Reservation reject

[Karla677]

I am having a challenge understanding the intelligence of Airbnb system - more likely it is specific to certain hosts.    
As a guest, you are critiqued for good or bad behavior.   As a host, the same, in terms of host quality of and accommodations.    Is there a trend to not rent when I am not the occupant?
My situation: Parents are not of the App generation,  I have the app. I book for our trips.  However when they come to my home city, I do not have the room in my home.  Why would I look anywhere else except Airbnb to book their stay? But in this instance, I am rejected because I am not the occupant.  Why would I be in my home city.  Is not my profile/cc not sufficient enough ? I thought that was the genius of the checks and balances of Airbnb.  End result. I am offended. My profile is all positive and I was rejected was ONLY because I was not staying on the property (in the interest of transparency and trust in the community, verbatim). Mind you, I shared my excitement and motivation for booking in my communication to the host when I requested booking, total transparency.  

Venting.  I am just disappointed that this is a (new)host policy.  

[Ruth413]

@Karla677   I understand your frustration but as far as I know we as hosts aren't covered by Airbnb if there are any mishaps during the stay unless the person who made the booking is staying.   This could be the reason why hosts are reluctant to take your booking.  3rd party bookings are not encouraged by Airbnb.  

That being said it is down to the discretion of the host themselves and some may feel happy hosting your parents and others won't.  

All the best

[Helen3]

Why would you be offended . It's  against Airbnb's T&C to make third party bookings @Karla677  if a host accepts your booking they are not covered if anything goes wrong.

Your local  booking request is probably being blocked as it comes up as a red flag under their anti-party policy . 

if your parents really can't use the internet - most can then set up a listing under their name and help them make bookings . 

[Patti-And-Marty0]

@Karla677  you did the right thing by communicating with the host about the reason and details of the 3rd party booking. Thats all you can really do, if the host doesn't want to accept that's the way it is. It sounds like you are a conscientious guest and most likely it would be fine but as the others say Airbnb does not condone it.

[Fred13]

It is not a new policy. Some hosts accommodate it, most don't. We have been for years, since oftentimes older folks are giving a trip to our place for special events to others (graduations, honeymoons, etc). Never an issue has risen. It is a host case by case reality.

[Kia272]

@Karla677  While your reasons for doing this are valid and well-intentioned, do you not see a problem with safety, behavior, chain of responsibility, and other issues if anyone were allowed to book for anyone else? If you book for a third person, that person is not even minimally vetted by AirBnB, and then can't be held accountable for any possible damage and breaking of house rules, etc. 

Any easy solution is to set up a profile for your parents and book on their behalf using their own profile. 

Based on your comments it seems that you haven't given much thought to the position a host is put in when confronted by a third-party booking. It's always good to try to see both sides of a situation. 

[Karla677 · Accepted solution]

Thanks to all for taking time to explain and offer solutions.  
T&C explanation helps me understand better.   I did not think of myself as a third party since I too would be enjoying the property.  This was my first rejection amongst several similar situations thus prompting my frustration.  I knew posting that frustration here would solicit the help I needed to understand what was really happening.