Are Direct Payments Ever Allowed???

[Sean433]

Ok, so I am about to host a guest who is also a host. She booked for 1 month and is asking to extend. She is asking what the price would be to extend it by 3 weeks. She then asked if I could waive the airbnb fees. I explained that this is not possible. She should know this already being a host. I asked her if she has the ability to do this as a host because that does not seem possible. This is how airbnb makes their money after all. She replied saying that yes, she can by taking payment directly from her guests.

I reminded her that this is against the terms and conditions of airbnb and we do not take such risks. She then replied saying "that's on the initial reservation since we can not share our contact information until after the guest has reserved. After that it's ok",

I really think she is wrong and that is against airbnb policy but maybe I am wrong. Can some other hosts clarify??? Are guests ever allowed to pay hosts directly? I would imagine only if they are returning guests but not when they are extending a current existing reservation. Need clarification

[Linda108]

Don't argue with this know it all host.  Many hosts operate outside the terms of service and many hosts have never read the TOS.  Just say no thanks.

You are certainly able to book your space outside Air BNB, but once you are in the middle of an Air BNB reservation, you need to continue under those terms.  What if this guest caused damage to your listing. during the extension?  How would you make a claim?  What if the guest broke your rules during the extention?  How would you include that in your review?

Meanwhile, I would report this guest/host to Air BNB.

[Emilia42]

@Sean433 

Her reservation with Airbnb ends on XX date. If you/she decide to book through another platform the next time she stays (in this case, hours after her current reservations ends) then she can go through VRBO, your social media platform, etc. I wouldn't say there is a right or wrong answer to this. Do what makes you comfortable. 

[Emilia42]

@Sean433 

Wait a minute, I just re-read your post. She hasn't even stayed yet. In this case, that is shady. She is definitely looking to avoid fees and I wouldn't risk it.

[Helen350]

@Sean433 She's booked 1 month on Airbnb. Once she is staying with you, you can choose to host her in the future on, or off platform, up to you. She signed up for 1 month; Airbnb do not own your relationship with her once the month is up. Once she is in your property you could exchange email addresses or phone nos, & communicate that way, if you want to discuss the future after her contract via Airbnb is up. That way you are not using the platform to conduct future business off platform. Presumably a 1 month stay will give you some idea as to whether you trust her or not? 

[Sarah977]

@Sean433  Many hosts take direct bookings from guests who originally stayed through Airbnb. Airbnb doesn't own the relationship between you and your guests once the Airbnb booking has come to an end. I let all my good guests know they can contact me directly if they or their friends (I'd only say this to those who I can tell woudn't send any bad folks my way) want to book again.

I would never make such arrangements, though, before an Airbnb booking has even taken place. I would need to feel assured that this is a hassle-free guest and that they weren't the sort of person who'd report me to Airbnb for booking off-platform (claiming that I suggested circumventing Airbnb) if something between us went sideways.

 I actually just had a situation with direct booking- the guest booked a 5 day stay on Airbnb, then found more permanent housing. But the unit wasn't going to be ready for another 2 days, so he just paid me directly. Then a week later, his landlord found furniture infested with termites, and he had to vacate for a day while they fumigated, so he came back and paid me for one night.

[Ute42]

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@Sean433 

If You rent direct You will not be covered by the airbnb 1 Million USD host guarantee.

[Emilia42]

Am I sensing a bit of sarcasm in your words @Ute42 ? 

[Ute42]

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Hi @Emilia42   

You are a great observer.

I once completely read the conditions of the 1 Million $ host guarantee. That is a lot of text! All of a sudden I found this stipulation:

• VI. Acknowledgments and Agreements by the Host
  
  You acknowledge and agree that:
  
  Airbnb provides Hosts with the Airbnb Host Guarantee benefits described herein solely for the purpose of promoting use of the Airbnb Platform by building customer loyalty and strengthening customer confidence as to use of the Airbnb Platform.“

You are an english native speaker and you sure know what „solely“ means, right? Whenever we as hosts get a new booking, there is an information on the screen along the lines of: „Don't hesitate to accept this booking, you are covered by the 1 M $ host guarantee“.

The purpose of this guarantee is not to pay our damages,

the „solely“ purpuse is to make us accept bookings.

[Emilia42]

@Ute42 

Sarcasm was right! Thanks for posting that snippet. Airbnb never ceases to surprise me. I can tell you that when I rent one of my places off the Airbnb platform it is like a wave of relief comes over me and removes all the stress from my body. I am not a fool for the 1 million dollar guarantee.

[Emily487]

@Ute42 

Is this the AirBnB version of "saying the quiet part out loud?"

[Sarah977]

@Ute42  I have to admit that while I have read through the TOS, I haven't done it with a fine tooth comb and never took note of this sneaky little wording. Mostly when I have read through the TOS and the updated versions, it all just seems like it has some clause which lets them out of any and all responsibility, so none of it particularly leapt out at me.

[Sean433]

Thanks all. She did message me through whatsapp to ask those questions. That leads me to believe that some part of her knows this is a grey area request. Otherwise, she would have asked me through the app.

Essentially, there is no advantage for me to accept direct payment since it is only her that will save the fees. I do not get anything out of it. The only advantage is that it may persuade her to extend the stay but then again, if she books another place to extend her time, she will have to pay that host fees too.

I do think though that if she came back at another point in time, it would be permitted to do a direct transaction. The sticky part is when it comes to extending a current reservation which to me sounds against policy. Otherwise, guests would who want to stay for periods of 1 week or longer would just book 2 days and then ask the host to pay them directly to stay longer.

[Alon1]

@Sean433 

re: your last sentence: 'Otherwise...'

What's your objection to that?

It's certainly understandable from Guests' perspective given Airbnb service fee has rocketed in the past few years. from 6 - 12 % to 14 - 20%.

[Sean433]

@Alon1 

My objection is why take the risk of being deactivated by airbnb or not being covered by insurance by allowing the guest to pay the remaining days directly? Especially since there is no upside for you? It is not like the guest is saying "i will pay you the service fees". You will be making the same as you would otherwise minus the 3% service fee airbnb charges us which isn't a big deal for me.

If a guest booked your home for 2 days just as a strategy to later ask you to stay an extra week and pay you directly and this became a common practice amongst guests, it would lead to so many issues, one being guest fraud.