hike in El Yunque National Forest.
Airbnb’s connection to the deaths
was first reported in late October;
the fatalities were believed to
be the first involving an Airbnb
Experience. While no evidence
has emerged of negligence in the
incident, it underscores the legal
and regulatory responsibilities to
which Airbnb’s expansion exposes
it. “Our hearts break for those who
have been impacted by this tragic
accident, and we have offered
our full support” to the families,
Airbnb said in a statement. It de-
clined to answer questions about
the host’s vetting or licensing.
T WAS 11 YEARS ago that
Chesky and cofounders Joe
Gebbia and Nathan Blechar-
czyk first launched
Airbedandbreakfast.com. Since
then, the platform has facilitated
more than 500 million “guest
arrivals,” earning hosts more than
$80 billion. With guests now
checking in at a rate of six per
second, homes remain by far
Airbnb’s biggest business and the
one where fixes matter most.
Airbnb says in the 12-month
span that ended July 31, 0.05%
of its trips had a safety-related
issue reported by a host or
guest. That’s a tiny share—but
given that estimates peg Airbnb
as hosting at least 80 million
guest arrivals a year, that share
represents at least 40,000 that
reported safety problems. If
you widen the definition of a
“problem stay” to include issues
like fake or misleading listings
and last- second cancellations,
the percentage likely rises much
higher.
Chesky says addressing these
issues is Airbnb’s “No. 1 priority.”
He’s quick to point to steps the
company had already taken, but
he acknowledges, “A lot of these
things, they needed more meat
behind the bones ... much more
investment, much more training.”
Until now, for example, the site
has sometimes run background
checks on hosts and guests. But
they are limited to U.S.-basedBOOKING HIS NEXT TRIP Joe Zadeh, who
helped rebuild the Experiences group
after its early struggles, is leaving it to
take a broader strategic role at Airbnb.
PHOTOGRAPH BY WINNI WINTERMEYER
SMART
ROBOTS
ARE
NOT GOING
TO STEAL
OUR JOBS.
Y E T.
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