Airbnb rolled out more than 50 new features this summer—including Airbnb Rooms, redesigned wish lists and total price display—but hasn’t stopped there. CEO Brian Chesky asked Airbnb users what other improvements they’d like to see, and the company has shared an update on how it will tackle the most requested improvements.
Airbnb users overwhelmingly asked for improvements involving transparency. Fake listings and misleading information about a listing have been an issue. The company announced it would roll out verified listings later this year in the U.S., Canada, Australia, U.K. and France. A “verified” icon confirms the existence of the property, the correct address and that the host actually has access to the listing. The verification process will begin in 30 more countries starting next fall.
Transparency regarding fees is another top concern for Airbnb users. Total price display now shows the total price of a listing, including fees. The company launched new initiatives like pricing tools for hosts to reduce fees; more than 250,000 listings reduced or removed cleaning fees in the past year.
Users with more specific needs—or those who want to know more about a listing—will now have more search options, including pet-friendly options and a filter to find listings with king-size beds. The app will also suggest more options nearby if search results are limited.
Airbnb boasts a two-minute response time for customer service calls in English and has extended the response time to nine more languages. Starting in November, customer service improvements will aim to match callers to the best agents based on their specific needs to solve an issue faster.
Find out more about Airbnb's latest upgrades in the 2023 Summer Release.
