Airbnb is a great way to find affordable accommodation when traveling, but it is also a platform with lots of flaws. The one thing that users complain about the most is that the final price is often a lot higher than the one displayed in the search results due to all the hidden fees. Well, that should now be a thing of the past.
Airbnb announced last week that it is moving towards displaying the full price of listings before taxes, including the platform fees, cleaning fees, and other charges. The total price will be displayed in search results, on the map, and listing page, and the guests will be able to see the full price breakdown before booking the place.
On top of this, Airbnb will make various other changes that should make the life of travelers easier. This includes search ranking adjustments that will prioritize the total price instead of the nightly price. According to the company, this means that in the case of similar listings, the ones with higher quality and better overall price will be on top.
Finally, the one thing that travelers might appreciate the most is that the hosts will now have to have “reasonable” checkout requests and present them to guests before they book.
“Guests should not have to do unreasonable checkout tasks such as stripping the beds, doing the laundry, or vacuuming when leaving their Airbnb,” said the company in the announcement. “But we think it’s reasonable to ask guests to turn off the lights, throw food in the trash, and lock the doors—just like they would when leaving their own home.”