How does constraining description affect guest booking decisions and satisfaction?

Abstract

The importance of hosts' information disclosure on influencing guest behavior and matching efficiency has been proven by many studies. Most peer-to-peer rental platforms allow hosts to disclose constraining descriptions (such as house rules) to regulate guest behaviors. However, the effects of this specific type of information disclosure on subsequent guest behaviors and host performance remain unclear. Thus, based on a unique longitudinal dataset collected from Airbnb, this study investigates how constraining descriptions influence the booking decisions and satisfaction of subsequent guests. Results show that constraining descriptions related to topics, including civilization-related, living conditions, personal activities, and host management boost the review volume but decrease guest satisfaction and cause rating loss. Degree of competition, hosts' prior reputation, and price moderate the relationship between constraining descriptions and subsequent guest behaviors. As an early attempt to focus on the consequence of hosts’ constraining descriptions, this study contributes to tourism literature and property hosts in practice.