Airbnb guests can soon filter pricing for accommodations to include all fees before taxes, avoiding any unexpected additional charges on the final price. | Image: Airbnb
Prices on Airbnb are set to get more transparent following a planned update to the platformās search function.
Guests will soon be able to filter their search results by the total cost of the stay before taxes, which will include additional compulsory charges such as cleaning fees. The appearance of these fees separate from nightly rates has long been criticized for deceptively making accommodations appear more affordable. Airbnb chief executive Brian Chesky shared the announcement on Twitter along with a video demonstrating how the planned ādisplay total priceā switch can be enabled to display the total cost of nightly rates and fees, with that price displaying on search results, map, price filter, and individual listing pages.
Iāve heard you loud and clearāyou feel like prices arenāt transparent and checkout tasks are a pain. Thatās why weāre making 4 changes:
1. Starting next month, youāll be able to see the total price you’re paying up front. pic.twitter.com/58zodrzU3g
ā Brian Chesky (@bchesky) November 7, 2022
A full price breakdown of Airbnbās service fees, discounts, and taxes will also be made available, and the total price of accommodation will be prioritized over nightly rates in the Airbnb search algorithm. āThe highest quality homes with the best total prices will rank higher in search results,ā says Chesky. āWe started as an affordable alternative to hotels, and affordability is especially important today. During this difficult economic time, we need to help our Hosts provide great value to you.ā
Airbnb itself addressed the issue of cleaning fee transparency back in May 2021 and promised to conduct a ācomprehensive reviewā of fees by December 15th, 2021. The Wall Street Journal reports that the almost year-long delay for fee transparency was caused by feedback from hosts and guests that evolved into a general review of pricing and additional tests to resolve user confusion over charges.
The transparent pricing toggle is set to roll out sometime in December, alongside new pricing and discount tools for hosts to allow for more competitive rates.