By U. S. law, age discrimination is defined as discriminating against people over the age of 40.
No. It isn’t.
Note that AGE is not included here:
Airbnb hosts may not:
● Decline a guest based on race, color, ethnicity, national origin,
religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, or marital status.
● Impose any di erent terms or conditions based on race, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, or marital status.
● Post any listing or make any statement that discourages or indicates a preference for or against any guest on account of race, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, or marital status.
However, I bet that ageism will be a future issue, but not for infants and children, but aging adults.
1 Like
I just read the whole thing. If I want to decline someone because I want a longer booking, for say, a time period when I will be traveling, I think they will block the calendar if you choose “this space is not available.” I don’t know how they can enforce a lot of this. Also I think we are going to lose even more control.
2 Likes
I didn’t. But I’m on IB–for the time being anyway 
Update, I did receive it but deleted it because it looked like advertising
As am I. Interesting that everyone didn’t receive this email. The report is clearly entitled “United States” so I would have expected that anyone with a listing address in this country would have received this letter. Somehow this technology company keeps tripping over the technology.
It’s a case of CYA as far as the discrimination thing. They need to put an all inclusive, welcoming face on Airbnb. To avoid or reduce the number of people who feel they’ve been discriminated against they are stepping up their efforts to get us to go the Instant Booking route.
With IB that gets the guests across the threshold, but if there are problems the guests can now use the “discrimination card”.
1 Like
But in Brian’s email that Amy posted it says,
“Airbnb Community Commitment
Beginning November 1, everyone who uses Airbnb must agree to a stronger, more detailed nondiscrimination policy. We aren’t just asking you to check a box associated with a long legal document. We’re asking everyone to agree to something we’re calling the Airbnb Community Commitment, which says:
We believe that no matter who you are, where you are from, or where you travel, you should be able to belong in the Airbnb community. By joining this community, you commit to treat all fellow members of this community, regardless of race, religion, national origin, disability, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation or age, with respect, and without judgment or bias.”
See the last sentence, which does mention age.
Another thing that comes up is young adults. Some hosts don’t want to rent to 18-25(ish) year-olds, which I do understand.
2 Likes
Is 18 the youngest Air allows? I don’t care for that crowd, but I’ve had quite a few that were OK. The ones that weren’t had no reviews. I was careless.
Why would you think that? I thought it would be those with children/infants because the majority of the house rules I see, including mine, state no kids of a certain age.
When I have declined people in the past (usually for TOS issues) there is an option to check that says “I am waiting for a better booking”. I thought that was a odd thing to add to a short list, though it makes sense if you are in a vacation destination and someone wants to book 1 day in the middle of high season when you know you could get a full week from someone else. But I could also see how this could be a negative reason to reject someone and that’s why I thought it was a weird choice.
I think it HAS to be. If you are under 18, you are a minor and not legally able to sign a contract. (the Air TOS you agree to upon booking would be a contract.)
2 Likes
Ah, there it is. Just came through a minute ago. 
1 Like
I think we should be allowed to “discriminate”, (although I welcome all). I have seen some listings for “women only” and I think that is fine. I do not believe a young women advertising for “women only” should be required to host a group of men.
7 Likes
If you live in the home, they have offered lots of loopholes on page 29.
3 Likes
There lies the dilemma, in the quest to eliminate any and all personal choices which will surely lead to some form of ‘discrimination’, it needs two requirements: asking humans to suspend the reality that there are indeed differences among humans AND the rise of Big Brother (Government) to enforce it, and the latter is the most dangerous.
3 Likes
A lot of my friends believe that “I’m a single woman.” should be an excuse to discriminate. I decided to see if statistics bear out their argument. They do not. As you can see; men definitely are more often the perpetrators of violent crime; but they are much more often the victims. This is especially true of crimes committed by strangers.
2 Likes
Page 20, paragraph 4.
How are they going to do that: the calendar will be blocked if a host says lsiting is not available but in fact it is available.
So, the host can not decline anyone anymore. Are they going to go into each individual lisiting and determine why a guest is declined? For example a host does not want parties, and here is a bunch of 20 years old renting a space for 2 days. Its obvious there will be some kind of a party. SO, host declines, but the calendar for these dys will be blocked? Or i am missing something?
2 Likes
YES! That is how I read that also!
They will punish you for saying your place is not available???
2 Likes
Goodness, so many knickers in a twist / panties in a bunch ! It’s not as bad on here as the stuff being posted on the Community Centre, though. On the CC there is so much mis-information, it’s crazy. Also, it’s so ironic when hosts complain about guests not reading all the information on a listing and yet there they are immediately complaining when they actually haven’t read the document at all!
I agree that a lot of the wording is still a bit loose and fuzzy, particularly with relation to age discrimination. But I actually think they’ve done a pretty good job with trying to balance the needs of hosts and efforts to avoid blatant discrimination.
2 Likes
I read it as using the ‘not available’ excuse to decline someone that you don’t like the look of instead of choosing a valid reason like “Not comfortable with guest” or “Not a good fit”. I can’t remember all the options for declining (I take just about anyone!).