TL;DR: Airbnb is testing temporary phone numbers that replace the real phone numbers of guests and hosts for each reservation. These numbers work for calls/texts during the stay and expire two days after checkout. It’s framed as a privacy upgrade; strategically, it also keeps relationships (and repeat bookings) on Airbnb’s rails. Prepare now by auditing your workflows (locks, ops, escalations), shifting essential comms on-platform, and building a compliant first-party guest list through in-stay, optional opt-ins (guidebooks, Wi-Fi splash pages, loyalty perks, QR sign-ups), so you can run your own remarketing and repeat-booking program off-platform—without violating Airbnb rules or messaging laws.
Airbnb’s Help Center confirms a feature (currently limited to parts of the U.S.) that, upon booking confirmation, assigns temporary phone numbers to both guest and host. You can call or text as usual during the trip; the number expires 48 hours after checkout. WhatsApp isn’t supported, which will hit non-US markets especially hard if rolled out to them. Airbnb also notes it’s removing the “guest phone number” quick-reply shortcut, and that attempts to exchange real phone numbers through the platform may be blocked or replaced. Airbnb additionally shares a “suggested door code” tip (last 4 digits of the guest’s real number are still shown in reservation details for lock code workflows).
Key operational impacts:
Phone access is time-boxed. After +2 days post-checkout, the line is dead. No long-tail follow-ups by phone.
Templates must be updated. Any canned responses that inserted a real phone number need to be rewritten.
Locks & codes: The Help article suggests using the last 4 of the real number for codes; verify your automations and SOPs.
Airbnb’s stated reason is privacy and safety—masking personal numbers to reduce abuse and data exposure. That’s reasonable. But it also aligns with Airbnb’s long-running Off-Platform & Fee Transparency Policy, which aims to prevent moving current, future, or repeat bookings off of Airbnb and restrict collecting or using contact info in ways unrelated to the stay. In short: privacy is the banner; platform control is the strategy.
Related policy references and timing:
Off-Platform & Fee Transparency Policy — prohibits pushing guests off Airbnb, offering discounts to book direct, and using contact info in ways not tied to the current stay. Updated and enforced in 2025.
Communications/payments must remain on Airbnb pre-booking; taking guests off-platform prior to booking is explicitly disallowed.
Interpretation: This change reduces “relationship leakage” (guests becoming your direct customers) and makes repeat-booking outreach via phone harder after the stay. And while it's not “evil,” but in fact a rational move for an OTA, It is misaligned with an STR owner’s need to own relationships.
Audit where you rely on real phone numbers.
Smart-lock codes, arrival coordination, emergency escalation trees, lost-and-found handoffs. Where is a persistently reachable number assumed? Rework each path to function within Airbnb messaging/temporary numbers.
Update quick replies and SOPs.
Remove phone-number merge fields in templates; ensure agents know temporary numbers expire at 2 days after stay.
Shift critical comms on-platform.
Pre-arrival instructions, parking, door codes, contingencies—deliver via Airbnb Messenger and your PMS integrations to remain compliant.
Design an escalation plan that doesn’t assume post-stay phone reach.
Post-stay retrievals should be closed within the 48-hour window or handled purely via Airbnb Messenger thereafter.
You cannot solicit off-platform bookings or request contact info in ways unrelated to the stay via Airbnb’s systems. But you can build first-party data outside Airbnb with clear, voluntary opt-ins that don’t gate access to the property. Done right, this lets you run your own remarketing and repeat-booking engine—without touching Airbnb-sourced numbers or breaking its rules.
Compliant, opt-in capture ideas (in-stay & on-premise, always optional):
Wi-Fi splash page (captive portal) that offers perks or local tips in exchange for SMS/email opt-in.
Printed or in-unit QR codes to a public digital guidebook (not required for entry) with clear opt-in for offers, alerts, and return-guest benefits.
Loyalty/VIP list sign-ups at check-in desk or in-unit tablet.
Experiences or amenity bookings (chef, gear rental, firewood delivery) purchased on your own site, where guests can consent to hear about future offers.
Guardrails to stay inside Airbnb policy:
Don’t require third-party sites/apps to access the listing or complete check-in.
Don’t message links via Airbnb that push guests off-platform pre-booking.
Don’t offer discounts in Airbnb messages to encourage off-platform repeat bookings.
Building a list means you are now responsible for messaging compliance.
United States (TCPA/FCC + carrier rules):
For STR marketing texts, you generally need prior express written consent with clear disclosures and an easy STOP opt-out. The FCC’s recent “one-to-one consent” rule clarifies that consent must name a single seller. Follow CTIA’s Messaging Principles (opt-in, HELP/STOP, program name, frequency).
Canada (CASL):
You need consent (express or qualified implied) for commercial electronic messages, including SMS. Use clear identification, purpose, and an easy unsubscribe. Express consent never expires until withdrawn; implied consent has time limits.
Sample on-premise SMS opt-in language (U.S.):
“Enter your mobile number to join [Your Brand] VIP list for stay updates & exclusive offers. By signing up, you agree to receive recurring automated promotional & personalized marketing text messages (e.g., cart reminders) from [Your Brand] at the mobile number used. Consent isn’t a condition of purchase. Msg & data rates may apply. Reply HELP for help, STOP to cancel.”
(Adapt frequency/HELP/STOP and include your business name per CTIA, keep a timestamped log of consent. Yada marketing customers have this included with every campaign.)
Policy brief for your team: summarize Airbnb’s temp-number trial, expiration, and messaging limits; retrain staff.
Template sweep: remove phone merge-fields; convert to on-platform directions & contingencies.
Lock workflow check: if you use last-4 logic, confirm your PMS/lock setup and document a fallback.
Escalations: define who calls whom during the stay vs. after T+2 days (Messenger-only).
First-party capture: deploy Wi-Fi splash, guidebook QR, and a simple VIP form—optional to the stay.
Consent plumbing: add required TCPA/CASL language; store consent records.
Segmenting: keep Airbnb-sourced contacts segregated from your owned opt-ins. Don’t market to Airbnb numbers.
Remarketing calendar: plan 6–12 seasonal nudges (SMS/email) for opted-in past guests (new listings, shoulder-season deals, return-guest perks).
Attribution: tag “source: owned” vs “source: Airbnb” so you can prove ROI of your direct list over time.
Risk review: revisit this guide every quarter; Airbnb’s policy scope and rollout can expand beyond the U.S. pilot.
Yada helps STR operators navigate exactly this pivot:
Guidebooks & QR flows that capture opt-in (email/SMS) outside Airbnb while staying guest-friendly.
Consent-based messaging (SMS via approved carriers/10DLC, email) to your opted-in list—no use of Airbnb temporary numbers.
Repeat-booking journeys that fill shoulder season and off-peak gaps using your first-party data.
Analytics that prove list growth, replies, and revenue from owned channels.
If you want help designing a compliant capture flow and a repeat-booking program for 2025–26, we’ll map it to your PMS and market specifics.
Book a demo to talk to a repeat booking expert now
Bottom line: Airbnb’s masking move makes sense for their platform, not for your P&L. You’ll adapt just fine by hardening your on-platform operations and building a first-party, consent-based guest list you control—so you can own your remarketing and repeat bookings for years to come.