Airbnb to increase service fee for moderate, strict listings

Another host provided more information: we will PAY MORE (5%) FOR LESS security as they will modify the terms of strict cancellation policy.

From October 18th in Italy at least, Strict will means 100% refund (including airbnb services fees) if guests cancel the reservation more than 30 days before arrival! If guests cancel between 30 days and noon the day of arrival, the will automatically get a 50% refung (including fees). And if the cancel during the stay they will get a 50% refund of restant days (but airbnb not refunded)!

I find this almost hilarious.
Certainly airbnb has forgotten who their revenue is truly derived from...The Hosts.
Now I see airbnb has 'teamed up' with Audi. I didn't care to hear the details.
As airbnb continues to grow in leaps and bounds, they are forgetting and punishing us hosts with all these changes, and IMHO bad publicity that other platforms are not receiving and will eventually, and perhaps already has pushed many hosts away from using their services.
This is certainly not a smart move on their behalf; but 5% is still better than the 10% VRBO/HomeAway charges, as well as better than all these cancellations that leave us hosts holding the bag for reservations that do not get re-booked.
I especially have a concern regarding these reservations that are months in advance, during our busiest season, and not willing to change back from my strict policy.
I guess majority does rule, Deborah, CC, and myself are not fans of 'rules', therefore airbnb is thinking like us and will do just as they please anyway.
TripAdvisor/FlipKey/Expedia charges 3%. Perhaps it's time to beef up my listing with them, as any business or consumer is typically looking for the best deal.
My subconscious was pondering the other day what move they will take next to pay the high wages for these high mucka muckas they are including in their party, and the answer has arrived.
Partay on Airbnb!
We'll be watching you, and it will only lead to hosts not caring about the Stoopid Host status, the listings posted, or even if we receive bookings from them.
All these continued changes which we only hear from other hosts is not Best Business Practices.
Sad when people forget their core values and get distracted with such costly moves that end up nowhere but loosing customers.
As stated before, without us hosts, they don't have a business.
But as a host, there are too many platforms to choose from to stay with all these dumb-ass rules they make for a day, week, or until the mega phone finally deafens the brainiac who's messing around with the policies.
We all remember the 'kids stay free' idea, and how we all had to make a mad dash to change our listings as to not fall into this category of liability and host choices of appropriate guests for our accommodations.
I believe I've lost a number of bookings changing the age range from 0-12 as not being acceptable, as I used to receive a lot of bookings with children who were 10 years of age and I found that worked fine. Now they are not an option.
They've also seemed to have forgotten that a large number of potential guests are now contacting us directly, thus by passing airbnb's 12% booking fee. We already know these guests are fine and hosts don't feel the need for the million dollar insurance coverage offered for their 3 and now soon to be 5% commission.
I know it was not an option on their latest survey to answer
"How do you feel about us raising our commissions to hosts who refuse to ride the roller coaster ride of not knowing day by day if someone is going to cancel without full payment refunded?"
Or better yet..."How do you feel about playing the guessing game of who will show up at your door without any knowledge of what the person looks like, male, female, etc.
As CC stated, she had a guest arrive, enter her home, who was actually at the wrong accommodations.
Had she not been a savvy business owner who keeps track of who's coming and going, she could put 2 and 2 together.
I'm sure the majority of the clueless hosts who participate on the CC forum would have just let them in and faced the consequences after the fact as they attempted to receive payment.
Perhaps that's why so many are asking why after 10-12 days since check-out and payment has never been received.
I never use my defective airbnb mug for my 2 years of ass kissing, a guest had brought me a big bag of gifts from Minnesota which had a mug 100% better in looks and quality. A real hand fired mug, not a defect from China.
All of this has certainly changed my attitude of being so proud to being an Airbnb host, that now it's just turned into another 'Next....'.
My latest tactic for these one night stands is just to enjoy an extended stay lazing around in bed reading until I hear their cars leave.
There's only so much hosts are willing to put up with and offer with all this stupid waste of uneducated employee time spent with all these new surprises and decisions they are testing and changing.
My rant for the morning. Charge me 5%, better than receiving zero for a booking cancelled due to whatever story a guest makes up in hopes that they've changed their mind, and will receive a full refund for a listing date that has been blocked for months.

I just ran a snoop about for a local and very popular resort near me.
First search for check-in today, check-out tomorrow.
Terms and conditions state:
Cancellation Policy
The time for canceling without penalty has passed. If you cancel, the forfeiture amount will be a 1 night penalty. There may be additional applicable charges and taxes.
The nightly room rate was $179 per night.
Taxes fees, hotel charges brought the total amount due to $240.09 which included a daily hotel charge of $36.49 which entitled guest to free internet access and free self service parking.

Then, I checked for October 17-18th.

Nightly room rate $195.80, daily hotel charge same, taxes added, which I have to collect in cash, brought the daily room charge to $258.52.

Cancellation policy read:

Cancellation Policy
The time for canceling without penalty has passed. If you cancel, the forfeiture amount will be 100 percent. There may be additional applicable charges and taxes

Therefore, today, a month from today, shit or get off the pot.
Hotels aren't even offering anything other than strict.

And the question is: Why should we be expected to?

I was just updating my calendar on HomeAway, the unit has strict cancellation.
Immediately in parenthesis was (50% refund within a week of reservation, and 100% refund if canceled 30 days or more).
Quite different wording when reservations are made so far out in advance.
I wasn't happy to see the within a week of reservation.
And I previously posted Hotels do not even offer such unless you are part of their Star Membership, then changes and cancellations are waived.
They also posted all the list and prices (I didn't peruse) of extra amenities available to schedule.
The 'resort fee' of $36.49 was for free internet service and self service parking which the majority of us hosts include in our cheap room rate.
I'm old, but the lyrics come to mind from the 80's song "Burn baby burn, disco inferno" with the path airbnb is running down like a marathon participant who receives a 10 pound Hawaiian pumpkin as your reward.  Bottom line, when asked, none of those triathletes were planning on repeating what they just endured, as well as being clueless with what to do with a big ass pumpkin. 

I know this:  The triathletes left me all these pumpkins that I made fantastic pumpkin bread for my guests.
I made happy, and pointed out that each pumpkin was marked with sharpie of their time of completion and they should at least take a picture of their accomplishment of their weird Hawaiian style reward which I shall certainly enjoy and honored to receive.
 
I had a Guatemalan tenant that made and shared the most delicious pumpkin soup.  
I was so busy with the bread, I never did get the opportunity to treat myself to making the soup, but holy cow was it ever yummy.