COMPULSORY enhanced cleaning protocol unrealistic for many

[Belinda55]

Dear Airbnb,

Please quit your paternalistic and bullying ‘one size fits all’ policies. There are many locations in the world with little or no community COVID infections, so to coerce hosts (by threatening blocking of calendar and bookings) into complying with a global policy is both unrealistic and unfair.
There are no other booking platforms doing this! Hosts are able to comply with local regulations and requirements and do not need this heavy-handedness from you. I have been a Superhost, with a perfect record on cleanliness, for 7 years straight, and am insulted and offended by your approach. Talk about ‘biting the hand‘ ... we are now planning to prioritise other booking platforms.

[Helen350]

Sorry @Quincy ! - Just trying to stand up to bullying, in the hope it will stop.  (I'll ignore him in future.) Thanks for your input.

[Adam1295]

I absolutely hate that Airbnb is making this new cleaning protocol mandatory now! I read through what some other hosts are saying about it, and I'm glad I'm far from the only one who has a real issue with it.

To tell my situation:

My listing is a 5500-6000 sf home. Up to this point, I've been doing all the cleaning on my own. It takes 3 hours bare minimum IF guests left my home in good shape, meaning I'm just washing sheets, wiping down surfaces, scrubbing toilets, and vacuuming the floors. And that's if I'm motivated and really moving fast. If they leave more mess, it can easily take 4-5-6 hours, depending on what I have to do. IF I actually do everything in the protocol, it will easily take ALL DAY, EVERY SINGLE TIME! I'm sorry, but that's unacceptable.

Another problem is that I live in the home when I don't have full-house bookings. I leave when I get the bookings. So the bit about not being in the rooms after they've been cleaned/sanitized literally would kick me out of my home, or force me to finish last minute every time. Also unacceptable!

The ONLY way I might manage this is if I hire a cleaning service, which will mean raising the price on guests, but it still leaves me with the second problem of how am I supposed to stay out.

This NEEDS to be optional! Let's be real here... those people who are THIS extremely cautious with their health... are probably not traveling at all. AND they are probably not getting together in large groups, as is the common thing in my home (I regularly have 12-13 guests in my home). I have been giving guests options regarding my interaction with them, or lack thereof, and most have said they're not worried. Again, not surprising considering what my listing is. So WHY should I force them to pay an extra $300 or so in a cleaning fee WHEN THEY DON'T EVEN CARE, and will go somewhere cheaper and less paranoid in their cleaning practices when given the choice? This is utterly ridiculous.

Also, I'm a superhost... and I'm considering taking my business elsewhere over this.

So there's my rant. But apart from ranting, I would actually like a reasonable solution.

[Brent31]

Deb75, thank-you for these words in this community, much needed. Our situation is similar, both in our 60's, we have 3 semi-remote, very private, self-contained accommodations in a location where masks are not mandatory. This was going to be our retirement, we've worked very hard for 20 years towards this goal. Plan was to quit my full time job in a year or two, my wife currently doing all of the cleaning and preparations on her own. This is her full time job. If we complied with airbnb's ridiculous policies, she would be wearing a mask most of the time in a  setting where she sees no one day in and day out while she's working. Sure, it would be easy to tick the box and go on as usual, however, neither of us are interested in perpetuating this global fiasco, that would be unconscionable. We're hoping for a change of policy over the next few weeks, however, preparing to move on, as soon as our obligation to those who have already booked with us is done. 

I think this finally landed in the right spot

BC

[Emma2259]

@Brent31 'here here'... yes totally agree with you and good on you for standing by your truth.  This isn't just about going along with it just to continue getting bookings from airbnb, this is about not acquiescing to 'as you said this global nonsense' and tyranny unfolding in many ways. If we go along with it, I don't think our freedoms will be respected and it will get worse.  If there were real risk, then I'm confident most people would do the right thing, instead it is just quite ridiculous!  There is something amiss here. Albeit there are adjustments to be made but being open to new possibilities and trusting that all will be well is the way I am moving forward.   All the best to you and your wife, and everyone who is brave enough to not sign into this.  I am ready to move on without airbnb..

[Leslie-and-Paul0]

Leslie@1120RailwayAve

I feel that AirBnB is setting up for us to become liable.  They should not be putting this guideline out at all.  feels like a bunch of youngsters behind computers that haven't lifted a spray bottle in their lives.  Picking on cleaners.   of course you work from top to Botton, clean then sanitise , umnn yeah. 

[Jeannet121]

I am so relieved to find this chain of mails. I thought I was the only one to feel the mandatory cleaning protocol is unrealistic and beyond what is required in national and local guidelines (I live in the UK).

I have long term guests (several months at a time) and live in the property alongside them.  I asked them what they wanted me to do. They said there is no way they wanted to wear masks in their own home. We form a household bubble and will behave sensibly and as required by national and local legislation and guidelines.

If by the time I need to get more bookings (around March and April next year for different rooms) this requirement is not lifted and if my calendar is blocked, I will have to  move to a different booking platform. I would do that with great regret, as I love Airbnb. I have been a super host for several years. 

[Daniel1727]

Hi all, so today our calendar was blocked.

Since day 1 we created explicit guidelines related to covid at our rental for guests and ourselves. We are following all local and national guidelines in Finland. We will not be bullied by a platform dictating hotel rules and policies. 

As a response to AirBnB blocking our calendar, today i delisted from AirBnB and cancelled all of our upcoming bookings. Of course we have reached out to these guests outside of AirBnB and prior to our cancelling their reservations to let them know the situation. Also i discovered that cancelling bookings costs you 50 dollars a time which is ridiculous also but a price i am prepared to pay to be free of this tyranny! 

AirBnB will not profit anything from us due to this behviour that is not their right or place to do so. We are free independent people and hosts who are following all local recommendations, rules and laws!

[Kim2536]

@Daniel1727 

I absolutely agree with you and have also done the exact same thing - I cancelled my bookings and unlisted all my properties. 

I reached out to my guests and told them the reason for the cancellation is due to Airbnb being at fault, I also rang Airbnb and made them help the guests find alternative accommodation. 

I’ve been in numerous conversations and message threads with Airbnb and they DO NOT care. Their staff are not authorised to do anything else but insist on the mandates. The “supervisors” are also the same, they wouldn’t even come to the phone and talk about it when I asked to be put through - I got delayed replies through the messaging system - they do not have authority to change anything and delay their responses to put you off. 

So good luck!! 

I too will not be bullied into these UNLAWFUL masking mandates and unreasonable demands that a LISTING PLATFORM are dictating. It’s completely contradicting my local government rules and regulations.

I can only hope more Hosts do the same and stand up to this, otherwise Airbnb will not be changing and the next thing I can see coming will be “mandated” vaccines. I would not be surprised if this platform brings that in and tries to force Hosts and guests to be vaccinated in order to use it.

People need to start standing up for their rights and freedom. 

[Daniel1727]

@Kim2536 (Having to repost this due to an unknown error, suspicious). This behavior is extremely concerning. When platforms behave like governments and overwrite local laws by flexing their muscles over their users (only other industry referring to customers as users is the illegal drug industry), it undermines the foundations of democracy and national sovereignty. This has serious potential consequences for the future and sets a dangerous precident!!

[Charles1156]

We also had our calendar blocked today. In contact with Airbnb representatives about it now.

[Emma2259]

My calendar is also now blocked - have not cancelled future bookings as yet but may do that. Such a shame, but I also disagree with this bullying tactic from Airbnb. I live in Australia in a small town on the south west Coast where there are no local government directives to wear a mask.. just ridiculous! Airbnb seem not to care about loosing their good hosts, and have turned into a big corporation and sold out to tyranny. 

[Belinda55]

So sorry to hear this Emma! It is really disgusting corporate bullying, so inappropriate. I have held out on complying, and my calendar is ok so far, but apprehensive for the future with Airbnb. Such a shame, I have been a great host for them for 8 years, they are crazy if they lose people like us ...

[Emma2259]

@Belinda55 Thankyou for your post and words .. interesting that they have not blocked everyone at the same time. I’m glad your calendar is still active. I’m definitely a bit sad about it all as Airbnb has worked pretty well over the last 3 years I’ve been with them. I just can’t bring myself to go along with this nonsense even though it’s my livelihood at stake .. 

[Melodie-And-John0]

Covid cleaning and hosting protocols need to be re... - Airbnb Community (withairbnb.com)

@Belinda55 , This is such a great thread, I started another to try to rally folks to focus on the fact that a year after its announcement,  Covid times and the science around it have changed and so should Airbnb's approach.  Treating every stay like a hospital infectious disease instance isn't necessary nor reasonable, its not sustainable nor is it environmentally friendly.   Airbnb's mothership mandates overriding state and federal laws on this and so many other local legal and health situations and standards is irrational and unwise, it disadvantages hosts and guests using their services and does not make us safer.   My county and state have changed their rules and guidelines with the science of the disease, Airbnb has not.  We need a more flexible and reactive response for covid and other real challenges from @Airbnb, the policy in place at the moment has outlived any usefulness it may have served 6 months ago.    Hopefully for all of our sakes they will react in a responsible manner and help us get back to living again,  Stay well, JR

[Belinda55]

@Melodie-And-John0 

This policy was always irrational and unreasonable and is becoming more so. Always felt it was to do with being seen to minimise risk for their IPO, and a ridiculous impost on hosts AND guests. But I thought that they would see sense and not actually implement the calendar blocking. Now that is apparently going ahead for some hosts, I'm just appalled. Are they really prepared to kill their golden goose by these tactics? Thanks for the support 🙂