Airbnb is to embark on programme to gather more information about the hosts of its 2.5 million listings around the world.

The idea behind the initiative, which begins in November this year, is to eventually make its listings more transparent to users searching for places to stay.

The company wants to clarify what is exactly involved in a host’s listing – doing so will ensure, it says, guests have a better idea of what to expect when they arrive at a property.

In an announcement to be made by Airbnb today, it says:

“Often Airbnb hosts are renting a room in their home, but some hosts may travel frequently and rely on a friend, relative, or neighbor to help them manage their listing.

“Additionally, in traditional vacation destinations, like beach and ski towns, there may be local property managers who work with many property owners. This creates confusion for guests who want to know what to expect when they check in.”

Hosts will now disclose if the property being listed is part of their personal home, included in a managed portfolio of properties, and who will be overseeing a guest’s stay.

Perhaps of bigger importance to the project, as other online travel providers move into the alternative accommodation space, is Airbnb’s drive to establish what types of properties are listed.

Bed & Breakfast properties have traditionally had their own designation on Airbnb, but now listings will also note if the property is a hostel, lodge, serviced apartment or boutique hotel.

The final element of the initiative is to let guests know if a property comes with a “sociable” element – in other words, are hosts offering themselves to guests to hang out with.

Airbnb says:

“These changes are meant to simplify the process and make it easier for guests to find the perfect listing.

“As Airbnb continues to grow – both in terms of volume of listings and diversity of homes available – we want to organize listings in ways that make it as easy as possible for guests to book exactly what they are looking for.”

Gathering such a large volume of information from potentially millions of hosts could take some time, but Airbnb will not say how long the programme is expected to take.