Airbnb deletes 59,000 bogus listings, prevents 157K others from joining: CEO

Airbnb’s CEO said Wednesday the company has cracked down on bogus listings, deleting 59,000 of them and blocking 157,000 others from the platform.

False listings had eroded trust, and increasing prices were deterring customers who would normally choose Airbnb over hotels, the short-term rental company found in a survey of users.

Respondents also said they wanted to see lower cleaning fees and room prices, better search functions and a verification system for listings. They also wanted customer service to up its game and asked for a guest loyalty program and an improved review system.

Knowing the total price upfront, including taxes, was another ask, CEO Brian Chesky said in an online statement.

“We got a lot of feedback that Airbnb is not as affordable as it used to be,” Chesky told The Associated Press.

More than 260,000 listings reduced or removed their cleaning fees after new filters allowed travelers to view the final price before booking, the San Francisco-based platform said. Search functions and filters for king-size beds and pet-friendly accommodations have also been added, Airbnb said.

The company’s top priority was to verify listings, which they will begin doing by February in the platform’s top five countries: the U.S., Canada, Australia, U.K. and France. After that, the company will turn its attention to 30 more countries.

In all cases, artificial intelligence will help root out fakes, Airbnb said. Hosts will be required to go to their rental property, open their Airbnb app, take photos and submit them to the company. The app will use GPS to verify the photos were taken at the listed address, while AI will compare the photos to those in the listing.

Fraudulent listings damage the firm’s reputation and cost the company money in rebookings and refunds, Chesky noted, in addition to potentially driving customers elsewhere.

“If you can’t trust when you book an Airbnb that it’s real and you’re going to like it, then you’re going to stay in a hotel,” Chesky told AP.

Airbnb is also contending with new regulations in several cities, including New York, that curtail many of its listings. Also problematic has been the use of vans as accommodations.

With News Wire Services