Airbnb Privacy Changes Concern Property Managers

Airbnb will introduce temporary telephone numbers for certain hosts and guests in the United States and Canada, a privacy measure that has prompted concern among professional accommodation managers about access to customer information.

From 30 October, the platform will mask real numbers for large hosts and property managers using connected management software, where the listing and both parties meet specified US or Canadian location and registration conditions. Temporary numbers will support calls and text messages from booking until two days after checkout. Afterwards, calls will be redirected through Airbnb support. The company has tested the system with a smaller group since December.

Airbnb says the change is intended to improve privacy and encourage safer communication. Some operators argue that it complicates matters not easily handled through the platform's messaging service, including damage disputes, forgotten belongings and urgent guest requests. The temporary numbers do not support WhatsApp, group messages or photo sharing. Property management company Evolve has advised owners that entry systems relying on the final digits of guests' actual numbers may also require changes. The change may prompt hosts to review their booking and access procedures.

The dispute highlights a commercial question for online accommodation marketplaces: who controls the relationship between travellers and businesses after a reservation is made? Airbnb's approach limits the sharing of personal information while making direct contact less straightforward for certain operators. For guests, privacy protections may come with practical inconvenience; for professional hosts, they could change how check-in, customer service and repeat bookings are managed.