Hosts Beware: The Unspoken Dangers of Relying on Airbnb and Other Rental Platforms

I often scour the internet in search of hosting experiences related to bookings gone awry on Airbnb - surprise, surprise! Time after time, I'm shocked and quite fearful as someone who hosts themselves at how seemingly honest hosts find themselves in god-awful situations. Such posts underscore the need for a system in which we, as hosts, can be protected while reaping the benefits of our labor of love. But before a system prioritizing hosts can be implemented or even conceived, we must come to grips with reality.

The truth is, we as hosts have to take full responsibility, regardless of what fog Airbnb sells in the form of an 'Air Cover' insurance policy. We as hosts have become complacent and lazy, most of us depending entirely on the Airbnb platforms of the world to generate our leads for us.

Let's consider this: Rental platforms are designed around a service model that prioritizes the needs of guests above all else. Since guests come to these platforms with numerous options for where and with whom to book, as long as they have choices and alternatives for accommodations, any platform will inherently be guest-centric. We as hosts are the bait. We come in search of money, not fully considering the guest-centric approach of these rental platforms.

For all the conveniences offered by said platforms, we are swimming in treacherous waters. For one, guests only need to identify themselves to use the site - this doesn't mean the person booking with you is the person who will be staying in your place, hence rendering Airbnb's verification process useless. Next, often times as hosts, we find ourselves being held hostage by threats of a bad review. More often than not, if a guest doesn't like something - anything - their review sticks, and we have to suck it up and move forward, no matter how unfair the review is. I personally encountered a situation where a guest left a less-than-favorable review because my accommodation was too small - mind you, in a world city. In the description, it clearly stated the size of the 'studio' apartment, yet that was the entire basis of the negative review. As a 'Superhost,' what did Airbnb do for me? Nothing. The representative claimed to understand my point of view but was powerless to do anything.

Occupancy limits pose another challenge for hosts like ourselves. While some 'verified guests' may respect these boundaries, others may view them as mere suggestions. When we do discover a guest exceeding the limit, we're caught between a rock and a hard place. If we address the issue with the guest, we risk being accused of spying or overstepping our bounds - this can quickly escalate into a 'he said, she said' dispute, leaving us vulnerable to negative reviews that can harm our reputation and business because we know Airbnb and others like it cannot do much.

The list of considerations for hosts like us goes on - from navigating complex house rules and city laws to mitigating potential risks. These platforms know this, yet charge us significant fees in exchange for their service.

I don't know about you guys, but I've grown tired of the exploitation. Some of you, I know, exclaim how wonderful these platforms are, while others openly express their disdain. I really think there is room to strike a balance - we can have our cake and eat it too, or rather, have more options like guests on these platforms. Here at directbnb.rentals, we have devised a simple yet effective way to capture potential guests from their well-known marketing channels while respecting all the red tape we are bound by when using these platforms. We have the power to sort those leads through our own verification/vetting process - this gives us the choice to offer stellar guests discounts while reaping the benefits from our labor of love.