What hosts really want from Airbnb

Airbnb’s winter release made headlines across the globe and has been hotly debated by hosts everywhere.

The main updates are outlined in this article (which quickly became our most popular news story ever last week).

While Airbnb continues to tweak its platform, we wanted to know what hosts really want from one of the world’s biggest online travel agencies. So, to this end, we canvassed opinion online – and received a deluge of replies.

Top of the list of Airbnb grievances was the review system. Many believe it is not fit for purpose, with some suggesting guests needed to receive considerably more guidance on how to leave a suitable review.

Hosts are also disgruntled with Airbnb’s resolutions team. There were many stories of disputes, including low reviews that Airbnb refused to remove. There was also considerable frustration that listings had been removed without a fair hearing – with Airbnb taking the side of guests over hosts.

Another host called for standardised health and safety rules, such as no smoking, no candles, and no electric vehicle (EV) charging unless there is a designated EV charging point.

Some hosts called for increased screening of guests and the ability to view more guest information before accepting bookings.

Another interesting suggestion was that Airbnb should do more to promote the benefits of short-term rental businesses so that local authorities, the media, and the public could understand the contribution they make to the economy.

Here are some other suggestions:

• Reduce the rate of commission.

• Hosts should be able to see more transaction history.

• Only accept hosts who can prove they have the correct licence for holiday rentals.

And finally, quite a few hosts suggested they should have the ability to remove one review per quarter with no questions asked!

Any thoughts? Let us know in the comments or contact us.

This first appeared in the #HCHNewsletter. Click here to sign up.