In response to complaints about hidden charges and guests being asked to: doing chores Like mowing the lawn before departure, Airbnb said it is taking a step toward price transparency to improve the guest experience.
On Monday, the holiday rental platform announced it will start offering a new option to show all pre-tax charges in advance in the search results, map, filter and listing page. Guests can also see a full price list, including service fees, discounts and taxes, before confirming their booking.
This feature will be rolled out in December in countries without existing pricing requirements.
“I heard you loud and clear — you feel like prices aren’t transparent and checkout tasks are tricky,” said Brian Chesky, co-founder and CEO of Airbnb, tweeted on Monday.
“We started as an affordable alternative to hotels, and affordability is especially important these days,” he wrote in another tweet in the same wire. “During this difficult economic time, we must help our hosts be of great value to you.”
According to Airbnb, 45% of listings do not charge a cleaning fee. Of those that do, the average fee is less than 10% of the total reservation cost. Previously, the company suggested to Hosts to “consider not charging a cleaning fee at all.”
Although not every rental has a cleaning feeThe average cleaning cost for a one-bedroom home was $59 in 2020. This year it went up to $73.
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Airbnb said it will also introduce a few other new features, such as prioritizing total price (above the nightly price) in its search ranking algorithm for a complete picture of costs.
The company also focuses on Hosts. In 2023, the platform will launch a tool to help hosts understand “the final price guests pay and how to set competitive pricing” so they can “be more successful and provide even more value to guests.”
The company also tackles other issues for many of its guests: the chores Hosts need. Some people said they should take their trash, vacuum, do laundry, and even feed farm animals.
Airbnb said it will provide hosts “guidelines that if they have check-out requests, they must be reasonable and shown to guests before booking,” the release said.
“Guests shouldn’t be doing unreasonable checkout tasks like clearing the beds, doing laundry, or vacuuming when they leave their Airbnb. But we think it’s reasonable to ask guests to turn off the lights, put food in the trash. and lock the door. doors – just as they would when leaving their own house.”
Some people online have complained about paying cleaning fees and still having to do chores at check out.
Last month, President Joe Biden vowed to crack down on hidden costs to consumers, such as booking hotels or buying event tickets.
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