Airbnb community helps Aussies safely explore their own backyard

As the weather warms up and Aussies plan their end-of-year getaways, hosts on Airbnb have been busy preparing for a safe and responsible summer of hosting.

Airbnb has also been reminding hosts and guests of the importance of strictly adhering to its ban on parties and events – particularly ahead of Schoolies celebrations and the festive season – and asking appropriate screening questions of guests. 

We have also this week contacted our community to ask them to be especially mindful of this when it comes to bookings made for the three weeks following 21 November, which is the period during which school leavers typically celebrate the completion of their studies. As part of this, Airbnb also proactively worked with police across the country to reinforce the importance of enjoying summer in a safe and responsible manner.

You can read more about Airbnb’s party and events policy here: https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/2704/party-and-events-policy

Hosts and guests are also strongly encouraged to visit Airbnb’s COVID-19 travel restrictions and advisories page, as well as our dedicated Safety Hub.

Airbnb’s community standards require guests to behave in a manner that is respectful of the neighbourhoods in which they’re staying, as well as the wider community.

Derek Nolan, Airbnb’s Head of Public Policy for Australia, said the overwhelming majority of hosts and guests were good neighbours and respectful travellers.

“With summer just around the corner, it’s important that each stay is not only a positive one for both hosts and guests, but also the wider community,” he said.

“We know that there is a huge amount of enthusiasm among Aussies to get out and explore their own backyards and Airbnb is committed to helping them do so in a safe way.

“Negative incidents on Airbnb are extremely rare and our team is always diligently working to make them even rarer. As part of this, we continue to invest in finding new ways to keep our community safe, as well as working collaboratively with both police and government to help deliver improved outcomes for everyone.”

Airbnb recently rolled out its high-risk reservation screening system across Australia. This system uses both state-of-the-art automated systems and manual screening to help combat unauthorised parties and other neighbourhood disturbances. While no system is perfect and able to prevent issues 100% of the time, this system significantly strengthens Airbnb’s ability to crack down on unauthorised parties. A two-year pilot of this system in Melbourne resulted in the prevention of more than 1400 high-risk bookings during that period. 

Additionally, members of the community are actively encouraged to flag any issue or concern at any time for our team to investigate via our online Neighbourhood Support Page.

However, on the extremely rare occasions where incidents do occur, Airbnb stands ready in those instances to assist hosts with our Host Guarantee and Host Protection Insurance.

Airbnb also has a dedicated Law Enforcement team who support police efforts. Our online portal provides law enforcement officers with a direct and secure channel to submit and track valid requests for information.   

You can read more about Airbnb’s trust and safety measures here.

TOP TIPS 

• Get to know your guest/host and set expectations: We suggest communicating in advance with your guest/host through our secure on‑platform messaging tool to ensure you’re both on the same page prior to the stay. Hosts should also review and update their ‘House Rules’ and make it clear to guests or property managers that parties and events are banned on Airbnb, in accordance with this policy: https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/2704/party-and-events-policy

• Guests should ensure they have read the House Rules and feel comfortable asking their host any questions via our on-platform messaging tool. Guests are reminded that parties and events are banned on Airbnb, in accordance with this policy: https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/2704/party-and-events-policy.

• Always be respectful of neighbours and the community: While negative incidents are extremely rare, bad behaviour has no place on the Airbnb platform and we enforce strict policies to protect hosts, guests and the wider community. Guests and hosts who willfully fail to adhere to our policies face removal from our platform. 

• Ensure contact details are up-to-date: Please review and ensure your contact details are accurate and up-to-date. For example, have you changed your phone number or email address since registering with Airbnb? In the extremely unlikely event that something does occur, Airbnb may need to contact you to seek your assistance and/or permission to share your details with law enforcement. 

• If anything isn’t right, reach out: Our Customer Service and Trust and Safety teams are standing by 24/7 to assist you in the rare event that an issue might arise. You can contact our team here or send us a direct message on Twitter or Facebook. If it’s an emergency or you feel unsafe, please always call 000 first before contacting us.

• Make the most of your newfound connection: Guests should feel free to ask their host for top tips for enjoying the surrounding region and discovering hidden gems. Hosts should also take the opportunity to get valuable feedback on how to improve their listing for future stays.