Much like how cryptocurrency is a high-speed re-enactment of how and why we developed modern financial institutions and regulations, Airbnb is a high-speed re-enactment of how and why we developed regulations on and protections for transient lodging establishments.
Having some sailors come to town and trashing the hotel is nothing new, and neither are the hoteliers thinking that excluding "certain folk" is a good way to limit the damage.
I haven't tried to use it before, so I'm not sure about the process, however it seems to me that a homeowner is in no different of a position than a hotelier.
It would make sense that your price contains the cost of insurance, and that your own rules / t&c's govern the guests stay.
Surely the recourse is a civil case against the guest rather than against airbnb?
I doubt any hotel could sue booking.com for the actions of a guest
Is there no way for an Airbnb host to get the identity of their guest?
Yes, its a requirement to be open.
> Is there no way for an Airbnb host to get the identity of their guest?
I've never used Airbnb so I don't know, but Airbnb hosts do not have the same legal protection as a hotel and they might actually be in violation of local and state laws plus any lease agreements they are a party to.
(edit: it would depend on how they implement more instant booking. If they just encouraged renters to use it (but could they just encourage and still stop discrimination?), people like bobjordan could just opt out).
https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/484/what-is-instant-book
1) AirBnB has a history of poor support for hosts that have troublesome renters.
2) AirBnB does a terrible job screening renters.
3) This could be easily used against a host improperly. I had a group of sorority girls that wanted to book my house. They told me they had almost 40 women so I declined. I don't have a problem with women but this could be used against me in a legal battle. You have to discriminate as a host. If 10 young guys wanted to book my house too my radar would be off that they MIGHT be there for a party. It has nothing to do with being a bigot against age or gender but minimizing risk which AirBnB does not help with.
If they enforce instant book I could be stuck with 40 women at my house in a city I'm legally approved for advertising and sleeping 14 (it's based on 200 sq ft per person). AirBnB doesn't have all the local rules.
4) Let's say someone is bigoted and they own a house - if you're a potential renter in a group they dislike, do you really want to shell over money to them and stay at their home? Also, what are the chances that the bigoted host is going to provide a good experience or good customer support when required?
These booking sites are taking more money and providing less. They want to drop your ADR like Uber wanted to drop fares for wider appeal. And they avoid all liability. It's getting more and more unfriendly for hosts.
...so we're cool with dropping employment discrimination laws too?
They're providing a service in return for money, they have to declare the earnings from such for tax purposes... there is no line here. A psychiatrist who operates out of a home office has no legal right to discriminate based on race, either.
Trying to eliminate discrimination always ends up by removing any kind of ability to choose your customer.
https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/1405/airbnb-s-nondiscrim...
> Airbnb said it would also accelerate the use of instant bookings, which lets renters book places immediately without host approval.
The fact that the author of your parent-comment does go through and approve individuals means that this policy would hurt him/her.
>The fact that the author of your parent-comment does go through and approve individuals means that this policy would hurt him/her.
How, exactly? It sounds like he talked to his destructive guest before the rental. So that particular guest was not an instant booking.
As my example, if a renter instant books and is going to bring 40 people to a place you are legally approved locally for sleeping 14, other neighbors can report you to the city and you could be fined or lose your license to rent.
So you can have issues with instant bookers even if they aren't destructive.
OP isn't saying that they are, they're saying that they now want to apply a new screen (out-of-town-ness) that they think is evidence of not being destructive, but would be unable to do so if Airbnb forced everyone to allow instant bookings.