Wheelhouse has rolled out a brand new integration to Airbnb’s new API. What does this mean for you? This means that all new connections are much more seamless, secure and reliable. We have moved away from using a connection process that included sharing login details with Wheelhouse and instead uses a simple authentication process done directly within Airbnb. This allows for a lot less maintenance of ensuring your credentials are correct on both platforms, but also means that changes done here will not affect your connection.

However, with the connection to the new Airbnb API comes a few mandated limitations that you will see occur upon connecting. These limitations are listed below.

Adjustments or rules created directly on the Airbnb calendar will be removed and limited only to unblocking and blocking of calendar dates that are within your pre-determined Availability window. This means that any Airbnb rule-sets or custom adjustments that you may have applied to the calendar will be removed and manually unblocking of your calendar dates will no longer be available.

The best way to navigate your availability options are to set up your listing’s availability to any other date range that does not include “Unavailable by Default” as this will create calendar confusion. From there, depending on the Availability window you have selected, you are free to block and unblock any particular date within that pre-determined range.

To circumvent limitations around rule-sets, we recommend creating adjustments directly within Wheelhouse. If you weren’t sure how to apply certain adjustments, please reach out and let us know!

Two third-party systems, such as Wheelhouse alongside a third-party Channel Management System (CMS) or Property Management System (PMS) cannot coexist on the Airbnb platform. If you are currently using a third-party tool like a PMS or CMS, we recommend ensuring that these are tools that are integrated to Wheelhouse and are currently connected directly to Wheelhouse. If you aren’t sure whether or not your PMS or CMS is currently integrated to Wheelhouse, please feel free to reach out to us and we would be happy to discuss this further with you!

Airbnb’s new API has a large focus on increased security. One of the ways we see this is with the new limitation in that a listing can no longer be connected to a third-party tool if it’s being connected through a co-host’s account. Loading a listing onto Wheelhouse must be done by connecting the primary host or the appointed team leader’s account.

You can learn more information about Airbnb Teams by clicking here.

All software connected hosts (excluding hosts that have a majority of their listings located in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Uruguay, The Bahamas, Argentina and Taiwan) will now be automatically moved, if not already, to the Host-only fee, what Airbnb calls their simplified pricing structure. This means that the service fee, which was historically split between the guest and host, will now be charged just to the host, amounting to a service fee that falls anywhere between 14% to 16%.

This does not change the fact that you are still very much in charge of your pricing. To circumvent the additional charge, you can still adjust your Base Price, which is the best way to increase your prices across the board, to a higher price to offset the additional service fee.

Click here to learn more about the host-only service.

When Wheelhouse automates or syncs your prices and minimum stays, Instant Book will be turned on for all listings currently connected to Wheelhouse. That being said, Instant Book Guest Requirements will be maintained to whatever setting you currently have or decide to apply going forward. These settings include a government-issued ID to be submitted to Airbnb, a recommendation from other hosts with no negative reviews, or a response to be created to a pre-booking message before confirming their reservation.

iCal syncing and linked calendars will no longer be an available option. When Wheelhouse attempts to sync your prices and minimum stays, your iCals and linked calendars will be turned off and stop syncing. While you will still be able to attempt to reconnect and resync your iCals and linked calendar after the sync, we recommend that you use a Property Management System (PMS) or Channel Management System (CMS) going forward to sync your availability without disruptions.

Syncing with Airbnb Plus listings or in Plus onboarding flow will not work since it will be rejected by Airbnb.