Accessible Airbnb: My Journey Listing a Wheelchair-Friendly Home

Celebrate Women’s History Month with Accessibility Is Home! In this episode, your host—a proud disabled entrepreneur—takes you behind the scenes of her journey to list her fully accessible home on Airbnb. Discover how she transformed her grief into purpose, creating a space that welcomes disabled travelers and their families.

This episode highlights:

• Key accessibility features of her home, including step-free entryways and universal design bathrooms.
• The challenges faced with Airbnb's accessibility review process.
• How accessible rentals can promote disability inclusion in private real estate markets.

Whether you're a member of the disability community, a real estate professional, or a housing advocate, this story offers inspiration and practical tips for leveraging accessible homes as both personal assets and community resources.

Keywords: #AccessibleHomes #DisabilityAdvocacy #AirbnbForAll #InclusiveTravel #WomenEntrepreneurs

Cush Pocket, a proud sponsor, is a disabled owned company that sells wheelchair bags. Get $1 off by using code Angela Fox 

Chapters

• 0:00 Introduction to Accessibility is Home
• 1:02 Finding Motivation After Loss
• 4:26 My Home's Accessible Features
• 10:36 The Airbnb Listing Process
• 15:58 Customer Service Challenges
• 24:49 Insights and Entrepreneurial Opportunities
• 32:16 Tech Companies and Accessible Housing Crisis
• 35:24 Call to Action and Closing Thoughts

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Welcome to AI Home Podcast, the first podcast for real estate resources and independent living strategies for the disability community. Why? Because accessibility is home. Hi, I'm Angela Fox, blogger, author and your host. Now let's begin. Hello, you listener. Welcome again to Accessibility is Home, the podcast that is dedicated to exploring home ownership. I'm your host, and today's episode is a bit different, as I'll be sharing my own personal journey of listing my wheelchair-accessible home on Airbnb. Over the next hour, we'll dive into what motivated me to list my home.

Speaker 1: 0:45

The process of highlighting features, the challenges I faced with Airbnb's platform and my advice for other homeowners with accessible property who might be considering this path began quite unexpectedly. In 2024, I attended the third annual Disability-Owned Convening, a three-day virtual conference hosted by the National Disability Institute, an organization I highly recommend everybody to follow, and they provided workshops and speakers for disabled entrepreneurs. During one session, a panel discussed how Airbnb could be a business opportunity for disabled entrepreneurs to generate income by renting out their accessible homes. I was delighted to attend because, as many of you who might have listened to my podcast, I have a startup company, horizontalcom, where we lower the kitchen sink but raise the bar for disability home ownership. So not only am I a disabled entrepreneur myself, but then they had a workshop about Airbnb and I thought this might be a way to expand disability home ownership. So I was delighted to attend this workshop At that time, though I wasn't personally motivated to rent out my own accessible home. I was particularly intrigued by one guest speaker's, lauren Woodward of Becoming Rentable. Lauren was a disabled homeowner who started her company certifying accessible vacation homes. If you're interested in hearing more about her story, you can listen to my episode on my website, horizontalhouses, because I got to actually interview her early in 2024. Later that year, my interest grew when Airbnb collaborated with United Spinal Cord Injury Association and provided a more detailed webinar about how to list your accessible home for rent on their platform, just showcasing that Airbnb is definitely reaching out to the disability community in more than one organization. While I found the information intriguing, I still thought this is interesting, but probably not for me.

Speaker 1: 3:03

I don't like to share my home, to be perfectly honest, with strangers. However, everything changed towards the end of the year when my 12-year-old diabetic schnoodle, waldo, passed away just a few weeks before Christmas holidays, and I still miss him to this day In my grief. I found myself donating all of his bolognese and his insulin. I planned a month-long extended stay with my out-of-state family, which was possible because my day job was remote. It was during this emotional time that I became motivated by the idea that my home could provide an accessible space for someone wanting to spend the holidays with their family or friends. Even better, I knew that, unlike my past holiday vacations, where I had to get a pet sitter because my dog would stay at home, my home would allow a family member to stay with their human parents for the holidays. This realization hit home for me. My grief could potentially create an opportunity for another person with disabilities to enjoy the holiday season in a fully accessible environment.

Speaker 1: 4:16

Before I talk about my Airbnb listing process, let me share what makes my home accessible, as this played a key role in my decision to list it. My home's architectural style a ranch was very conducive to many accessible features because it was one level. Let me walk you through some of the key accessible elements. The doorway to the accessible bathroom is 32 inches wide, which accommodates standard wheelchairs. The bathroom itself has a wall-mounted toilet that allows a wheelchair to wheel closer, providing better transfer options. And here's a fun fact about wall-mounted toilets Did you know that it was actually hotels' chains that decided to do wall-mounted toilets. Why it looked better? Because you didn't have the mount underneath the toilet. It's interesting to think that it is in fact very cosmetic appealing, which is why hotels were the first ones to introduce wall-mounted toilets. So that's just a little fun fact. And then the same accessible bathroom is attached to the main feature, making it super convenient for those midnight potty breaks that I know I've experienced.

Speaker 1: 5:33

One of my favorite features is the universal wheelchair, step-free bathtub that has a built-in seat and a handheld shower head. This is different than a traditional walk-in bathtub where there is no steps but there's also no place for an individual to sit. Nor is it possible for a wheelchair user to be able to wheel up parallel to transfer. The particular universal wheelchair bathtub that I have has a door that's a full length of the bathtub and then a built-in seat, as I mentioned. So I use an electric wheelchair and I wheel up parallel and I just scooch my tush over to the seat, push my wheelchair aside, shut the door and I can lock it in place. In place, this bathtub, because not only does it have the built-in seat, it also has a handheld shower, providing the convenience of both soaking if I want to, but also using it as a regular shower. In the kitchen I have a pull-down upper cappiness which makes reaching items above the countertop much easier, without need to stretch or climb. I also have a front load washer. Dryer units eliminate the need to reach over and into top loading machines. Trust me, I've lived in an apartment complex where there was a front loading washer and literally had to practically hang over into the tub, so to speak, the washer or dryer, to get the items. So it's very handy and very accessible to have front loader dryers and most washer dryers are now there. But about 12 or 15 years ago you wouldn't have that.

Speaker 1: 7:17

The exterior is just accessible with a zero-step entryway through a beautiful sidewalk ramp that connects nicely to the camp driveway. I've also added a ramp to the deck and created a ramp and paved outdoor patio to access the backyard easily. It's a little bit of a no, because I literally created the sidewalk and the outdoor patio simply because my diabetic dog, wado, became blind for the last year and he was too scared to go down the steps of my back deck. So I went in the front of my house and I had a ramp and we would walk down the sidewalk and I created a little patio that I could be out in the backyard while he roamed safely in my friend's yard. But it's still very nice to have an entrance value to the home yard. But it's still very nice to have and adds value to the home.

Speaker 1: 8:08

Something I want to emphasize is that when able-bodied individuals are faced with the need to make a home accessible, they often worry about how to make specific modifications while ensuring the home remains fully functional for the able-bodied people. However, with a few exceptions, there's nothing that prevents an able-bodied person from using these modifications. For example, not having any steps into the house makes it easier for everyone to get inside the home, regardless of mobility status. I also just mentioned the fact that I create a separate sidewalk that goes from the front of my house all the way to the back of my yard and a little patio as well that able-bodied people can use. I'm glad I extended it into a patio and one of my neighbors even multiple neighbors actually even said wow, that looks like a great setup in the backyard and you can have additional grills and it makes it very convenient to be able to get back there. So anytime anybody who's not disabled knows how pretty something is, you know you added value to the home.

Speaker 1: 9:14

Before attending any webinars, though, about Airbnb opening the door to adaptive rental vacation homes, I had read a documentary about Airbnb's origins. Again, I have a star company, horizontal Houses, and I wanted to know what are some options to improve disabled homeownership, including disabled individuals only vacation homes. So I read the book. It was fascinating to learn how some MIT college students believed that if you targeted the right geographical location and a high demand need for temporary housing, like during the Democratic election for the presidential candidate, president Obama at that time, even a blowed-up mattress in a one-bedroom Chicago apartment could be rented out. So that literally is true. These same inventors eventually realized that, as demand grew, their platform needed to be visually appealing and extremely user-friendly for both renters and hosts. Based on this, I expected the process of listing my home on Airbnb to be straightforward. For the most part, I can say it was.

Speaker 1: 10:27

The platform allows you to have one account but switch between roles as a renter or a host. Give you the flexibility if you want both options. Before getting to the details of your listing, you're required to set up payment, verify your address and complete other administrative tasks. I recall the turnaround time was pretty quick, but I would recommend giving yourself a few days to ensure you can move forward smoothly. When editing your listing, airbnb divides it between your space and arrival guide. Theval Guide is your opportunity to tell guests about local areas, transportation options and places to visit. I honestly completed that portion. Last, and it's not required, I haven't found any of my guests taking the time to read it, but that doesn't mean you should put it into credit.

Speaker 1: 11:23

The your Space section easily guides you through different rooms you likely have, such as bedrooms, kitchen and bathrooms. It allows you to check from a list of amenities specific to each room type, list any privacy restrictions and, of course, highlight accessible features from your provided list of options. Each room and its accessible features allow you to upload photos to showcase them properly. You can also have options to set prices, specify how many nights a guest can stay, establish minimum stay requirements, choose cancellation policy, determine how far in advance a guest must book, set up your home's availability calendar, outline your pent and house rules and create general property descriptions. So I was very concerned initially that once I put it up that I wouldn't be able to have any advance notice. So I was surprised. I was able to say you know what. You have to at least give me at least three days in advance. So that means that will allow me to review the request and also set up cleaning services for the next guest. This was where my experience took an interesting turn in reviewing the accessibility review process.

Speaker 1: 12:43

Airbnb's accessibility review is a separate process for merely listing your home for rent, although there are overlaps. The listing process relies heavily on photos you submit to prove the accessible features exist in your home. When I submitted my listing in December of 2024, I carefully uploaded separate folders for each accessible feature. I expected my home to be listed under the Adaptive category which Airbnb created specifically for properties with accessible features. It's important to know why this is so important for me and for users. It's that when you first go to Airbnb, if you are a future guest at the very top, airbnb really wants to make sure that they don't just have the traditional condos and single-family homes to be rented. They want to have unique property. That's what makes them so great, and when I mean unique, they even have a category for tree houses. You all, I'm not kidding. You could probably even find a castle. Because they are international. These categories are at the very top of the website and so that will allow you to easily scroll left to right to see all the options, all the different types of properties. It expands your horizon. It really helps also showcase and mainstream this idea of accessible properties because there is an adaptive category, so that's why it was so important.

Speaker 1: 14:19

After three weeks of having my home listed with all the digital photos required for accessible verification, I noticed my home was only categorized under golfing and not adaptive. Yes, you all heard me correct Golfing, and yes, there is a golfing resort, part of a country club about two miles away from my house. This is when my adventure with Airbnb customer service began. On January 6th, I reached out to Airbnb for help. I believed at that time that, because my accessible features were still showing as BE REVIEWED, this was preventing my property from being listed under the adaptive category. My message to Airbnb customers was simple how long does it take for the accessible features to be reviewed? It took a few tries to get past the unhelpful chatbot to speak with an actual person. We all have probably experienced that with the glorious AI right. When I finally did, the representative informed me that he was just finishing his shift, but if I could send him a message with all the details, he will work on my first name when he starts his next shift. Of course, I thought why wouldn't there be another individual who could pick up your work? There be another individual who could pick up your work, considering Airbnb has properties worldwide.

Speaker 1: 15:49

The next day I spoke with a support ambassador at Airbnb who said he reviewed my listing and confirmed it was active. He asked me to capture what the system was showing on my end, so I took screenshots of one of the rooms that showed the accessible features still under review and sent them with a request that they be reviewed so my property could be placed in the adaptive category. The response was extremely unhelpful. I dare say he didn't even read my messages, because he sent me information on how to add accessible features. I told him this wasn't what I was asking. The next day it appeared I was sent back to the chatbot because it asked me if the information sent the day before was helpful, because I immediately did respond. When I did, I said no to the chatbot. I got the message that my request was being forwarded to a team that could better assist me.

Speaker 1: 16:44

Here we go again. When I was connected to someone new, I took a screenshot to show that the adaptive category was grayed out, not allowing me the option to select it like I could with other categories. The January 8th response stated that a change of category can take operations 1 to 7 days to implement. I responded that I had uploaded the accessible features on December 23rd over two weeks earlier and guess what happened? The chatbot sent me the exact same information on how to add a category to my list theme. I got the exact same information, so you can imagine I was getting frustrated.

Speaker 1: 17:28

I sent a message back and the response I received was just as confusing. Specifically, it said that, because the adaptive category wasn't listed on the previous link they sent me, I could add the new category and the change could now take five to seven days. Of course I was puzzled right, because this whole thing is. I wasn't able to change it in the first place, but it seemed like they were thinking that I could. I realized they were suggesting I have the ability to click on the adaptive category added to my listing. Again, of course, I responded this wasn't possible for me to do, since the option was grayed out, and I had already said that two other times.

Speaker 1: 18:10

I was then connected to a senior case manager. He confirmed my category was list call and informed me that Airbnb has a specialized team for the adaptive category. He admitted they don't have direct access to this team, even though he's a manager and therefore couldn't help me any further. He didn't bother to give me any suggestions of who I could contact that might be able to connect me with the adaptive team. Can you believe that? So what I discovered later on was that the adaptive category is reserved so far for about 1,200 homes that have gone through 3D scans. Airbnb does an additional step by doing a 3D scan to really be able to lay out the house and then uploads a 2D layout for individuals to be able to see, which I think is a fabulous way to verify that it's more than just some accessible features, that in fact this home is truly adaptive, that in fact this home is truly adaptive. But it remains unclear to me how you can reach out to Airbnb to request that a 3D scan be done of your home to qualify for adaptive category. However, my accessible features were eventually viewed and approved, just not the adaptive category. So, besides that little hook if you just take a step back and want to know what's going on.

Speaker 1: 19:48

Despite the challenges with the categorization that I had, I did receive inquiries from people interested in my home's accessibility features. New Airbnb doesn't require guests to identify if they have a disability, nor should they y'all. The platform allows prospective guests to message hosts with questions and express their specific needs through the platform. Some messages I received I learned about adult siblings who wanted to be the elderly mother who used a walker. They specifically mentioned that the one-level home, including the ability to easily get into the universal bathtub, would be a good fit for their families and they gave me an overall 4 stars. I also had interest from a veteran from Texas who was not only looking at my home's accessible features because he expected to have temporary mobility issues from an upcoming surgery, but he also appreciated my home's location, being within driving distance to Walter Reed when he anticipated the surgery.

Speaker 1: 20:59

Regarding insurance considerations, it's worth noting that Airbnb provides up to a million dollars in insurance coverage for a host. Isn't that great. But as with any rental situation, it's always a good idea to coordinate with your home insurance provider for extra protection, also depending on where you live and the type of home you have. If you have an HOA, please be mindful that maybe you're not allowed to do sub-rentals, sub-lease, or they specifically ban Airbnb. I know New York City was going through something because so much of locals said that they couldn't even afford to rent out homes themselves, simply because all the property have become Airbnb. So make sure you look into your local zoning and then, if you have an HOA, what their rules are as well. So there are definitely some drawbacks, though, to renting through Airbnb. For one, you lose 3% of your earnings because they require a 3% commission. While this may not seem a lot, it does add up over time.

Speaker 1: 23:45

Another concern I have is that, while Airbnb is good at marketing the benefits for guests to rent an Airbnb compared to a hotel, they may need to work on setting guest expectations a little better. For example, before listing my home, I told my neighbor who rents out his property that I was considering listing mine on Airbnb when I will be gone for a while. His very first response was no, don't do it. He said he tried Airbnb, but every guest complained about the home not being clean enough. He hired professional cleaners, yet a guest literally complained about finding a single hair in the corner of the bathroom. I honestly thought at that time that he was probably exaggerating, that it couldn't be that bad. But to my surprise, I experienced the same thing with one of my guests. I even had my house cleaner because I talked to the neighbor take photos to prove that the home was clean before the guests arrived. I understand guests want and should expect a clean home. However, almost all the homes listed on Airbnb are lived in. They are not hotels with daily professional services, and homes are bound to have a little bit wear and tear because people live in them and the structures themselves are probably more older than most hotels. So it's something, I think, that maybe Airbnb, when they do allow guests to rent, to dive a little bit deeper when it comes to cleanliness and things of that nature. Despite these concerns about cleanliness expectations, I still received, like I said, an overall rating of 4 out of 5 stars, which I consider a success, especially for my very first time hosting.

Speaker 1: 25:40

When I first listened to one of the webinars on Airbnb conducted, it was presented as an entrepreneurial opportunity. As I mentioned earlier, I honestly thought it was simply a quick way to make some extra money during times I would be using my home. After doing it for one month, I could truly see how one could consider themselves an entrepreneur in this space. I now use my experience as a way to expand the idea of disability home ownership. It's more than just whether a disabled person owns a home. It's also about letting other disabled individuals enjoy their vacations in a fully accessible environment. This experience has reinforced my belief that the disability home ownership can take many forms and serve multiple purposes. My accessible home isn't just my personal living space. It's now become a resource for others in disability communities who need accessible accommodations while traveling.

Speaker 1: 26:44

I would advise anyone with an accessible home to try using Airbnb. First, it's a relatively easy way to generate additional income from a property you already own when you're not using your space, whether it's during a vacation, work trip or extended stay someplace else. Why not let it provide value to others while also providing financial return to you? I listened to other individuals who have far more experience in Airbnb during that webinar by the Natural Disability Institute and they could say they have loyal guests that come every year simply because there's just not enough housing available for vacation for individuals with disabilities. Second, if you're able to rent out your portion of your home for about 80% of the year for two years. The rental income usually is considered in your home's equity. This means you could potentially qualify for a loan based on both the market value and the rental value of your property. We all experience unexpected costs in life and using a home equity loan when cash is short typically offers far lower interest rates than credit cards. It is that generational wealth that we talk about, and generational wealth that we talk about Finally, by allowing others into your home, whether they have disabilities or not, you help reshape people's perspective on how individuals with disabilities live independently.

Speaker 1: 28:19

Every guest who stays in an accessible home experiences its functionality firsthand, develops a better understanding of accessible design and disability living. If any of you listening to this podcast decide to go on Airbnb and you have accessible features to the home, please reach out to me at accessibilityishome at gmailcom and I will love to hear your story and invite you to be on my podcast as another way to expand people's understanding and considering this disabled individuals as also landlords themselves. Now this experience got me thinking about the broader issue of accessibility in real estate and tech worlds, so recently, some news caught my attention that I find both intriguing and a bit perplexing. Joe Gabby, one of Airbnb's co-founders, has joined Elon Musk's Department of Government Agency, or DOGE, to help modernize federal retirement systems. Now don't get me wrong, I'm all for approving government agencies, but I can't help but wonder what does Airbnb co-founder know about federal retirement computer systems? He's in housing and, yes, he has a fabulous platform that him and two other individuals created, but it's still about housing, not federal employment paperwork in computer systems. This move feels a bit out of left field, especially when there are so many accessibility issues still to be addressed in the short-term rental market. I can't help but think that an Airbnb co-founder replying his designer brain could be put to use to prove the accessible features on Airbnb platform rather than join Doge.

Speaker 1: 30:24

Speaking of tech companies in the real estate space, let's also talk about Zillow and Redfin for a moment. These platforms have revolutionized how we search for homes, but when it comes to accessibility features, they are still falling short. Recently, zillow and Redfin announced a partnership to expand their reach in real estate market. While this might be great for their bottom line, I can't help but notice glaring omission. Neither company seems to have disabled individuals in charge of incorporating accessible features into the MLS listing, and this oversight is significant.

Speaker 1: 31:06

As someone who searched for accessible housing when I tried to buy my own home 12 years ago, I know how frustrating it could be to find a property that meets your needs. Imagine if these platforms had robust, detailed accessibility filters. It would be a game changer for disabled homebuyers and renters. In fact, for Black History Month, I had interviewed the realtor and he is a wheelchair user who is also a realtor himself, and if you listen to that episode, which I broke it up into, he talked about that his frustration with Zillow and Redfin about how limited to describe accessible features and individuals looking for accessible features. It was very limited, so much that he says you know what, when it comes to houses that have a universal design and other accessible features. He said that he doesn't even put it on Zillow and Redfin. Instead, he uses social media to directly reach out to the disability community.

Speaker 1: 32:15

So let's zoom out for a moment and look at the bigger picture here. The need for accessible housing in the United States is dire. Only 5% of housing in the US is accessible and a mere 1% can accommodate wheelchair users. This is a crisis that needs immediate attention. We're seeing some positive moves in this direction. For instance, in Canada, there are efforts to improve accessibility in rural areas and new buildings. Another example and I've talked about this about a year ago, locally in Maryland, the Prince George's County passed a law that 50% of single-family housing and a few other housing that does not get federal funds or any government funds 50% starting in 2026, have to be universally designed. So that is a county-specific and that's also a game-changer.

Speaker 1: 33:13

But we need tech companies like Airbnb, zillow and RentFed to step up and make accessibility a priority. So what can we do about this? As disabled homeowners and renters, our voice means we need to keep pushing for better accessibility features on these platforms. You can write to Airbnb, zillow and Rentfair. You can share your experience with them. You can demand better filters and more detailed accessibility information. You can, as I mentioned earlier, reach out to me.

Speaker 1: 33:45

If you've had a positive experience of having an accessible house, whether it's on Airbnb. You built your house and you are a disabled homeowner, please reach out and share that experience. That's one of my fundamental focuses for this podcast because, believe me, it may not seem like a big deal, but most people don't even think about individuals being homeowners themselves, let alone, being entrepreneurs, being landlords and putting their accessible house onto a short-term rental property. So your story does matter and if you know someone, even if it's not, you share them my podcast and let them know and encourage them to reach out to me. It's a good publicity if they are entrepreneurs and for the accessible house, or if they're huge advocates and they truly believe that we should be. The disability community should be at the table when it comes to real estate.

Speaker 1: 34:44

As we wrap up this episode, I want to thank you for joining me on this journey through my experience listing my accessible home on Airbnb. Despite some frustrations with the customer service and the platform's limitations regarding the adaptive category, I believe this has been a valuable experience that has expanded my own understanding of disability home ownership. Until next time, remember that accessibility isn't just a feature, it's a home. Thank you for listening. Horizontalhousescom is the hub for all things related to disability home ownership. You will find my blog, this podcast, my book and how my consulting services can help real estate agents or housing developers market and tap into the largest minority group, the disability community. Please help me continue this exploration of disability home ownership by connecting through my Facebook page. Remember, sharing our collective experiences will allow us each to lower the kitchen sink but raise the bar for disability home ownership. Thank you, you.