Airbnb "closely evaluating" new host applications in Ukraine

Airbnb has captured headlines around the world since the crisis began in the Ukraine – first with its offer of free, short-term housing for up to 100,000 Ukrainian refugees, then suspending operations in Russia and Belarus and then because of a grassroots movement of people around the world booking properties in Ukraine as a way to send money to hosts.

In the first two days as the idea spread on social media, March 2 and 3, Airbnb says more than 61,000 nights were booked for properties in Ukraine, generating $1.9 million for hosts – with no host or guest fees captured by Airbnb.

But the creative strategy to help people in Ukraine – while prompted by the best of intentions of the donors – also raises questions about whether it could be abused by people looking to reap the benefits, for example, by creating a fraudulent listing.

“We are closely evaluating all the listing activity in the Ukraine, and we have very, very robust measures in place to detect fraud across our platform,” says Catherine Powell, Airbnb’s global head of hosting.

“Trust and safety are absolutely paramount.”

According to the Airbnb website, there are more than 300 properties in Ukraine, and the platform is still open to new hosts – in part, says Powell, to meet the need of people fleeing their homes but still looking for places to stay within the country.

“We are tracking all of it very closely and tracking where there is a need for bookings and what each listing looks like. All of this is being evaluated very closely,” she says.

The onboarding process is the same for hosts in Ukraine as in other parts of the world – as outlined on the Airbnb website – which includes identity verification of the host and location verification of the property. But Powell says, “in the Ukraine at the moment we are evaluating it more closely than the regular onboarding process that we would have.”

As to the question of whether bookings being made to provide financial support to people in Ukraine could be going to property management companies or to hosts who live outside the country, Powell says 90% of Airbnb’s hosts are individuals, and details about their identities and locations can be seen by clicking on the host profile and by reading reviews. However, it’s unclear if a host listed as an individual could be a local representative for a property management company.

Efforts to provide free temporary housing for Ukrainian refugees is being coordinated through Airbnb.org, the company’s nonprofit that helps to house people in times of crisis. 

Powell says Airbnb.org has about 30,000 hosts globally – more than 15,000 that have signed up just in the last 10 days. Hosts on Airbnb.org house refugees either for free or at a discount, which is paid by Airbnb and by donations made to Airbnb.org.

During a 48-hour period this past weekend, the nonprofit received more than $1.2 million in direct donations from nearly 14,000 individuals in 72 countries. 

Those hosting through Airbnb.org receive the same benefits as hosts on Airbnb, including Aircover’s $1 million liability and $1 million damage protection insurance. 

Powell says the company is actively working to sign up more hosts to Airbnb.org and, as of Tuesday, is also working with the International Organization for Migration, a United Nations migration agency, to connect people fleeing Ukraine to free housing in Poland, Moldova, Romania, Hungary and Slovakia. 

In conjunction with International Women’s Day, Airbnb is also sharing that women make up 56% of its host community and in 2021, hosts who identified as women earned a collective $12 billion.