Airbnb News

Premier Host, akin to Airbnb’s Superhost program, is a complimentary initiative that helps recognise property hosts who consistent deliver exceptional stays for guests. Upon meeting the eligibility criteria, hosts will automatically become part of this exclusive program.

Premier Hosts are distinguished by a badge displayed on their listing. VRBO also introduce the Premier Host filter, allowing guests to refine their search and view only properties that have obtained Premier Host status. This feature empowers guests to make informed decisions, ensuring a premium selection of properties by hosts committed to providing exceptional experiences.

Eligibility Criteria

To attain Premier Host status, each listing within your account must meet the following benchmarks:

• Maintain an average review rating of 4.4 or higher.
• Achieve a booking acceptance rate of 95% or above.
• Sustain an owner-initiated cancellation rate of 1% or lower.
• Have a minimum of 3 VRBO reviews.
• Secure at least 5 bookings or 60 booked nights.
• Premier Host Perks

Is it worth being a Premier Host?

The advantages of being a Premier Host extend to all properties within your account, encompassing:

• A distinguished Premier Host badge.
• Inclusion in the Premier Host filter for enhanced visibility.
• Participation in the Boost program designed to optimise your search position.
• Premier Host Filter

Plus the program is free, and you only need to maintain your high standards.

Quarterly Evaluations

To ensure the quality remains high for hosts consistently providing exceptional guest experiences, VRBO conducts quarterly assessments. These assessments occur on 1st February, 1st May , 1st August, and 1st November.

Ensure your keep those reviews high and get into the Premier Host program today and elevate your hosting experience to new heights.

Airbnb has officially ended the Airbnb Plus Program as of November 6th. Airbnb Plus was an invitation-only program designed to highlight and promote listings that met Airbnb’s rigorous standards and a comprehensive checklist. It stood apart from Superhost status due to its more stringent requirements.

To earn an Airbnb Plus badge, hosts needed to receive an invitation to the program. They then underwent an initial inspection, which included professional photos taken of their property. While both Superhosts and Airbnb Plus hosts provided exceptional service, Airbnb Plus properties adhered to elevated standards for style and physical space design based on Airbnb’s checklist. Interestingly, Airbnb often used photographers themselves to conduct inspections and capture listing photos.

Once a property was accepted into the program, it received a Plus banner to enhance visibility. However, Airbnb Plus was only available in select cities, including Austin, Barcelona, Cape Town, Chicago, Lisbon, London, Los Angeles, Melbourne, Milan, Nashville, San Francisco, Shanghai, Sydney, and Toronto.

If a host was part of the Plus program, they needed to opt out and convert their listing back to a regular one. Although the Plus program started with over 70,000 listings, its growth didn’t materialise as expected. As of this month, we bid farewell to the program. Instead of Plus, Airbnb has introduced a new feature called “Guest Favorites,” earmarking over 2 million highly-rated homes.

It’s worth noting that the top tier of Airbnb properties still exists through Airbnb Luxe, which originated from the acquisition of Luxury Retreats in 2017.

A rouge tenant who had occupied an Airbnb property for a whopping 575 days without paying a penny has finally been forced to vacate the premises.

Ms Hisschhorn initially booked a six month stay in a out house connected to a mansion in Brentwood, Los Angeles, owned by Sascha Jovanovic. However, when her initial booking expired, Jovanovic allowed her to stay in his mansion while the issues where resolved, but did this outside of the protection of Airbnb. Hisschhorn refused to leave the mansion, citing COVID-19 concerns and what she alleged to be an illegally constructed shower.

Hirschhorn’s lengthy stay, earning her the moniker of the ‘Airbnb tenant from hell,‘ has now come to an end, as she was seen being escorted off the California property by the police. She was even assisted by three male friends in moving her belongings, including several boxes, into a waiting white van.

Adding to the complications, Hirschhorn counter-sued Jovanovic for $100,000, claiming it was to cover her ‘relocation costs’.

Jovanovic, relieved by the resolution, spoke to the Daily Mail, stating, “I’m very relieved and also a bit overwhelmed. It was a long time coming, but now she is finally out! This weekend is going to be very positive.”

However, the situation may not be entirely resolved just yet, as Jovanovic had taken measures to prevent Hirschhorn from returning. Rucci, a legal representative, suggested cancelling an upcoming eviction hearing now that Hirschhorn had left the property. In response, Hirschhorn’s attorney, Amanda Seward, claimed that her departure was only ‘temporary’ and accused Jovanovic of harassment after he informed them that the locks had been changed at the house.

The lesson learnt here is make sure you stay within the Airbnb platform for all funds and conversations, otherwise it’s unlikely you’ll be protected if any thing goes wrong.

Back in September 2021, periodontist Aleksandar “Sascha” Jovanovic put his home on Airbnb and rented it out to a tenant named Elizabeth Hirschhorn. But upon writing this article, she has yet to depart.

This property is nestled amongst houses owned by the likes of LeBron James and singer Fergie. Jovanovic purchased the property back in 1995 and took over a year to renovate the property. In 2019, Jovanovic made the decision to list the guest house on Airbnb.

In 2021, he rented the small guest house to Ms. Hirschhorn back in September for a total of six months for just over $20,000. After four months of her stay, the relationship soured between Jovanovic and Hirschhorn.

When the Airbnb host, Mr. Jovanovic, checked on the guest house, he found that a number of areas needed repair that were not there when the guest arrived. He suggested that she stay in a hotel, and he offered some money towards the cost according to messages exchanged on the platform. He then offered that she could stay in his home whilst repairs were carried out.

Since the stay of Ms. Hirschhorn was due to end in March, Mr. Jovanovic’s downfall came after he extended her stay until she found somewhere else to live. At this point, Airbnb’s liabilities ended.

When the end of the extended stay came to an end in April, she did not depart. Since Mr. Jovanovic rented out his main house, this wasn’t compliant with building safety regulations.

Jovanovic, in his frustration and desperation, has chosen to go public with his predicament in hopes of raising awareness and preventing others from enduring similar ordeals. In the end, it falls to a judge to determine the outcome of this contentious dispute.

Beware Hosts, ensure you keep all your conversation inside the Airbnb platform and keep payments on the platform. As when things go wrong, they will have you covered.

New regulations in New York City, targeting illegal short-term rentals, are now in effect, impacting tens of thousands of listings. These rules, passed in January as Local Law 18, bolster the enforcement of existing regulations governing short-term rentals, requiring hosts to register with the city government.

To be considered legal short-term rentals, properties must host no more than two people, with the host residing on-site and providing guests access to the entire home. The new regulations demand eligible hosts to prove their residency and ensure their properties meet safety codes and other regulatory standards. Violators may face fines ranging from $1,000 to $5,000.

Under these new regulations renders many Airbnb unsuitable for many families. The impact of these regulations has been swift, resulting in a significant reduction in available listings throughout the five boroughs. Airbnb, in response, has begun cancelling and refunding existing short-term rental reservations with check-in dates on or after December 2.

Airbnb and Vrbo now bear the responsibility of ensuring that their platform users comply with city regulations. There are currently more than 40,000 Airbnb listings within the city, and the introduction of these new regulations is anticipated to result in a substantial reduction in the availability of such listings.

VRBO has been in the business of helping families, couples and individuals find a great, safe place to stay when they are on vacation. That purpose has not changed even with the advent of the Covid-19 epidemic.

All groups of travelers, including business travelers, are still making plans to get to those perfect lodging options in 2021. The vacation trend seems to be picking up even though the Covid-19 is still looming large for next year.

The different travel trends for 2021

Destination and plans may be altered as different countries impose travel restrictions or quarantine stays once you arrive in their country but vacation plans have not. Here are some new trends that are being developed as the pandemic has many people scared of travel or tourists.

#1. Method of travel

62% of vacationers planning to travel next year are planning to drive instead of fly. They want to cut down any risk of exposure to Covid-19 and driving is their solution. The TSA issue may also help influence that decision.

While flying is safer than driving the risk of catching Covid-19 or some other communicable disease is greater with planes than private cars. Driving is the newest trend, even though it has been around for some time.

Then for 2021, more travelers are planning more trips than they took before this disease hit the world. 65% plan on taking more trips while 54% of those travelers are making their bucket list plans.

Then an additional 33% are planning to spend more on their trips.

#2. Destination locations

Because of the way Covid-19 is transmitted the new trend in vacationing is moving away from hotels and motels. This may be good news for those business travelers who need the amenities a good hotel has to offer as they will encounter fewer people during their stays.

Now more remote locations like lakes, rivers, and possibly mountain areas are gaining popularity. 61% of travelers are creating this new trend and it is happening right now.

Vacationers are finding it to be as much or more fun to visit national parks and other remote areas than going to a crowded, risky place like Disneyland or 6 Flags and similar tourist hot spots.

#3. Lodging locations

With a majority of travelers looking to drive and seek those in nature tourist destination, like national parks (62% & 61% respectively), it stands to reason they will be looking for an alternative, in nature lodging options.

The demand for cabins and staying at chalets went up 25% and 20% respectively at both unique lodging options. For 2021 you need to start planning your vacation now before all the good outdoor locations and lodging options are filled up.

These are great places to bring your kids and show them another side to life than the electronic one.

Some final words

Pre-covid-19, you may have been the oddball as you sought out these unique travel opportunities for you and your family. You liked them because you got away from all the crowds found at the more popular destinations.

Unfortunately, the pandemic is bringing the crowds to you. This is evidenced by the rise in these new trends. These options may have been around since the invention of the stagecoach it is just that they are being rediscovered by modern people used to plane and train travel as well as staying in hotels and motels.

The good news for you is that VRBO will be right there ready and willing to help you find that perfect location away from the crowds. Just don’t delay your holiday plans too far in the future or you may be out of luck and stay home next year.

As everyone awaits the new IPO Airbnb has announced it is creating a new host advisory board. The members of this board will be taken from the VIP host category and those members will be announced before the end of this year.

In all, there will be 15 members on this board whose membership will be diverse and include women hostesses as well as international hosts. Along with that creation, Airbnb will create a host endowment using roughly 9.2 million shares from the home-sharing platform.

Once the balance of that fund reaches $1 billion or more, the money will be shared by the 4 million host members. This money will be invested upon the advice of the advisory council and will reach into areas like education, financial resources, and other projects that CEO Brian Chesky hopes to keep Airbnb and its hosts fully supported.

He is proud of the hosts who are involved in Airbnb and calls his hosts resilient, very adaptable, and kind. Mr. Chesky is looking to keep hosts and hosting as the center of Airbnb and this endowment, as well as the advisory board, is rewarding them for their service over the years.

The board will meet once a month to discuss how the money will be invested as well as share the updates that come with each meeting. In a separate move, Airbnb will be splitting its shares in order to lower the new stock prices that will hit the NASDAQ very soon.

No matter how much technology is improved, it seems that the possibility of errors and glitches become more frequent. One shining example is the latest in Airbnb’s series of glitches.

This new glitch cancelled reservations and automatically refunded the customers’ deposits. How widespread it was is anyone’s guess as Airbnb is downplaying the issue.

It is not the first time for a glitch in the system

This new error does not seem to be that large. According to Airbnb it only affected a small number of accounts and those were not very major ones at that. In this glitch, reservations were cancelled and some hosts saw at least 12 reservations disappear in a blink of an eye.

Unfortunately, Airbnb has not been very quick to respond to the complaints made by both guests and hosts. Some have waited up to three days for a response, while some hosts are still waiting for the company to contact them.

But this is not the first time this online company has experienced glitches. Another glitch happened 2 months ago and allowed hosts to see the private inboxes of other hosts. That includes their conversations and other data.

The company’s solution was to recommend clearing cookies and cache from the user’s browser or changing the browser they currently use.

Bad timing

Neither this new glitch or the one that took place 60 days ago came at a good time for Airbnb. It was supposed to file an IPO (initial public offering last week) Plus, the company had planned on being listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange, as well as the LTSE or Long Term Stock Exchange.

The effect of these glitches may have investors a bit worried as the move to become public comes with a $30 billion+ valuation. Glitches do not help nor do they attract long term investors which is the purpose of the LSTE.

Airbnb is mandating extra cleaning protocols for homes and buildings to stay in compliance.

Airbnb is looking to make new safety measures that are set to go in place by November 20th to make sure everything is clean during this global crisis.

If a host does not comply with these new protocols they may be removed from the Airbnb platform.

The new Enhanced Cleaning Protocol was first brought out in April due to the lockdowns that happened all over the world. There is a five-step process for cleaning. This includes scrubbing all of the floors, wiping down and disinfecting surfaces that are high touch areas, washing all bed sheets and linens on the high heat setting, and make sure rooms are properly ventilated.

Hosts will now have to log into the Airbnb system to show that they have met these requirements. Wearing a mask and establishing the social distancing protocols are expected from all host. Hosts in China do not have to follow these measures as they have their own mandated cleaning requirements.

Airbnb did make a statement regarding these changes. They want people to know that these new requirements will improve their listing and meet the needs of their customers. People are three times more likely to book a place that is enrolled in the Enhanced Cleaning Protocol than others that are not.

The company also stated that new measures are going to be added. They are looking for ways to prevent partying. Customers cannot book a room for one night during Halloween or the times when parties are common. Parties have been banned since August following violent incidents and illegal activities that have been reported.

The company is looking to improve their security and public image. Airbnb is looking to raise money to continue to offer its services to the customers.

Those who have used Airbnb in the past know how upsetting it is when there are hidden charges. Also, the feeling of frustration can arise when there is no clear medium to air a dispute.

In response to these numerous complaints, the EU Commission is cracking down on home-sharing service lack of transparency. Any additional costs for the home, such as cleaning, service fees and taxes, must be listed upfront in the initial quote.

Additionally, the hosts must now disclose if it is a private or professional listing since the short-term rentals market has attracted more professional hosting services. Furthermore, there must be easy to find a link to the Online Dispute Resolution service on the site.

There are further checks and balances added to the terms of service as well making it known that consumers have the right to sue in case of personal harm or damages in one’s country of residence. Airbnb is also not allowed to change their terms and conditions without informing present clients and giving them the right to cancel their contracts when they do change their terms and conditions.

The EU Commission and EU Consumer Authorities contacted Airbnb in July 2018 to make known these complaints. The parties were ensuring that the company complied with the current standards stipulated in EU consumer law. Overall make it whole service much more transparent.