No to the new no guest photo policy

No to the new no guest photo policy

Hello fellow Hosts-

 

I have noticed Airbnb's policies increasingly moving towards guest's needs, and further away from the needs of hosts, especially hosts who prefer the security of personally screening people they invite into their home, verses hosts with Instant Book, who do not have as big a concern with safety. I have let many other changes go, but I feel that their newest no guest photo policy hits a new low, and for me, is totally unacceptable.

 

My home is not a public hotel. If guests do not want to show their faces and want to remain anonymous, they should stay in a hotel- there are plenty of those. Airbnb is supposed to offer a more personal alternative, where hosts as well as guests benefit mutually from honesty and trust. To cultivate this trust, there needs to be transparency on BOTH sides, and blocking photos does not inspire trust!

 

As hosts, we are extremely vulnerable- guests see our photo, photos of our homes, our neighborhood location, see our star ratings, reviews, and our cancellation history, yet as (non-instant book) hosts, we are not able to access any of these same basic qualities. I am not racist in any way, I accept all nationalities, from all over the world, but I am extremely concerned with personal safety. Airbnb has just removed one of the most important tools that I am able to use to help my intuition determine who I am willing to allow into my home.

 

I understand that Airbnb wants to be politically correct by encouraging non-discrimination. That is noble of them, but please do not do it at our expense. Do not deny hosts of this important basic tool. And not viewing a photo will not end discrimination! It just will make hosts more cautious and more discriminating, forcing us to base a decision whether to allow strangers into our homes even more narrowly- on the sex, for example, or a name, writing style, living location, or an unjust bad review. In my experience, there already is not enough information about most guests (especially if they have not completed a profile or do not have any reviews), but more often than not, a smiling face of their profile photo is enough to go ahead and trust that stranger. Now, without the thousand words a photo can convey, I will always decline a reservation if the person's communication lacks information that I ask for, has misspellings, or is otherwise less than ideal. We have that right as a host to decline any reservation, Airbnb's host rules makes that clear. Why remove an important tool that allows for more trust?! A trust that benefits guests as well, as they will be more likely to be accepted for a reservation request. Why punish all hosts, when going after the few specific hosts with a history of discrimination, would be much, much more appropriate?

 

And lastly, Airbnb's solution does not resolve the problem of racism in a fair way. Discrimination is a human flaw that does not just affect hosts- guests are just as able to discriminate against hosts! If implementing this new policy is a true effort to combat racism, Airbnb is actually discriminating against hosts by not imposing this same standard equally to all of us, hosts and guests alike!

 

I am a Superhost who has enjoyed the benefits of listing my guest room on Airbnb for many years, but by taking away this most basic and important tool, I am considering for the first time, the possibility of going with another rental option if this decision is not reversed. I wrote a lengthy letter in protest, submitted in the feedback section, and intend to send it daily until the new policy is reversed or imposed fairly to all. I told them that if they do not want to lose their hosts, that they should put an end to this ridiculous no guest photo policy, and restore full disclosure between both guests and hosts, which has brought great success to their platform- thus far. I encourage all who dislike this new policy to send their feedback as well!

 

165 Replies 165
Russell63
Level 2
London, United Kingdom

I totally agree. I received a standard reply when I enquired. Surely if we are talking equal opportunities then hosts should also be able to hide their face. I have paused my listing for the next few months. 

Penny75
Level 3
Vancouver, Canada

I was just wondering about that. I have a request from someone with no reviews so I went to look to find out more about her not only no photo. no profile. Don't guests have to write about themselves not just say "hey I am xx"? I asked her to give me a little info and explained air bnb is not like a hotel as I don't want her to be disappointed. Trouble is you refuse someone you get penalized. That is how I lost my superhost status. But I want to be comfortable with who is in my home. I agree we hosts don't seem to be getting much protection. What do others do if there is no info and no reviews?

 

 

Ariane7
Level 6
Paris, FR

I have just accepted a reservation and I still can't see the photo, nor do I have access to anything more than 'Hi I'm xxx'
I do NOT have access to their ID, nor the comments from other hosts... How is this legal?
I am supposed to accept someone in my house without knowing what they even look like, nor whether they have been a good or bad guest to others... Why are hosts being treated so poorly by airbnb, after all we are their bread and butter...
It might be that the guests pay fees to airbnb, but if hosts didn't advertise on airbnb there wouldn't be any money for airbnb to make... I think it is time for airbnb to realise that their partner in business is the host and not the guest... The host needs to be cherished and protected, not left out in the cold to fend for themselves...

 

Amy-and-Henry0
Level 2
Richmond Hill, Canada

Agreed! I will not confirm any guests unless they have a photo. Given we live in this home, it’s important we know who to expect on our property. It’s so we can recognize the guest when they come. Also, for guests that either won’t put up a photo, or put a blurry one up..it is suspicious! If you really want to remain anonymous, then you’d book a hotel! We have had amazing guests but we have also steered clear of some potentially problem guests too who don’t want to show us who they are. 

CarolAnne3
Level 2
Fort Wayne, IN

Help!  I am a retired single woman with a lovely home in midwest America.  I am a superhost and up until now have had a great year hosting!  But a line has just been crossed for me.  A picture is worth a thousand words.  The first person I accepted without a picture was a total disaster!  I won't describe the details.  Can anyone help me find another platform please?  My email is * I would love to continue hosting, but will never put my personal safety in jeopardy!  Thanks!

 

****

 

*[Personal information hidden for safety reasons–in line with the Community Center Guidelines - to use the Direct Messaging function here in the Community Center, hover over the post profile photo and click 'Sent Message']

I meant this as a reply to all 🙂 

Kelly740
Level 2
Portland, OR

In addition to the No Photo in my guests booking requests - am I also unable to see past reviews? Is that a part of this new horrible no photo policy? Or is it just that the guests with no photos requesting to stay at my place also happened to have no reviews because they are new to Airbnb? When a guest who does have past reviews requests to book whill I be able to see those, even if I don't see their picture? 

 

I realize now that I wasnt aware of the "No Photo" for guests policy. I was asking my last guest to put a photo in her profile pic, and she said she had already and tried to do it again but of course I wasn't seeing it because of the new policy. She was just assuming I could see it. 

 

This is so wrong on so many levels. I'm thinking of discontinuing hosting from all this. Its so unfair it boggles my mind they would inflict such a dangerous disadvantage on us hosts

J113
Level 2
Berkeley, CA

 Let's hope this one-sided no-guest-photo is an experiment, since it clearly gives guests more introduction privacy than hosts.

Should we opt out of showing our photos as well? 

 

Hector212
Level 2
Ottawa, Canada

I decided to deactivate my account from AirBnB. They made me superhost at some point, then they remove it and finally they suspended my account for 5 days because I decline 6 consecutive booking requests and told me to use that time to lear "Acceptance", despite the reason for declining was "No valid ID provided by guest to airbnb" and I wrote that on the message to he guest and AirBnB. I am not happy with the no photo policy, as that helped my intuition to see who I will let in into my properties, I did try to accept people with no photo, but at least with a valid photo ID on their profile, but aparently, if they send booking requests with no ID and I decline, they wil block me. Another discrimination? My gosh! try to book a hotel with no valid ID and see if they will take you!!!! ... I am just very disapointed with AirBnB. It was an easy app for me to use, but I will rather use other apps and feel comfortable with the person I am accepting under my roof. In the pass, I accepted booking from Blacks, Asians, Whites, Muslins, Russian, girls, guys, gays, etc. (as my reviews shows - so I am not a racist at all) and I always had good reviews. My booking are usually long term (sudents going to college, nurses coind co-op at the hospital, etc.) I can totally book to students for the school semeter, or other guests, outside AirBnB and I am doing it already. I close pretty much all my listings here and after the last guest complete his trip with me, I am deactivating my account. I will NOT allow AirBnB to force me to accept bookings from people I don't know. I am sure AirBnB will have other people willing to work with them, with this type of policy, but it won't be me. My properties: my rules. AirBnB is making money with me, and not the other way. and also as a "Guest myself" I will stay away from AirBnB and use other sites to book and spread this among my friends.

Marjonneke0
Level 2
Valladolid, Mexico

Thank you for sharing your concern. I too have a big problem with not seeing the pictures. The pictures can give us a lot of information - not just the colour of people's skin. I need far more information about guests than I'm currently getting from AirBnB.

Arnie3
Level 2
London, United Kingdom

Ive had a few guests from different countries try to book on behalf of their friends  and family and  one try to book in stead of her friend because she had more reviews.     The picture from the guest should be reinstalled and then if the host asks for a verification picture the host can then rest assured they aren't be fraudlently booked by a third party.

Nicole1297
Level 2
Los Angeles, CA

I actually just stopped hosting due to this exact reason. Not only was I sexually assaulted in my own home by a guest with invalid profile information, I had another months later who should not even be on Airbnb. They no longer require photos or last names. They say they do, but I had multiple guests book without either. No longer felt safe as a host.  

Jonathan886
Level 2
Houston, TX

What is wrong with people at airbnb?  Are they really trying to force everyone to leave this platform?  What good is it when you are not listening to your customers?

Jay40
Level 2
London, United Kingdom

We don't really have any good alternatives

Bonita5
Level 5
Victoria, Canada

Photos and gov issued I’d are the 2 things that keep Airbnb Hosts safe . They set Airbnb apart from other booking sites as a self policing and safe company. Yes we want photos of our guests!

Bonita,

Superhost Plus

Victoria ,Canada