Australia’s Federal Court has ordered Airbnb to pay about $10 million ($15 million Australian) in penalties after violating consumer protection laws through misleading pricing, said the country’s competition watchdog on Wednesday.
06.12.2023 - 23:56 / skift.com / Brian Chesky / Dennis Schaal
As has been his habit about product changes, Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky tweeted about updates the company is making to this year’s summer release announced in May.
Notable are the updates on the long-awaited verified listings, cleaning fees and lower prices, and better customer service.
But let’s talk about verified listings, as it’s been a concern the company has said it was addressing for a while — precisely four years in the making.
A common concern among Airbnb users involves difficulties in locating the advertised apartment or encountering unresponsive hosts. To address this issue, Chesky reassured users that they don’t have to worry about fake listings because Airbnb is working on a new system to verify them.
This is how it will work: In order to get verified, for each listing, individuals must provide proof of being a genuine resident at the location, with the host having access to that property. To accomplish this, Airbnb will deploy a mix of anti-fraud technology, artificial intelligence (AI), and human evaluation to assess authenticity and ascertain if they fulfill the verification requirements.
For new listings, this entails uploading photos with GPS data via the Airbnb mobile app. For existing listings, it will rely on data from past bookings, guest reviews, and information supplied by the host.
In its blog, Airbnb said that in the upcoming months, it intends to implement listing verification across the United States, Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, and France, with the verified icons scheduled to be visible on these listings starting in February of the following year, with additional 30 countries coming in the fall.
These measures are designed to bolster trust and safety within the Airbnb community, reinforcing its commitment to prevent fraudulent listings. The company said it removed 59,000 such listings while blocking 157,000 more would-be listings throughout the year.
Airbnb first announced policies around verification in 2019 after a mansion party booked through Airbnb in Orinda, California saw the shooting deaths of five people on Halloween. Curbing house parties and guest safety were important concerns in the lead-up to Airbnb’s IPO in 2020. The pandemic had other plans and this initiative was paused until now.
Announcing these updates on X, Chesky hinted there will be more to come in November.
Airbnb’s CEO Posts Updates on Cleaning Fees
Vacation rental property management software provider Hostaway announced that it appointed Ashley Milton as its new chief financial officer. In his previous role, Milton was the CFO at human resources software solutions company Tellent Group. His prior roles include CFO positions at DAZN, Stats Perform, and WPP.
Sonder 1-for-20
Australia’s Federal Court has ordered Airbnb to pay about $10 million ($15 million Australian) in penalties after violating consumer protection laws through misleading pricing, said the country’s competition watchdog on Wednesday.
Bristol’s maritime past is superseded by its legacy as the hometown of Banksy whose murals have inspired waves of activism since the 1980s. Expressed through its cyclable neighborhoods, second-hand shopping, and plant-based dining scene, Brizzle’s green philosophy makes it a mint destination in the United Kingdom for couples, families, and nomads.
Phuket, Thailand’s largest island, floats off the western coast and is bordered by the Andaman Sea. Comprising alabaster-white beaches, snorkeling in crystalline waters, and a splash of cultural sights, Phuket is a Thailand-in miniature destination with something to offer revelrous backpackers as well as honeymooners, and families. These Airbnbs in Phuket with private pools and million-dollar views give you a preview of the third outing of White Lotus.
No first trip to Edinburgh would be complete without a visit to Edinburgh Castle. The world-famous icon of Scotland is part of the Old and New Towns of Edinburgh’s World Heritage Site and is the most popular paid tourist attraction in the country. Dominating the skyline of the city, the fortress looms over the streets below from its position on the Castle Rock. Due to its strategic location, it has been a royal residence, a military stronghold, and a focus of countless sieges and battles. It also offers stunning panoramic views over the city of Edinburgh. Due to the size and walkability of the city center, the best way to explore Scotland’s capital is on foot. That means, if you are looking for a central Airbnb, you’ll be no more than a 30-minute walk from the Royal Mile — the main street leading to the castle gates. The Airbnb near Edinburgh Castle rentals we’ve selected here are steeped in history, have views of the iconic site, Superhost status, and five-star reviews from past guests.
There’s never a bad time to visit Germany’s 2,000-year-old city. Cologne straddles both banks of the Rhine and is lined with riverside botanical gardens and sculpture parks. With over 100 museums exhibiting everything from perfume to chocolate, there’s little wonder Köln is considered the German cultural capital. Winter kicks off in November with the annual Cologne Carnival which takes a brief hiatus when the yuletide markets claim the limelight before resuming and going out with a bang in February.
The Summer Olympics are returning to Paris exactly a century after it last hosted the event. A country where fine wine and haute cuisine prevail means Paris doesn’t have a reputation for being particularly affordable. To make the Games more accessible, some events around the Seine will have free viewing zones – including the opening ceremony. But we’re still living in a material world and you’ll need to pay the rental on your humble flat. With nightly rates circling $150 or less, these are the most budget-friendly Airbnbs for the 2024 Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games.
If you’re a scrolling fiend (or have ever skimmed a rack of French postcards), you’ll be familiar with the photogenic landscapes of Provence. This southeastern province of France is where you’ll find fields of lavender and sunflowers, world-class rosé wineries, and the glamorous Côte d’Azur beach resorts. Close to the beach and vineyards, these luxurious Airbnbs in Provence give you the best of both worlds.
Poland’s landlocked capital has a complex history that has seen the “Phoenix City” bounce back from conflict over multiple conflicts. Modern Warsaw is a mishmash of restored medieval structures and cutting-edge skyscrapers among which stands Varso Tower – the tallest building in the European Union.
The past year has seen a flurry of cabins crop up near the shores of Broken Bow Lake in southeast Oklahoma. Cloaked in pine and pawpaw trees, this rural region likely has a higher permanent population of black bears and bald eagles than people. Fishing, hiking, and boating have maintained steady tourism but the recent boom in new chalets has put the teensy hamlet of Hochatown on the map, literally. Airbnb is credited with creating this vacation bubble in the aftermath of the pandemic as travelers in OK and TX seek countryside getaways closer to home.
Airbnb launched its Host Clubs in 2016, in part to help with local campaigns against regulatory clampdowns. Now, it is seeking to expand these clubs.
Good morning from Skift. It’s Wednesday, December 6. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.
If you’ve read the various hot takes on the state of the housing market as indexed by Airbnb revenue, here are a few concerns you can put to rest. What will happen to the housing market in a recession is anybody’s guess, but speaking purely of Airbnb as a stock, the company has a few things going for it.