愛污传媒

Business

    • Airbnb aims to convince more people to rent out their homes

    Share

    Convinced that the boom in leisure travel is permanent, Airbnb aims to expand its listings by convincing more people to turn their homes into short-term rentals.

    The company said Wednesday that it will increase the amount of liability coverage for hosts, up to US$3 million, in a play for owners of nicer houses in high-cost places such as California. It will also pair newbies with a "superhost" to guide them through the process of becoming a short-term landlord, from signing up through welcoming their first guest.

    More listings would not seem to be Airbnb's biggest challenge.

    CEO Brian Chesky says the San Francisco company is taking steps to make price more transparent when consumers browse Airbnb listings, and he predicts that will reduce sky-high cleaning fees that many hosts tack on well into the booking process -- a major complaint of consumers.

    The company also continues to try to crack down on large parties at rentals, a few of which have turned violent. And it faces efforts to increase regulation of short-term rentals.

    Through it all, Airbnb has fared better than most travel companies during the pandemic. This month, it reported a record US$1.21 billion profit for the third quarter. Its stock fell, however, because earnings and bookings were less than Wall Street expected and the company gave a cautious fourth-quarter outlook.

    Investors worry that consumers paying more for food, gas and housing -- and facing predictions of recession -- will cut back on discretionary spending like travel, hurting Airbnb.

    Some current hosts are worried that might already be happening. Last month, a post on a Facebook page for Airbnb "superhosts" asked, "Has anyone seen a huge decrease in bookings over the last 3 to 4 months? We went from at least 50 per cent occupancy to literally 0 per cent in the last two months."

    Other hosts on social media have suggested theories ranging from a fragile economy to pent-up travel demand finally running out, and some think the problem might be that Airbnb already has too many listings.

    AirDNA, which tracks short-term-rental numbers, said Airbnb listed nearly 1.4 million rentals in the U.S. in September, a 23 per cent jump from a year earlier and 9 per cent over 2019. Nearly two-thirds were added since 2020. The trends are similar for global listings.

    Chesky said in an interview that Airbnb has enough hosts now -- he didn't say it has too many -- but needs more because leisure travel will keep growing. And, he said, a recession could push more people to turn their homes into Airbnbs. After all, he likes to point out, Airbnb launched during the great recession in 2008.

    "People are pulling back spending in tons of areas, but not travel," he said. "And with a looming recession, we felt like more people than ever are going to want to make extra money."

    Potential hosts sometimes hesitate, Chesky said, because they are uncomfortable having strangers in their homes. The company's response is to triple the amount of coverage for hosts -- from US$1 million to US$3 million -- against damage, including to vehicles, boats and a wider range of art on the property.

    Chesky is betting that will persuade more owners of nice homes to list them on Airbnb.

    "Exactly, and home values have increased since we wrote the US$1 million plan," he said. "We just noticed more than 20 per cent of the homes on Airbnb, and maybe even more than that, were over the US$1 million limit in value."

    The company said it is also launching a system to verify the identity of guests and flag potential parties, immediately in the U.S. and Canada and worldwide by next spring. Chesky said the system is "not a silver bullet," and he didn't provide many details but said in the U.S. it will include a check of criminal and sex-offender records.

    In the meantime, the company is working on a plan to display the all-in price of a stay up front on its app and website -- an amount that would include cleaning fees, which can be very high and only appear later in the booking process.

    Chesky said he didn't want to bar or cap cleaning fees -- that's a decision for hosts, he said. But including fees in the upfront price -- and in the order in which search results are displayed -- "is going to correct the market," he said.

    CTVNews.ca Top Stories

    Police are looking for a suspect who allegedly threw a coffee at a woman鈥檚 vehicle and then shot at her windshield following some sort of dispute that began at a Tim Hortons in Pickering on Friday morning.

    The former principal of a Christian school in Ontario's Niagara Region has been arrested and charged with sexual assault.

    Toronto police have identified the woman who was allegedly killed by a suspected serial killer earlier this month.

    Parents at some private, for-profit daycares across the GTA are being warned that their fees could soon be doubling as operators consider pulling out of the national $10-a-day child-care program.

    Canada

    • More than a month after the murder of Nova Scotia woman Esther Jones, her family continues to grapple with the loss.

    • Border guards in Montreal intercepted millions of amphetamine tablets concealed in hundreds of PVC panels inside a container from China.

    • Parents of Quebec teenagers are worried that high schools are becoming "recruitment grounds" after police arrested a dozen teens it believes have ties to organized crime. But experts say it's nothing new and better prevention measures are needed.

    • The former principal of a Christian school in Ontario's Niagara Region has been arrested and charged with sexual assault.

    • Police are looking for a suspect who allegedly threw a coffee at a woman鈥檚 vehicle and then shot at her windshield following some sort of dispute that began at a Tim Hortons in Pickering on Friday morning.

    World

    Politics

    Health

    Sci-Tech

    Entertainment

    Business

    Lifestyle

    • James Taylor never expected to be walking home with a bag full of groceries he didn't buy.

    • This weekend marks the fifth anniversary of a large blizzard that paralyzed Manitoba.

    Sports

    Autos

    • Elon Musk unveils his 'Cybercab' robotaxi

      Tesla CEO Elon Musk unveiled on Thursday his vision of a 'a fun, exciting future,' an 'age of abundance' full of his company鈥檚 self-driving cars without steering wheels, parking lots turned into parks and robots that will walk among the population 鈥 that he once again promised would be available within a few years.

    • video

      video

      Dozens of cars were pulled out of the Detroit River in west Windsor on Tuesday, causing many questions for Windsorites.

    Local Spotlight

    James Taylor never expected to be walking home with a bag full of groceries he didn't buy.

    This weekend marks the fifth anniversary of a large blizzard that paralyzed Manitoba.

    There was an eye-catching mix of rainbows and lightning over Vancouver following a brief downpour this week.

    Jeff Warner from Aidie Creek Gardens in the northern Ontario community of Englehart has a passion for growing big pumpkins and his effort is paying off in more ways than one.

    Saskatchewan鈥檚 Jessica Campbell has made hockey history, becoming the first ever female assistant coach in the National Hockey League (NHL).

    Have you ever seen videos of hovercrafts online or on TV and thought, 'Wow, I wish I could ride one of those.' One Alberta man did, and then built his own.

    A B.C. couple is getting desperate 鈥 and creative 鈥 in their search for their missing dog.

    Videos of a meteor streaking across the skies of southern Ontario have surfaced and small bits of the outer space rock may have made it to land, one astronomy professor says.

    A unique form of clouds made an appearance over the skies of Ottawa on Sunday evening.

    • With just over a week to go until election day, another BC Conservative candidate is coming under fire. This time, for comments about First Nations communities.

    • New research is showing the positive impact SOGI 123 or sexual orientation and gender identity resources are having in schools across British Columbia.

    • Greater Vancouver hosting multiple Northern Lights displays is part of a "very natural cycle", says UBC professor.

    • Parents at some private, for-profit daycares across the GTA are being warned that their fees could soon be doubling as operators consider pulling out of the national $10-a-day child-care program.

    • Here is a look at what鈥檚 open, what鈥檚 closed, and what鈥檚 on in the GTA during Thanksgiving weekend 2024:

    • The Halton Regional Police are seeking the public鈥檚 assistance in locating a man wanted for attempted murder after allegedly being released 鈥渋n error.鈥

    • It鈥檚 no trick. It鈥檚 all treat.

    • Police are looking for a driver involved in a hit-and-run in the northeast Calgary community of Pineridge that sent a man to hospital in serious condition.

    • A Manotick business has been left stunned as thieves made off with $90,000 worth of jewelry.

    • A 28-year-old woman is facing charges following the execution of a search warrant at a residence in Prescott, Ont. Thursday, according to the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP).

    • The promotional giveaway that was planned for Monday's game against the Los Angeles Kings at the Canadian Tire Centre will be modified, according to the Ottawa Senators.

    • Two young men are facing second-degree murder charges in connection with the fatal fire in Old Montreal that killed L茅onor Geraudie, 43, and her daughter V茅rane Reynaud-Geraudie on Oct. 4.

    • Parents of Quebec teenagers are worried that high schools are becoming "recruitment grounds" after police arrested a dozen teens it believes have ties to organized crime. But experts say it's nothing new and better prevention measures are needed.

    • A woman in her 70s is fighting for her life in hospital after being struck by a vehicle on Friday evening in Longueuil, Mont茅r茅gie on Montreal's South Shore.

    • 愛污传媒 Edmonton spoke with two families, as well as Edmonton's public and Catholic school divisions, about the first month of school with Alberta's school cellphone ban.

    • A week ago today, Lita Pawliw was on the receiving end of a phone call no mother ever wants to get.

    • More than a month after the murder of Nova Scotia woman Esther Jones, her family continues to grapple with the loss.

    • It's not the most auspicious Thanksgiving weather for the Maritimes as a series of low pressure systems and weather fronts move through the region bringing inclement weather.

    • A multiple vehicle collision took place Saturday morning on Hwy. 101 in Nova Scotia.

    • Two Winnipeggers have been arrested after images and videos were posted online of animals being tortured and killed.

    • A 37-year-old Winnipeg man has been charged with multiple offences after videos filmed in a public pool change room were seized by police.

    • Tec Voc has started 6-0 鈥 leading the AAA division as the only undefeated team.

    • There is a lot on the line in Saturday鈥檚 matchup between the Saskatchewan Roughriders and BC Lions as a Rider win will secure them a home playoff game.

    • Regina will vote for a new mayor, city council and public and separate school board trustees on Nov. 13.

    • The Saskatchewan New Democratic Party laid out its platform on Friday, ahead of the Oct. 28 provincial election.

    • Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest has officially begun! Here's what happened during Friday's big Bavarian celebration at Willkommen Platz.

    • The Northern Lights put on another spectacular show on Thursday night, with shades of blue, pink and green rippling across the night sky.

    • Kitchener, Ont. native Steven Lorentz scored his first goal for the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday night.

    • The leaders of Saskatchewan鈥檚 two major political parties are sharing their plans to tackle the growing homelessness crisis.

    • The Saskatchewan New Democratic Party laid out its platform on Friday, ahead of the Oct. 28 provincial election.

    • A Prince Albert woman has developed an app that allows people to lend and borrow items from each other.

    • A student pilot in Central Huron recently had to make an emergency landing in a field.

    • video

      video

      The London Knights have christened the new Canada Life Place arena with a 5-4 win over the Barrie Colts.

    • In case you missed it, 愛污传媒 London has gathered all of the top local stories from this week into one video for your convenience.

    • Provincial police remind motorists about the importance of buckling up after an officer discovered a passenger sitting on a kitchen chair inside the vehicle during a traffic stop in the Town of the Blue Mountains.

    • A Christian Island man is facing multiple charges in connection to the left of a vehicle in Midland.

    • A man and a woman are facing multiple charges after being found seemingly unconscious in a vehicle in Midland Friday afternoon.

    • In case you missed it, 愛污传媒 Windsor has compiled all of the top local stories from this week into one video.

    • A Windsor man testified in his careless driving trial in a Chatham-Kent courtroom on Friday.

    • A University of Windsor board member is calling for a pause on controversial agreements made with pro-Palestinian protesters who occupied part of the campus earlier this year.

    • With just over a week to go until election day, another BC Conservative candidate is coming under fire. This time, for comments about First Nations communities.

    • B.C. Conservatives Leader John Rustad says it will be up to voters to judge his party's candidates as he stood by a pair whose remarks on Indigenous and Muslim people drew condemnation from election rivals and other critics.

    • James Taylor never expected to be walking home with a bag full of groceries he didn't buy.

    • Dave Lindsey began growing giant pumpkins to bring a bit of magic to his grandkids' Halloween.

    • A U.S. District Court judge in Montana has sentenced a 27-year-old man from Kelowna, B.C., to 18 months in prison for using fake names to buy guns with the aim of selling them in Canada.

    • Nearly two years after a man was stabbed to death in downtown Kelowna, RCMP have made an arrest in the case.

    • Local photographers were amazed by the aurora borealis display in the night sky over Lethbridge on Thursday night.

    • Lethbridge- The latest monthly report from the Alberta Real Estate Association shows Lethbridge has seen one of the biggest year over year increases in home prices.

    • The Interfaith Food Bank is busy preparing Thanksgiving bundles and has some tips for anyone hoping to cut down on their holiday dinner costs.

    • A closer look at preventing graffiti will be looked at in Sault Ste. Marie, after a string of offensive displays by one man, including spray painting anti-Indigenous language and painting over the pride crosswalk.

    • Even on an average day, the intersection of Highway 17 at Highway 6 near Espanola is busy, but it鈥檚 especially steady on a Friday before a long weekend.

    • A 34-year-old in Sault Ste. Marie who was wanted for a probation violation was found this week with a switchblade, drugs, a digital scale and $5,170 in cash.

    N.L.

    Shopping Trends

    The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at 愛污传媒. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop.聽Read about us.

    Stay Connected
    Follow 愛污传媒