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Monday 17 August, 2020
TOP STORY
Airbnb restricts u-25 rentals in UK, France and Spain
Airbnb is temporarily blocking some under-25s in the UK, France and Spain from booking entire home listings, in a bid to crack down on unauthorised parties and unruly behaviour.
If you missed our last newsletter....
1. Hospitality sector "worst hit" by pandemic as UK enters "largest recession"
2. Airbnb expected to file for long-awaited IPO this month
3. Editorial promotions announced at IHM
4. Join our LinkedIn group here
5. Short-term rentals weathering pandemic better than hotels
Editor's comment
17•08•20 Welcome to the latest ShortTermRentalz newsletter!
• Airbnb's bid to crack down on unauthorised party houses and anti-social behaviour by announcing a trial scheme to restrict under-25s from booking entire properties in the UK, France and Spain, is the company's latest attempt to double down on the element of trust. However, the mixed reception Airbnb has received shows there’s still some way to go to appease already disgruntled hosts.
In the same week it was revealed that Airbnb was looking to file for its IPO by the end of the month, the company is temporarily blocking British, French and Spanish guests from booking entire home listings close to where they live if they are under 25 and have fewer than three positive reviews. Despite this, they can still book any type of listing outside of their local area, including private or hotel rooms through Airbnb.
While some hosts and advocates of tighter regulation have praised the move as a timely measure, others within the short-term rental community said the restrictions could be left open to loopholes and could lead to a further backlash from property owners if their ability to manage their revenue is limited. There are even suggestions in the UK that Airbnb's decision could be discriminatory based on the age of the affected renters.
Following similar trials in the USA and Canada, Airbnb has been on its best behaviour, including improving its compliance with local governments, tackling fraud on its platform and forging partnerships with anti-trafficking charities. It echoes CEO Brian Chesky's words from November, that "our real innovation is not allowing people to book a home; it’s designing a framework to allow millions of people to trust one another".
All of this has been an attempt to reassure investors looking in ahead of the long-awaited IPO, some of whom may be sceptical over its viability in the midst of a global pandemic. With a landmark lawsuit on the way against the host of an open-invite party in Sacramento, and its Q2 revenue falling by 67 per cent, Airbnb will be keen to prove it can operate on a profit so that its IPO can flourish, not flounder, long-term.
It leaves Airbnb on something of a tight rope, as the very thing that has made Airbnb so successful – the trust it forges between guests and hosts – becomes increasingly vulnerable to abuse.
• Don't forget to register for the next webinar in our Urban Living series, which takes place on Wednesday 26 August at 2pm BST, when the panel will be discussing: Placemaking - overvalued buzzword or under-utilised pursuit?
Joining host George Sell, editor-in-chief at IHM, will be:
• Michael Goldin, director, NoiseAware
• Peter Heule, CEO, Short Stay Group and Yays
• Eliza Liepina, head of product and business development, alternative accommodations, Roundhill Capital
• Francesca Howland, co-founder, Bimble
Click here to register for the no cost webinar.
If you have a story you want us to tell the industry, please click here and get involved with the community by joining our ShortTermRentalz LinkedIn group here.
Paul Stevens, editor
paul@internationalhospitality.media
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