Airbnb need another listing category ( and the 90 day rule )

[Sandie10]

There is no airbnb category for my listing.





The categories are : 

Entire place .... 
                                    

Private room .... 
                                    

Shared room.

I think airbnb need to have another listing category, maybe :   'Suite of Rooms'  
or   'Private rooms in home'

I live in London and I rent out 3 rooms at the top of my home.
There's a private bedroom, bathroom and kitchen for the sole use of the guests but the guests have to use the same entrance and stair well as me ( going past my living space ) and there is no door to separate my home from the guests space.



I have listed my space as   'Entire place'   but as I live in my home with the airbnb guests and I do not let out my whole home I feel the 90 day rule should not apply to me.

I have no real category option.

I'm sure there must be a lot of people having a problem with this ??
Sandie

[Sylvie4]

Totally agree !!!!!!!!!!!

My problem is that we rent two rooms, bed and breakfast in our own home in London. We let both rooms together - a double for mum & dad, a single with bunk beds for the kids. Because we feel this doesnt come under the category of "Private Room" or "Shared Room" we advertise under "Entire Home". I know this is not correct as "Entire Home" should be a self-contained property without the owners living there, but when we advertise under Private or Shared - we get no-one !!!!! For the past 3 years we've been full every week throughout the year. We clearly state on the web-page that they are staying bed and breakfast, they can't use the kitchen and we are living there too. It has been no problem whatsoever and we are 5 star superhosts. However, now we've been forced to change our listing to "Private Room" and yes, you've guessed it, we have stopped having any views.

I've written several times to the CEO  Brian Chesky suggesting they add another listing category of "Bed & Breakfast" or "Homestay" which would be exempt from the 90 day rule (Google him for his email) and he has forwarded it to his technical people, but they don't listen. We should now all make this suggestion to him and perhaps he will listen and see the sense.

[Helen3]

From what you have described these are private rooms in your home so why don't you list as such?

[Sandie10]

Hi Helen,

If only the category was  'Private room'S'  but it's not, it's just  'Private room'  so when guests are doing the initial search and specify  'Private room'  they're usually looking for renting a bedroom which means they're not looking for a private bathroom and/or kitchen and not looking to pay for those facilities.

Just an 'S' on  'Private room'  would make all the difference.

[Sandie10]

Over the last few weeks I've looked at quite a few questions about the Airbnb listing catergories and It seems that there are alot of hosts and guests having an issue with this.

It also looks like Airbnb aren't taking this on board at all.

This will effect Airbnb too, as guests and hosts are having problems and bookings will go down.

Airbnb are allways changing the way the website looks so why are they not addressing this issue.

Just adding an 'S' to 'Room' would help.

Thanks Sylvie, I will be getting in touch with the CEO Brian Chesky too.

Lets hope Airbnb listens or we will all lose out.

[Emily145]

I have made this suggestion before as well. The current terminology is confusing to guests. 

If you read the descriptions, these tiers are meant to indicate the level of privacy in the listing.

Shared Room = No private space

Private Room = Some private space, some shared space

Entire Place = Fully private space

Unfortunately the names they choose for these make it sound like it indicates the size or layout of the space, not the privacy level.

My suggestion is that AirBnB should simply rename these categories to privacy tiers and name them as Fully Shared, Partially Private, Fully Private, or similar. 

You have your situation where you have more than one room, so you don't want to call it merely a "private room," but because it is not fully private that's where AirBnB thinks it should go, and this possibly costs you guests who are looking for more space if you list that way, but conversely possibly upsets guests who are looking for more privacy if you list as "entire place." 

I have a similar situation where I rent a fully private but very small studio. It is one room with an en suite full bath and no kitchen (just microwave/fridge/coffee maker, like a hotel room), and the only entrance is a fully private one. I list it as "entire place" because it is fully private, but I have to go to great lengths in my listing to make it clear how small the space is and that it lacks a kitchen so that I don't end up with guests who expect a full apartment and then leave me poor reviews when it turns out reality didn't match their expectations.

The privacy tiers should have names that reflect they're talking about privacy, not size or layout.

[Sandie10]

Hi Emily,

If like you say, the Airbnb catergories refer to privercy levels, then they should make this very clear.

I've been using Airbnb for over 3 years and I belived the catergories were reflecting the size of the property and not the privacy levels.

You're so right when you say

'the privacy tiers should have names that reflect they're talking about privacy, not size or layout'

Airbnb need to sort this problem out now as they will lose out as well many guests and hosts.

Guests waste time reading through listings, for example, to find out if they have a bathroom and kitchen for their own private use, when it could be shown on the intial search.

And hosts lose out by not showing up in the right searches.

[Laur3]

Perhaps call it " private wing" or

"Private section of home?",

 If Airbnb is not listening or responding much, perhaps try Vacation Rental By Owner?

(Vrbo.com )

[Andrew1121]

You have a private room with a bath that is it. Describe it. Nothing else needed.

[MaryEllen1]

I agree that more definition or subcategories would be very helpful.  Has anyone from airbnb ever responded to you on this?

I have a whole floor for guests but they have to walk into the main house foyer.  We have it divided off,  but the unit is one flight up.  Huge bedroom and bathroom, 2nd room/office and mini kitchen in a closet.  Bifold door at the top of the stairs shuts them off completely.  

Guests  see entire apartment and do not read my detailed description.  Most guests love it and I have great super host reviews, but a few expected to walk in the front door and be in their apartment.  

I kept the listing as "entire apartment"  because I want the traffic it generates, but after they book, I copy the description and send it to them to make sure they know they will first walk into a foyer before ascending to their private floor.