Current:Home > FinanceThere’s too much guesswork in renting an Airbnb. The short-term rental giant is trying to fix that-LoTradeCoin
There’s too much guesswork in renting an Airbnb. The short-term rental giant is trying to fix that
View Date:2024-12-23 23:13:26
Airbnb will highlight rental listings that have received top scores from guests, information that the company’s CEO says will help bring hotel-like reliability to booking a house or room on the site.
Airbnb said that it will roll out what it calls “Guest Favorites” this week. About 2 million of the site’s 7 million listings will get the label.
It is unclear how hosts who don’t get the favored badge will react — they could lose bookings, or they might have to cut prices to compete. CEO Brian Chesky said he expects favorites to charge more than other listings.
Chesky acknowledges that the variety of properties on Airbnb creates uncertainty among renters. He said the unpredictability of listings is the biggest reason why someone would choose a hotel room over Airbnb.
“A lot of guests have described booking Airbnb, once they check in, it’s a moment of truth. Is the house exactly what they expected?” he said in an interview. “We don’t want this to be a moment of truth. We want you to know exactly what you’re going to get before you book.”
Chesky said favorites will have guest ratings averaging at least 4.9 out of 5.0 and cancellation rates and customer-service incidents of 1% or lower. They will be denoted on the site with a badge, and shoppers can filter for them. The company, however, will make no guarantees about the guest favorite listings.
Airbnb is also encouraging hosts to create photo tours of their property, which Chesky said will use AI to organize photos by room.
The company is also making behind-the-scenes changes that will include helping hosts adjust prices based on demand, down to a daily basis.
Earlier this year, Airbnb began discouraging hosts from charging exorbitant cleaning fees, a major complaint of users. A 2022 analysis of 1,000 listings by personal-finance site NerdWallet pegged the median cleaning fee for a one-night stay at $75, about 25% of the total bill.
The site lets visitors filter searches by all-in pricing, which includes the fees, although it is not the default setting. Visitors must use a toggle switch on the home page.
About 260,000 listings have lowered the cleaning fee since then, according to the company.
“I had no idea what that number could be,” Chesky said. “I’m pretty satisfied with the pricing progress.”
veryGood! (67274)
Related
- Mandy Moore Captures the Holiday Vibe With These No Brainer Gifts & Stocking Stuffer Must-Haves
- Jared Padalecki recalls checking into a clinic in 2015 due to 'dramatic' suicidal ideation
- 2024 Euros: 'Own goals' lead scorers in group stage
- Closing arguments starting in class-action lawsuit against NFL by ‘Sunday Ticket’ subscribers
- Only 8 monkeys remain free after more than a week outside a South Carolina compound
- Trump Media's wild rollercoaster ride: Why volatile DJT stock is gaining steam
- New Jersey man flew to Florida to kill fellow gamer after online dispute, police say
- New Jersey man flies to Florida to attack another player over an online gaming dispute, deputies say
- Don't Miss This Sweet Moment Between Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's Dads at the Kansas City Chiefs Game
- Miley Cyrus Channels Hannah Montana Era During Rare Outing With Boyfriend Maxx Morando
Ranking
- Shaun White Reveals How He and Fiancée Nina Dobrev Overcome Struggles in Their Relationship
- Star witness in Holly Bobo murder trial gets 19 years in federal prison in unrelated case
- Man paralyzed after riding 55-year-old roller coaster in South Carolina, suit claims
- You’ll Be Enchanted by Travis Kelce’s Budding Bromance With Taylor Swift’s Backup Dancer
- 2025 Medicare Part B premium increase outpaces both Social Security COLA and inflation
- 'Bridgerton' author Julia Quinn addresses 'disappointment' over gender-swapped character
- 5 potential Brandon Aiyuk landing spots if 49ers, WR can't reach a deal
- 5 people fatally shot, teen injured near Las Vegas, and a suspect has been arrested, police say
Recommendation
-
Ariana Grande Shares Dad's Emotional Reaction to Using His Last Name in Wicked Credits
-
Town in Washington state to pay $15 million to parents of 13-year-old who drowned at summer camp
-
Rep. Lauren Boebert's district-switching gambit hangs over Colorado primary race
-
Totally Cool recalls over 60 ice cream products because they could contain listeria
-
Guns smuggled from the US are blamed for a surge in killings on more Caribbean islands
-
16 Nobel Prize-winning economists warn that Trump's economic plans could reignite inflation
-
Copa America 2024: Updated power ranking for all 16 teams
-
32-year-old purchased 2 lottery tickets this year. One made him a millionaire.