Hi all,
Apologies that I haven’t replied a little sooner.
Yes, absolutely.
Couldn’t agree more, though that isn’t always the case. These features aren’t designed to replace the need for great communication between members, instead they should aid it. 
Homeowners/Hosts can set a time range, which could be fairly wide depending on their flexibility.
Glad you like them! Yes, features will be communicated beyond the forum - though as a forum team, we’ll do our best to share regular updates about changes which are coming soon.
Yes - there’s a forum discussion about that here.
Agree, these are minimum requirements, it’s normal that listings include many more. The aim is to support sitters in being given a fair and accurate representation of the home before they apply.
Thanks,