Worldwide: Starting next month, Airbnb will refine its search results and improve the transparency of the booking process to include cleaning fees in total listed prices.
CEO Brian Chesky caught on Twitter to reassure Airbnb users that they may soon see the total prices they pay upfront. When a new toggle is activated, customers will see the full price before tax in search results, as well as on the map, price filter, and listing page, while a full price breakdown with Airbnb service, discounts and taxes will also be visible. .
Airbnb will now prioritize total price, instead of price per night, in its search ranking algorithm, meaning the highest quality homes with the best total prices will rank higher in search results than similar listings for the area.
To set more competitive prices, Airbnb is also launching new pricing and discount tools, based on feedback from hosts who said they want more help understanding the final prices guests pay and the rates they’re paying. they should charge to stay competitive.
Airbnb’s latest announcement appears to be in response to an increase in guest complaints about cleaning fees and other hidden charges. The reaction from the Airbnb community follows a May 2021 blog post written by Catherine Powell, global head of accommodations at Airbnb, stating that the company displays prices that are transparent and inclusive of fees on its listings, but that it would form a team to conduct a full review of fee displays on the platform. shape.
In a statement, Chesky highlighted the need to help hosts deliver great value to guests, adding that “affordability is especially important today in these tough economic times.”
However, instead of enforcing specific rules regarding affordable cleaning fees, Airbnb currently only offers “guidance” for setting up and displaying fees on listings. Some hosts have become increasingly furious at the lack of clarity and are asking guests to perform more in-depth cleaning tasks. [including stripping the bed, doing laundry, recycling and vacuuming]causing users to vent their frustrations with their growing workload as they prepare to pay.
More announcements may still be on the horizon, but Chesky reiterated that guests “shouldn’t have to do so much” and that hosts should only give “reasonable” payment requests.
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