Post by High Priestess on Oct 5, 2015 2:43:51 GMT
Evelyn shared in August 2015
Airbnb Closed Your Account. Now What?
Next
I wrote this post in reference of Kelly's account being terminated. I recommend to view the below post at my page, since I have screen grabs with instructions:
tiny.cc/Airbnbclosed
Imagine. You have been a host for over two years. Hundreds of guests have walked through your door. You’re a featured speaker at Airbnb conferences. You’ve been awarded by Airbnb for your abilities as a host. At every opportunity, you speak to the press about your amazing life, made possible by Airbnb, which has allowed you to start new business opportunities. You are the ideal Superhost.
Then suddenly...Airbnb terminates your account.
You wake up to a call from a random customer support representative who gives you next to no information. He only tells you that more information will follow via email. You try to get answers but they are barely communicating. Your account is gone. Reservations cancelled. Future income evaporated. Within 24 hours, your life will be upside down.
On August 19th, Airbnb Superhost Kelly Kampen wrote about Airbnb terminating his account. As of today, Kelly hasn’t updated the article revealing any new information.
This isn’t the first time I’ve heard of them closing of hosts’ accounts. In 2012, when the New York Attorney General was requesting data from NY hosts. Unannounced, Airbnb closed accounts of any hosts who had multiple listings.
No warning. No severance package. YOU’RE FIRED. Right or wrong...the life you knew is no longer there.
LOGIN INFORMATION
In the article, Kelly insinuates that his account might have been hacked. He doesn’t know for sure. But his login information and his account showed activity in parts of the world he had not been to. Here are some steps you can take to protect yourself.
To see your login information:
Click on your Dashboard
Click on Account
Click Security
You will see Change Your Password
Then Login Notifications
Bottom of page Login History
Confirm your login history. If you see login information from a place you didn’t visit, IMMEDIATELY:
Change your password (on the top of the same page)
Contact Airbnb.
PROTECT YOUR ACCOUNT
One way to protect your account from hackers is set up a notification for every time your account is logged in from a non-trusted browser. Your computer, phone, and tablet will be in your trusted browsers, as long as you have used them to access your account. If you log into your account from a computer or device the system doesn’t recognize, you will be asked if “this a trusted server” and you will be notified of the login via email.
To set up your notifications: On the account page click notifications
For my own safety and peace of mind I prefer getting notifications for everything, so I select all the options.
PAST GUEST INFORMATION:
Airbnb used to provide us with the guests email information but since they no longer do that. Upon booking, I ask my guests for their personal emails. Not everyone shares it, but it is still worth asking. Some guests ignore the messages that come to them through Airbnb, and I prefer to remain in touch as much as possible. In addition, it gives me more dependable means of communication should my account suddenly vanish.
DIVERSIFY:
I have written before that I have accounts with other platforms. Right now I use FlipKey, another short-term vacation rental website, and I have had a few bookings. FlipKey isn’t my favorite but I don’t want to depend on Airbnb. Do your research to see what other platforms might appeal to you as a secondary space for your rentals.
YOUR OWN WEBSITE:
I also have my own personal website and Facebook page for my house. I route inquiries and reservations to Airbnb, but I have an online presence beyond the vacation rental companies.
Maybe right now, for you, Airbnb is a part time gig and a bit of extra pocket money. I make a living as an Airbnb host. I can’t even imagine what I would do if I were to lose this income. Protect yourself from hackers and keep your eggs in different baskets.
Do you have your own website? How would you manage if Airbnb suddenly closed your account tomorrow? Sign up to my newsletter to get insights, webinar announcements, and get the ultimate room-to-room checklist - a must for any new or experienced host.
Until next time.
Your host,
Evelyn
Sylvie:
Thank you Evelyn for this useful article. I have changed my password and then I have checked my login history. In the last 4 days, there are 5 logins from San Jose, Dallas, San Jose, Atlanta, Dallas. I am very surprised and I will call AirBnB tomorrow. I did turn on the notification. Thank you for your help.
Gina:
Evelyn, I see you have 3 separate listings, one for a bedroom and two for whole units. Doesn't New York have a restriction on short-term renting whole units. My understanding of the STR laws in New York is that a host MUST be present when a short term guest is living in your home.
Evelyn:
Gina - One of the listings belongs to another nearby host. In addition, according to the state, we're legal because we live in a 2 family home. Because I'm legal I have stepped up a lot to speak about Airbnb and the sharing economy.
Gina:
I was asking because I was recently reading this document about the NY State Attorney's report about illegal short term renting in New York City: www.ag.ny.gov/pdfs/Airbnb%20report.pdf
Evelyn:
That particular report gets quoted a lot and it's incorrect. The AG received information from Airbnb but only of hosts with entire apartments. Not bedroom listings or shared spaces. The press loves to quote that over 70% of airbnb are illegal but that's for entire apartments. I wrote a blog post about it. It's one of the reason I keep a close eye in the San Francisco group, you guys are ahead of us in reference of legislation. I created the Legalize group in NY.. It's rough. A city official booked an illegal Airbnb (big building, whole unit) and they video tape the hosts. There was a meeting this year and it was hard to be hated by so many.
Airbnb Closed Your Account. Now What?
Next
I wrote this post in reference of Kelly's account being terminated. I recommend to view the below post at my page, since I have screen grabs with instructions:
tiny.cc/Airbnbclosed
Imagine. You have been a host for over two years. Hundreds of guests have walked through your door. You’re a featured speaker at Airbnb conferences. You’ve been awarded by Airbnb for your abilities as a host. At every opportunity, you speak to the press about your amazing life, made possible by Airbnb, which has allowed you to start new business opportunities. You are the ideal Superhost.
Then suddenly...Airbnb terminates your account.
You wake up to a call from a random customer support representative who gives you next to no information. He only tells you that more information will follow via email. You try to get answers but they are barely communicating. Your account is gone. Reservations cancelled. Future income evaporated. Within 24 hours, your life will be upside down.
On August 19th, Airbnb Superhost Kelly Kampen wrote about Airbnb terminating his account. As of today, Kelly hasn’t updated the article revealing any new information.
This isn’t the first time I’ve heard of them closing of hosts’ accounts. In 2012, when the New York Attorney General was requesting data from NY hosts. Unannounced, Airbnb closed accounts of any hosts who had multiple listings.
No warning. No severance package. YOU’RE FIRED. Right or wrong...the life you knew is no longer there.
LOGIN INFORMATION
In the article, Kelly insinuates that his account might have been hacked. He doesn’t know for sure. But his login information and his account showed activity in parts of the world he had not been to. Here are some steps you can take to protect yourself.
To see your login information:
Click on your Dashboard
Click on Account
Click Security
You will see Change Your Password
Then Login Notifications
Bottom of page Login History
Confirm your login history. If you see login information from a place you didn’t visit, IMMEDIATELY:
Change your password (on the top of the same page)
Contact Airbnb.
PROTECT YOUR ACCOUNT
One way to protect your account from hackers is set up a notification for every time your account is logged in from a non-trusted browser. Your computer, phone, and tablet will be in your trusted browsers, as long as you have used them to access your account. If you log into your account from a computer or device the system doesn’t recognize, you will be asked if “this a trusted server” and you will be notified of the login via email.
To set up your notifications: On the account page click notifications
For my own safety and peace of mind I prefer getting notifications for everything, so I select all the options.
PAST GUEST INFORMATION:
Airbnb used to provide us with the guests email information but since they no longer do that. Upon booking, I ask my guests for their personal emails. Not everyone shares it, but it is still worth asking. Some guests ignore the messages that come to them through Airbnb, and I prefer to remain in touch as much as possible. In addition, it gives me more dependable means of communication should my account suddenly vanish.
DIVERSIFY:
I have written before that I have accounts with other platforms. Right now I use FlipKey, another short-term vacation rental website, and I have had a few bookings. FlipKey isn’t my favorite but I don’t want to depend on Airbnb. Do your research to see what other platforms might appeal to you as a secondary space for your rentals.
YOUR OWN WEBSITE:
I also have my own personal website and Facebook page for my house. I route inquiries and reservations to Airbnb, but I have an online presence beyond the vacation rental companies.
Maybe right now, for you, Airbnb is a part time gig and a bit of extra pocket money. I make a living as an Airbnb host. I can’t even imagine what I would do if I were to lose this income. Protect yourself from hackers and keep your eggs in different baskets.
Do you have your own website? How would you manage if Airbnb suddenly closed your account tomorrow? Sign up to my newsletter to get insights, webinar announcements, and get the ultimate room-to-room checklist - a must for any new or experienced host.
Until next time.
Your host,
Evelyn
Sylvie:
Thank you Evelyn for this useful article. I have changed my password and then I have checked my login history. In the last 4 days, there are 5 logins from San Jose, Dallas, San Jose, Atlanta, Dallas. I am very surprised and I will call AirBnB tomorrow. I did turn on the notification. Thank you for your help.
Gina:
Evelyn, I see you have 3 separate listings, one for a bedroom and two for whole units. Doesn't New York have a restriction on short-term renting whole units. My understanding of the STR laws in New York is that a host MUST be present when a short term guest is living in your home.
Evelyn:
Gina - One of the listings belongs to another nearby host. In addition, according to the state, we're legal because we live in a 2 family home. Because I'm legal I have stepped up a lot to speak about Airbnb and the sharing economy.
Gina:
I was asking because I was recently reading this document about the NY State Attorney's report about illegal short term renting in New York City: www.ag.ny.gov/pdfs/Airbnb%20report.pdf
Evelyn:
That particular report gets quoted a lot and it's incorrect. The AG received information from Airbnb but only of hosts with entire apartments. Not bedroom listings or shared spaces. The press loves to quote that over 70% of airbnb are illegal but that's for entire apartments. I wrote a blog post about it. It's one of the reason I keep a close eye in the San Francisco group, you guys are ahead of us in reference of legislation. I created the Legalize group in NY.. It's rough. A city official booked an illegal Airbnb (big building, whole unit) and they video tape the hosts. There was a meeting this year and it was hard to be hated by so many.