Airbnb is an online marketplace that connects people looking to rent their homes with travelers seeking accommodations. Hosts list their available spaces and set prices, while travelers can browse listings, refine searches, and book accommodations. Both hosts and guests benefit from Airbnb's large network and customer-friendly features that aim to build trust, including public profiles, reviews, and a host guarantee of up to $1 million. However, risks remain such as potential property damage or lack of refunds for travelers.

2. Introduction
 Airbnb is an online community marketplace that connects people looking to rent their homes with
people who are looking for accommodations.
 Airbnb users include hosts and travellers: hosts list and rent out their unused spaces, and travellers
search for and book accommodations in 192 countries worldwide.
 It's free to create a listing, and hosts decide how much to charge per night, per week or per month.
 Each listing allows hosts to promote properties through titles, descriptions, photographs with
captions and a user profile where potential guests can get to know a bit about the hosts.
 Travellers (or "guests") search the available database of properties by entering details about when
and where they'd like to travel. Travellers can further refine searches by making selections for: Room
type, size, price, amenities etc.

3. Merits to the Customer
 The consumer (host) can earn extra money from his property when not in use.
 The travellers (guests) can get the feeling of staying at home, often at a cheaper rate as compared to
the expensive hotels.
 Host Guarantee program provides protection for up to $1,000,000 .
 Both hosts and guests can help limit risks by using Airbnb features including Verified IDs, profiles,
reviews, messaging, secure payment platform and the Host Guarantee.
 The “AIRBNB” site is customer friendly. The website design is quite appealing and easy to use.
 The site has various ‘common queries’ listed and answered in order to keep their customers (hosts and
guests) free from all doubts.
 The site allows its customers to contact each other in order to clear some additional queries OR to
negotiate certain T&C.

4. Demerits to the Customer
 The biggest risk for hosts is that their property will get damaged.
 In order to avail the ‘Host Guarantee Program’ it's important to read the terms and conditions to fully
understand what's covered, what's not covered (things such as cash, rare artwork, jewellery and pets
aren’t covered) And also the steps a host must take to seek payment under the Host Guarantee.
 The Travellers pay a guest service fee of 6-12% on top of the reservation to cover services such as customer
support and the Host Guarantee.
 In addition to that AIRBNB takes 3% service fee from the host for each reservation to cover the cost of
processing the transaction.
 The business doesn’t check whether the information regarding the property entered by the host is correct. This
forms a major risk for its guests.
 The site doesn’t provide any information regarding the ‘State and Local Laws’. Thus the travellers have to
gather and understand these law by themselves.

5. Merits to the Business
 The target audience is very large. This in turn increases the profit margin of the business.
 AIRBNB gets the guests and hosts together. Thus the expenses on the business are far too nominal as they
neither buy nor rent any of their “personal” property.
 The site asks its customers to register as a member. This in turn helps the site the get a large customer base.
 Along with the details provided about the property the site gives additional information regarding the
destination, locality and a lot more.
 AIRBNB have the customer review option available. Thus the travellers are able to make decisions based on
the past experience of the other travellers.
 The site provides a lot of transparency in its activities. The guests and the hosts are allowed the contact each
other and sort out their personal doubts regarding the property, rates and taxes etc.
 A lot of information is provided which guides the customers (hosts/guests) through out the site.

6. Demerits of the Business
 AIRBNB doesn’t provide any customer loyalty options. This In turn might aggravate the customers
(hosts/guests) who use the site often.
 The icon to change the currency and language is at extreme right corner and therefore not easily
visible.
 Once the guest has made the payment there is no turning back. No refund or cash back options are
provided to the customers.
 There are chances where the customer (host/guest) might provide their ‘fake identity’. This may lead
to security threats to both.
 Travel and stay go handed in handed. However apart from residence, the site doesn’t provide any
transportations facilities or any information regarding the same.
 When a customer types in his queries it takes nearly a week for the site to respond back. This intern
may delay the customer especially ‘the business travellers’ in making decisions.