Airbnb is making changes in how rentals on its site are priced, but the change will be in transparency rather than the prices themselves. The move is in response to widespread complaints about ‘drip pricing,’ with fees added on at the end that don’t show in the first price quote.
At Airbnb, that’s mostly meant that the rate per night that users see does not include Airbnb’s own fee and cleaning fees charged by the host. In some cases, especially for a short stay, the cleaning fees can nearly double the price per night.
Brian Chesky, Airbnb CEO told financial analysts last week that “One of the things we’re doing is we’re going to continue to move toward a more all-in pricing where when you see pricing. Instead of seeing more of a nightly rate, you’re going to see a little bit more of a fully loaded rate.”
Chesky also said that the algorithms that rank listings on the site will prioritize “great deal for the fully loaded pricing,” giving users a clearer picture. He also said that hosts will be getting new tools that will allow them to selectively discount rates to be more competitive
