Airbnb to Ease Host Sign-Up Process, Add More Search Categories

Airbnb took several steps to ease the process of onboarding new hosts, increased damage protections, and added a half-dozen new search categories, including trending homes and those adapted for wheelchair access.

“We have more people turning to hosting than ever before, not least because of the volatile, challenging economic environment," Airbnb Global Head of Hosting Catherine Powell told Skift Tuesday ahead of today's announcement about the company's winter release of product changes. “We want to continue to make it easier and simpler for everyday people make incremental income and to list their space on Airbnb.”

The company calls the new process of getting newbie hosts up and running and taking bookings Airbnb Setup. Under the plan, Airbnb will automatically match new hosts with experienced superhosts — 1,500 superhosts in more than 80 countries at launch — who can walk new hosts through the process of creating a listing, and even temporarily take over control of their listings to help get them started. The service is free for hosts, and can last through the first guest booking.

New hosts can also choose an experienced guest, meaning one who's had at least three stays and has positive reviews, for their first booking as another way to ease the getting started process for hosts, the company said.

Automatically pairing new hosts with a select group of superhosts expands on Airbnb's existing Ask a Superhost program, where new new hosts can get advice from more experie