Airbnb launches neighbourhood support line in SA

Source: 123RF

While the overwhelming majority of stays take place with no issues - and emergencies and safety incidents should be reported to local authorities - the neighbourhood support line aims to address both immediate disturbances, such as an unauthorised party in progress, as well as possible long-term or recurring issues within the community.

The service is operated by Airbnb, and builds on the company’s existing Neighbourhood Tool, which allows neighbours to submit complaints about a listing via an online form. Airbnb investigates reports received through these channels.

Supporting responsible travel

Velma Corcoran, regional lead Middle East Africa at Airbnb, says: "The vast majority of Hosts and guests on Airbnb are good neighbours and respectful travellers who follow the rules. As travel returns to South Africa and we prepare for a busy summer, we want to take swift and robust action against anyone who doesn’t live up to the standards that communities expect, and the neighbourhood support line will help us to crack down on the type of behaviour that isn’t welcome on Airbnb."

The neighbourhood support line is already live in 29 countries and territories globally, including France, Spain, Italy, the UK, Germany, Switzerland, Czech Republic and the Netherlands, among others.

The launch follows the introduction of other measures by Airbnb to get tough on anti-social behaviour. These include extending the global ban on parties in listings on Airbnb, which has been embraced by our Host community, elevating visibility of a listing’s House Rules to guests, and hiring more Community Support staff.

Neighbours can visit www.airbnb.co.za/neighbours to request a call from a specialised support agent, who will aim to give them a call back within ten minutes.