Then it must be because I am a software connected host, I can manage it all in OwnerRes
RR
This forum is dedicated to connecting hosts with other hosts. Sign up to get the latest updates and news just for AirBnb hosts! Note that we are not affiliated with Airbnb - we are just passionate hosts!
Then it must be because I am a software connected host, I can manage it all in OwnerRes
RR
No, it’s no different from the way requests work now. You have 24 hrs to either accept or decline- how would you suddenly not be able to respond within 24 hrs, just because it’s for dates far in the future?
I suppose for hosts who get almost all Instant Books it would mean they suddenly have to deal with requests, but for those of us who don’t use IB, the only difference is that we would have to opt ouut if we don’t want to have to start declining a bunch of requests.
What gets me is Airbnb presenting this as “a new feature to help you get more bookings”. What BS. If we wanted bookings a year in the future, we’d already have our availability open that far. I figure Airbnb just realized they could sit on more money for longer, earning interest on it, regardless of whether half the guests who book that far in advance cancel a couple weeks before check-in.
" When a guest requests to book dates on Airbnb, the requested dates are automatically blocked on the host’s calendar to prevent overbookings. The host has 24 hours to: Review the request, Accept or decline the request, and Keep their response rate up.
If the host accepts the request, the dates remain blocked until:The host accepts or declines the request, The request expires, The guest withdraws their request, and The host awaits payment or verification.
If the host declines the request, they can update their calendar to avoid receiving further requests for those dates. If the request expires, the dates remain blocked and the host will need to open them back up if they can accommodate the request."
OK, forgive my ignorance. We have IB turned on, just never received a booking request outside of our availability window - therefore I was unaware that guests even had the possibility to do that.
In that case, surely, this is ridiculous for Airbnb to send out this message if it has always been like this. I guess the only “advantage” would be that hosts can now turn off (disable) the option for guests to send a booking request outside the availability window - perhaps reducing stress for the hosts to manually figure out if they can have the guests or not.
No, that’s not what I said. Guests have never been able to send Requests, which have to be either accepted or declined, for dates outside your availability window. As long as a Request is pending, those dates are blocked.
Guests have always been able to send Inquiries about dates outside the availability window, which do not have to be either declined or pre-approved- they just have to be replied to within 24 hrs.
Inquiries don’t block dates.
What has changed is that they can now send Requests for dates outside the availability window. And declining Requests affects your Acceptance rate. And Airbnb sends threatening messages to suspend listings if hosts decline “too many bookings”, although “too many” is not defined anywhere.
Since both Requests and Inquiries have always required action on the host’s part within 24 hrs, your saying “what if you can’t respond within 24 hrs?” makes no sense, as this new feature doesn’t change required response time.
How do we know what price this future request may show….?
The other issue is that your pricing may not be correct for periods of high demand and the guest may see price ABC when for those dates it could be double that…… guests could think that they are getting a bargain and bill shock will probably make them cranky
How can declining a request outside of the availability window hurt my acceptance rate?
That would mean that Airbnb assumes that all listings on their website are always available. What would be the point of even offering an option to set an availability window in the first place then if Airbnb will ignore it anways?
This doesn’t make any sense.
Plus, according to you, the host would get punished for declining a request which was not supposed to be bookable in the first place?
Of course they want all the properties available all the time! More bookings to report to their shareholders to increase the stock price.
Don’t forget that you can opt-out of this, and you only get a request to book and not an Instant Book, which is still limited to your availability window.
I’m opting out the first day I possibly can. I already get asked a handful of times a year for dates far in advance, and I don’t want a request-to-book for Christmas 2026 at my base price!
I will opt-out the second it goes live as well, no doubt.
We never received any booking inquiries, requests or whatever they may be called for any dates beyond the availability window we offer. I presume that this strongly depends on the location itself or if there may be unusual events happening in the distant future.
If we opt out, which I imagine most hosts will do (wonder whether Airbnb will realize it was a stupid idea when they see everyone opting out), then itwon’t be a problem.
You are asking why Airbnb operates as it does, saying it makes no sense, but lots of things they do make no sense.
The fact is, if you decline a Request, it lowers your Acceptance rate. I didn’t make up that rule, that’s just the reality.
… outside my availability window …
That’s like a rule of company who is delivering a service opposite of what Airbnb does. It’s counterproductive.
A simple solution to their “problem” would be to offer an option for hosts to opt-in for “always available”. Problem solved but don’t force all hosts into extra legwork to opt-out with, surely, a hand full of requests that will not be responded to within 24 hours dinging other hosts.
You are thinking like a host and not a big corporation. It’s in the COMPANY’S best interest to set it up this way. A number of hosts won’t opt-out, either because they are OK with requests, don’t realize it’s changing, or they are too lazy/don’t think it’s a big deal.
I bet plenty of hosts won’t be aware of the change and will get caught out. I’m more than okay with requests, I’ve never used IB, but I definitely don’t want to be fielding requests beyond my 3 month window.
It doesn’t take a genius for Airbnb to understand that they already do plenty of things wrong which forces hosts towards other platforms.
If this is a “big corporations mindset” - good riddens. Plenty of hosts being scammed or removed from Airbnb over questionable guests trying to get free stays etc.
Once our calendar was not getting filled with Airbnb bookings, BDC bookings came flooding in.
Whatever floats their boat, I doubt that Airbnb can maintain a sustainable model this way.
Yes, they can. Some hosts will like this, many won’t. But you can opt-out (I’m presuming that actually works sooner or later).
But I doubt hosts will abandon AirBnB over it. AirBnB has too big a market share to ignore. For a home like mine (3-bedroom in the Caribbean), BDC doesn’t really work. I tried for a year and only got one inquiry for unavailable dates.
The only two platforms that bring in guests for us are Vrbo and AirBnB and it’s split roughly 50/50 between those. I get about one-third from our own website, but I suspect at least 90% of those found us on Vrbo or AirBnB first. So I’m not in a position to dump AirBnB without a big hit to business.
Many airbnb forums have numerous posts declaring that the poster is “leaving airbnb” - as if at that moment, an executive at airbnb will see It and run screaming down the hall of the airbnb Fortress of Solitude to the “delete” lever on the wall, pulling mightily, preventing not one more dissatisfied host from leaving.
Of course they have a big corporations mindset- they’re a big corporation. And while you might not have had issues dealing with BDC or VRBO, many hosts have- there are complaints about all rental platforms.
Some of us can’t just go to other platforms- homeshares aren’t accepted on VRBO for example, and as a homeshare host I wouldn’t use BDC- because guests don’t get reviewed on that site, it’s too easy to get undesirable guests through them, at least where I live.