Photo Filters on Listings

[Tania1056]

AirBNB is now using photo filters on all of their listings, which I feel is a deceptive practice so that consumers can’t really see what they are renting. As someone that thinks it is important to see how well a place is maintained before renting, I find this new practice very troubling. Apparently AirBNB feels like the only way to help out apartment and home rentals is to make everyone look the same and obscure any problems that might exist by running pictures through a filter that cartoonifies the image. I am not an avatar and am not renting a place for an avatar person. I am a real person who wants to see real images that are not designed to deceive the consumer. How disappointing AirBNB!

[Laurelle3]

@Tania1056 I have found Airbnb suggest all the time to have better photos is have a good camera compared to your phone or Ipad and they do recommend having professional photos. 

I have used both when I first listed I used my phone and 12 months later a professional photographer. Yes their photos that I took made mine look 2nd rate.

The professional know what was the best angle, best light and what makes your listing jump off the page and what is going to invite a guest to book. 

You are given the collections and often there is different angles of the same room. But it is you that selects and choose which photo is going on to put in for your listing.  

Tania, with so many listing's that are rented or owned by one person there is completion out there. All that person want their beds occupied every night.

I suggest to look at their reviews because this is the real picture and if it is listed by a property manager or an individual host. 

Guests who are looking for somewhere to stay look at reviews and they are looking for a Host who looks after their own listing. Unless they want to be close to a certain place and then they often book a hotel because they are comparing price for their budget.

As an Airbnb Community Leader we are asking for a symbol to say we are an individual Host and Property managed property get another symbol. 

As a collective of Community Leaders around the world we are voicing this and maybe we will be heard and we will get the symbol soon.

I am a Host who manages my own listing and my joy is seeing that my Guests enjoy their stay and leave with happy memories. I don't know until their reviews comes in. Then I say I have achieved it again and another tick in the box.

Tonia this is my view and yes it annoys me too and I read what they have written to sell those photos of the listing. You can tell and read the difference between a single Host owned who cares for their listing compared to a property managed. 

[Andrea6232]

Buongiorno @Tania1056,

as far as I know Airbnb does not filter photos. I took the photos of my home myself with my iPhone. They appear exactly as they do on my phone in my listing.

Andrea

[Patricia2526]

Hi @Tania1056 

Honestly, as hosts we’re the only ones responsible for uploading our photos. I’ve never had any help or suggestions from Airbnb on how to make them better or filter which ones show first.

Of course, hosts who can afford professional photographers have a big advantage their photos look bright, clean, and professional. But for most of us who just use our phones and natural light.

[Helen3]

I am confused as to why you think that . 

certainly there are no photo filters on my listing 

can you let us know where you found information on this new policy that you mention ? 

@Tania1056 

[Tania1056]

I don’t know if it’s just what I am seeing on my phone and computer - everything appears to be filtered through something in a way that I have never seen before when searching. The images are enhanced/ filtered in a way that most images look akin to a high quality cartoon. Someone else reported in this as well: https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Ask-about-your-listing/Is-Airbnb-uploading-with-your-photos-as-A.... I don’t see a lot posted on this, if anything. Maybe I am just very sensitive to this change. 

[Joan2709]

@Tania1056 

There is no listing attached to your profile.

Can you post a link to your listing so we can take a look at your photos?

[Tania1056]

Hi Joan,

I am taking a trip and was looking for an AirBNB to rent - I don’t have a rental of my own that I am trying to list. As a renter, I want to see real images of places, and not ones that look like they are doctored up. I rented a place in October, and the rental images on my screen looked normal. One month later, and the rental images that I am looking at appear to have all been filtered. It’s just disconcerting to me. Here is one place, for instance, in Chicago, that looks like the images have been highly filtered: * The pink carpet and appliances all look like they have been put through extreme filtering. This is one listing - but all the listings look like this on my phone and computer. 

*[Link removed in line with the Community Center Guidelines]

[Shelley159]

Hi @Tania1056 

The listing that you linked to is hosted by someone who has 26 listings. The co-host on the listing has 63 listings. I think it goes to the point @Laurelle3 made - you're more likely to see these similarly filtered and staged photos with large property companies. 

I agree with your point about wanting real photos, but I think you may have gotten the wrong impression that Airbnb is doing this. Perhaps you're searching in an area right now (or applying filters for this trip) where many of the listings are managed by large-scale hosting organisations like the one in the example? Having said that, I'm sure some individual hosts also look at those photos and try and get that type of look to compete. 

[Joan2709]

@Tania1056 

As others have pointed out, some professional photographers might use a wide angle lens or artificial lighting and editing that produce the effects you are seeing. As pointed out, Airbnb doesn't prevent Hosts from using professional photographers, in fact, they enourage that to ensure the photos are of good quality. That said, Airbnb also says the listing should be accurate. 

The concern you have is true of any short term rental platform (not just Airbnb). If you feel the photos are "fake" or not accurately depicting the property, then simply move on and select another listing. There are a lot of excellent properties and Hosts out there that are honest and want to portray the listing as accurately as possible for guests.

Listing Accuracy

https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/2895

[Ethan748]

I completely understand your frustration. Using heavy photo filters on rental listings can definitely make it harder to get an honest sense of the space before booking. It feels like transparency is being sacrificed for aesthetics, which is concerning when people are trusting Airbnb to show accurate representations of a place. Real, unfiltered photos are essential for making informed decisions and avoiding unpleasant surprises. Airbnb should prioritize trust and clarity over a “one-size-fits-all” visual style.