I don't), just in the past week where guests have been blocked from booking due to being at risk of partying:

1. Guest had a reservation cancelled on her after she arrived at property (with another host), tried to book same day with me for a 1 month+ stay, got blocked.

2. Guest was currently staying with me, didn't accept the change request in time, couldn't request a new reservation to stay 2 more weeks with me.

3. Guest who has stayed with me twice before, easygoing business traveler, getting blocked on a same-day booking for a guesthouse she has stayed in twice before with me without any issues.

Hosts need to have the ability to override in situations that they deem okay.  At the VERY LEAST support needs to be able to make judgements to allow the booking, or override based on a host request and reasonable justification for why it's okay.  I have had numerous support agents who agree there's no logical reason to block it, but they just can't do anything about it.  A few months ago I had a woman needing to evacuate with her elderly parents and 2 dogs due to a fire and was panicking because we couldn't get the reservation to go through.  In the end she had a personal friend who was an executive at Airbnb make the booking on her personal account, the fact that even an Airbnb exec couldn't push the booking through for her friend evacuating for a fire because the Airbnb algorithm decides she's a party risk is illogical.  At a certain point we need to be able to use our human judgement when the algorithm is going haywire.

[Colleen253]

@Sara952 I agree completely. The Airbnb algorithm actually seems to be in all around overdrive these days, catching things in its net that don't belong there. Your examples are good evidence of that. There have been others, not related to 'party blocking'.

Hosts are fully capable of deciding when a booking is acceptable. We are, after all, home owning adults capable of independent, critical thought. Not 2 year olds. There should be a way to override the almighty and not-that-sharp algorithm. 

@Bez8 @Till-and-Jutta0 this would be something else the Host Advisory Board could add to the list of things to work on improving for the host community.

PS @Sara952  You can always welcome the returning  guests off the platform, if you want. 

[Sara952]

Thanks for the response and support.  This is one of those issues that keeps pushing me towards doing direct bookings, though I haven't quite gotten it set up yet.  I have a co-hosting business that manages about $3million+ in bookings per year, and the logistics of how to take payment, disburse payment to homeowners, extra insurance for short-term rentals are things I probably need to hire someone full time to manage and set a lot more systems in place before taking the plunge.  I haven't even been able to find a company that will provide the extra insurance the homeowners want to feel protected, most places won't take homes over $1million in value (literally any home in Los Angeles), and even the ones who will take those, won't take the high value homes $5million+, which are the ones that would make the endeavor worthwhile.  I prefer to stay on Airbnb, but when they do things like this it seems like they don't want our business.

[Fred13]

Most people interested in my place start by trying to book via Airbnb, but if they encounter too many problems, they book either via a different booking agency or book direct. 

[Charles1463]

HOW WOULD THEY KNOW THE OPTIONS BY SEARCHING AN ADRESS ONLY AVAILABLE AFTER BOOKING. I HAVE HAD THIS ISSUE FOR 2 MONTHS. IT IS ABSURD AND SEEMS THEY DO NOT CARE AT ALL. 

[Helen3]

With repeat guests I would just take direct bookings if they had been good guests previously @Sara952 

Are you listing with other platforms which new guests can use if you want to consider their bookings and Airbnb is blocking the guests? 

[Kimukie0]

AGREED. PLEASE

[Debra559]

We experienced a "party block" over Memorial Day weekend.  I had a guest ask if I could help him with his booking as it was not going through.  He was trying to book on Friday for a 2-night stay Saturday and Sunday.  I got a message from AirBNB that he was a party risk so he was blocked from booking.  The request was for a family of 6 and the guest had 2 five-star reviews.  Identify was verified.  There was nothing I could do. 

Although we have a 2 day advance notice setting, we were camping up the road and could have gotten home to do a quick set-up for the guests. I was upset over losing income when we could have allowed it.  The house was pretty much ready for guests, just needing a few niceties that I do for each guest.  We own and manage our cottage in the mountains and we live next door so we are able to keep an eye on the goings-on.  

When I got home on Tuesday, I contacted AirBNB to ask why this happened.  All I got was that it only had to do with the guest's account and that he was marked as a party-risk.  I'm sorry, but I think I deserved to know more about what determined their decision to block him from renting my place.  AirBNB told me to contact the guest and tell him he needed to contact AirBNB to get it resolved.  Again, I was left in the dark and lost income due to AirBNB's actions.  It's just not right that they have that kind of control over my property and income.  

[Rupert63]

I completely agree. I am blocked from booking anything and the "support" says there's nothing they can do about and not give me a reason either. The things that are listed on their "filter thing" have nothing to do with me and I have never damaged a single property ever.