BASIC REQUIREMENTS

[Donna330]

I am getting very discouraged at AIRB&B and its new policy on BASIC REQUIREMENTS.  I have never had less than a 5 star review; go out of my way to ensure our guests receive 5 star services.  We take pride in how we  present our home and how we  interact with guests. So today, I was very dissapointed to learn that I'm not meeting basic requirements because I accept only 77% of the requirements and have not met 88% because I have been uncomfortable with accepting 3 guests due to their inappropriate request to rent our "apartment to hang out" !  or they do not provide the proper identification or requirements as stated in our listing.  We are a home that provides 5 star hosting and accommodation  opportunites to those that want to learn more about Canada. 

Is AIRBNB now more about Quantity than Quality?  if so, then I am out and bad news spreads fast compared to good news. 

[Anonymous]

@Donna330 Posted about this exact same thing at Host Voice: https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Host-Voice/Stop-penalizing-hosts-who-decline-inappropriate-reque...

Everyone who agrees, please drop by and thumbs-up the article so we can get Airbnb to comment on it

[Rebecca160]

@AnonymousI clicked on the link, and can read all of the comments, but I cannot comment or Thumbs Up. It still shows me as logged in as a host in that window, so I am not sure what the issue is.

[Cormac0]

@Donna330

Welcome to the new Airbnb culling process...

[Monica4]

Airbnb is a good place to start out when you are just beginning to host. But after you have a few reviews under your belt you can list elsewhere and you will also get repeat guests. I very seldom use Airbnb these days.

[Wanda6]

I too have been a superhost for some time. I too rent out my home and cannot understand how these results are arrived at.   I cannot work out how 88% is calculated when I accept all request - however not on Instant Book but after a conversation.  Some preapprovals have chosen to go elsewhere which is their right.

I cannot understand why Airbnb are expecting those of us who welcome

people into our homes and provide a home like atmosphere catering to specific requirements where possible are being threatened with having superhost status removed. We earn plenty for Airbnb because we are NOT hotels. Is this some cynical move to remove superhost status from well established hosts? force superhosts into becoming virtual hotels?

It's not clear, not transparent and not fair. All things Airbnb purports to be.

[Maya69]

I am a Superhost, with regularly great reviews from guests yet today I hear that AirBnB has decided that I need to work on my 'Acepted Reservations' otherwise I risk being de-listed because my acceptance rate of 81% is below the required minimum of 88%! Do AirBnB realise how many incorrect bookings we hosts have to deal with? I would suggest that if there has to be a minimum that it is something like 66%, which reflects the average sensible/suitable requests. Just this month I have had bookings where:

- a guest requested in their message completely different dates to the ones they made in the booking

- a guest requested a greater number of beds than I have stated in my listing

- a guest wanted to sleep 3 people in a room clearly advertised as for 2 people

AirBnB needs to realise that we often have very good reasons to decline booking requests. From now on I am reporting all such requests to AirBnB, and have gone back through my message history and reported all the past requests. I suggest that everyone else does this, and then AirBnB might understand the scale of the problem.

[Wanda6]

Hi Maya

i have raised this and have had no explanation of what the 88% is of. No one has actually said is this accepted reservations (I have no refusals ) or enquiries that go elsewhere. The numbers also shift randomly 76% to 79% overnight. 

In in addition this year my reviews no longer appear in chronological order.  Some 2018 reviews are now found back amongst 2016 ones. Do you have this issue too

vey confused

wanda

[Karen957]

I have to disagree. I have been renting a condo for 15+ years and do not supply sheets and towels. To do this, I will need to increase my rate by at least $150 per stay since I will need a service to deliver these items. I do not live within driving distance to my unit and typically in the area where unit is located guests all supply these items. How can Airbnb mandate this? Will they soon mandate what color paint I should use? Or the type of furniture I can have? Airbnb core business is a website hosting service that provides an avenue for me to advertise. To think they have any inout into my product is ridiculous. How do they somehow think they can dictate amenities? As long as it is clearly stated in the listing, and renters agree, then what is the problem?
Does eBay have guidlines like if you are selling a battery operated device you must supply batteries? Of course not, that would be ridiculous. This is the same situation.

i also disagree with % of accepted bookings.  I do not rent to groups under 25 - clearly stated in my listing YET they ask to book and I politely decline, which then affects me negatively.  

[Karen957]

Not a good idea to require this - you have no right to tell me what I need to provide

[Christine615]

I was visiting friends on Martha's Vineyard and was surprised to know that guests who rent on the island get their linens from a local service. Obviously my friend had linens for her family and guests, but separate comforters, etc. for renters. Since she is long-distance and has a cleaning service that makes sense. Even with a washer and dryer on site, it's a lot of work to wash and iron linens.

So I think Airbnb needs to differentiate between city and rural spaces (where linen rental is not common), and vacations spot locations near beaches and on islands, where renting linens is the norm.

If I didn't have to supply linens, it would cut our cleaning time in half.

[Mark869]

I have been a Superhost for several years, and have never supplied sheets or towels to guests. We are a beach community, and it is typical for renters to bring there own linens etc. I dont have the time to do laundry between each guest, and will leave airbnb if they continue to insist this.  by the way, I have over 100 reviews, and not one mentioned lack of sheets or towels !

[Karen957]

Hi Mark

so how do you plan in handling this?   I am beach community as well with same issue.