I don't have an Airbnb but have read many horror stories about ST rentals. Airbnb doesn't sound like a good partner. Self booking is the way to go IMO. Google the article title for the full article. Here are some excerpts:

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Airbnb Just Quietly Changed the Rules For Hosts

Guests Can Now Book Without Paying in Full

One of the biggest shifts is Airbnb’s continued embrace of “buy now, pay later” services like Klarna and Pay Over Time. These options let guests reserve your place without fully paying upfront.

From a guest perspective, that sounds great. From a host perspective, it opens the door to calendar manipulation.

Here’s what can happen:

A guest books your property weeks in advance, but only partially pays.

They cancel three days before check-in.

You’re left with an empty calendar and no payout.

Airbnb doesn’t guarantee you’ll be compensated, depending on the cancellation terms and payment processing.

It’s essentially a free calendar hold for the guest. You, on the other hand, might lose out on other bookings with no money coming your way.

This kind of last-minute cancellation is already frustrating, but when payment isn’t collected in full upfront, the odds of guests canceling for convenience just went up.

Chargebacks Could Hit Hosts Long After the Stay

This is the part my friend is most concerned about: The new terms state that Airbnb can reverse your payout if a guest files a payment dispute, even after the stay is over.

There’s no specific time window for this. It could be weeks. It could be months. Airbnb decides what happens next. They don’t have to reimburse you, they’re not obligated to defend the host, and they still keep their service fee either way.

Let’s say the guest stayed, caused no issues, and never reached out to complain. If their credit card company sides with them for whatever reason, you could see thousands pulled from your account with little warning or recourse.

It hasn’t happened to my friend or myself yet, but under the new terms, it absolutely could. For hosts running multiple listings, one big chargeback could undo weeks of revenue.

Airbnb Can Now Delay or Hold Payouts Without Explaining Why

Another clause in the updated terms gives Airbnb broad authority to delay, adjust, or withhold payouts if they detect what they call “risk indicators.” That might include:

A sudden spike in bookings

A change in the way you manage listings

Missing or incomplete documentation

A dispute or concern raised by a guest

They don’t have to tell you when the hold will end, and they don’t have to tell you why it started, and they don’t owe you interest while your money sits in limbo.

This is a real issue if you’re running a business that relies on consistent cash flow. Your cleaner, your mortgage, your utilities; those don’t get to wait for Airbnb to sort things out.

We just stayed at one a few months ago in FL and in the place was a note stating "you can stay cheaper if you go through us directly without paying the other sites ... here's our website"

They (AirBnb) have so many things that they do and they don't ever seem to back the host. I have a friend that has one and they are cutting back severely on it now. People were trashing the place and AirBnB wouldn't do anything about it for years. Then they started to ... and then a few years ago a host made a comment about how "dirty" the place was (complete lie) and they not only got their money back but AirBnB blocked their property from being rented further "until it was cleaned". Any of the current bookings were fine but no new ones were allowed.

I wouldn't be too surprised that people will start doing it on their own... it was a thought and something "neat to do" and it is nice to go to "one site" and get info but then when they pull all of this (rules and who can do what, etc) then people are going to say never mind.

Some of the guests that my friend had complained because they didn't get the beds made daily or a cleaner coming in daily to "clean things up"... ummm... go to to a hotel for that (and now they don't even do that)!

We run a nicely profitable STR, and 100% of our bookings come through AirBnb.

Fortunately, we've only had a few minor issues, but the OP is absolutely right: Airbnb ALWAYS sides with the guest. And I'm a "Superhost."

The challenge is: how else will people find me? It's just a little MIL suite attached to our house. I'm not sophisticated enough to develop a website and drive traffic to it.

When is AirBNB going out of business?

GKARL,

We missed you!

One of the gold nuggets I learned at Convention was the understanding that hosts are actually renting to AIRBNB, not to the guest.

Airbnb makes A LOT of money for just offering a website.

I do sense that guests are open to a web search based on location / city name.

Crank up your SEO!

I have learned I don't like doing business with people who have more attys that me.

I have stayed only 2 times at an Airbnb, selected by a family member. BOTH went sour. One had parking and safety issues like no handrail on an 18 step upstainrs bedroom area and no smoke detectors, We had to do tons of cleaning chores...the other said "No charge if you don't leave a bad review'.

Me? Hotel with free breakfast life.

I have been renting short term longer than Airbnb has been alive (20 years now).

The WORST was the COVID cancellations and "claw backs". VRBO pays me 60 days prior to check in .... I set it up that way. BUT when covid locked the country down they clawed back the loot and Airbnb simply cancelled all existing reservations. Regardless of the "cancellation policy".

THAT was bad. Otherwise no problems. All damage disputes settled in my favor.