Thanks @Helen427 and @Stephanie for drawing my attention to the changes in cleaning protocol. I hadn't been aware of it. The changes are, of course, to be welcomed.
I just wanted to update you on my experience of moving to other platforms, in case that is reassuring to anyone.
I went through a period of extreme stress (Airbnb was my main source of income which had collapsed overnight!) and worked hard (and paid!) to advertise on four other platforms. I expect I can't mention them here, but other than one which is similar to Airbnb (without the cleaning protocol!), they were more mainstream room rental platforms, e.g. through the university here, or national ones with local search options.
I dropped my prices by £100 per month per room to be competitive in this different rental market (I had already previously dropped my prices by the same amount, at the start of the pandemic, to catch whoever was still out there looking for rooms, so am now getting around £200 per room less than I was through Airbnb prior to the pandemic).
The one similar to Airbnb produced some immediate enquiries, but from language students wanting a more integrated experience where they could be part of a family to learn English, which is not what I offer. With the other three there was a delay in people coming through, which initially worried me. It seems, though, that on those platforms people don't book as far in advance as they do on Airbnb. Many of the people looking were available from 'now'. So once I got closer to the time my rooms would be becoming empty, I got bookings through. I have been fully booked again on all three rooms from early May and am until end of September, with one person intending to extend until December.
I hope this reassures all of you who are thinking about moving away from Airbnb - there is life after, albeit at lower rates of income and without the ease of payment of going through Airbnb and their support (which I've always found very good) and insurance cover! 🙂
I may come back to Airbnb at some point (I will have a closer look at what it actually says about the cleaning protocol on the site now) but the tricky thing then is having people in the house who have booked through different platforms, at a different rates, and being offered different amenities (e.g. I offer Airbnb guests unlimited teas, coffees, cereals, jams, soap powder, laundry facilities, etc, etc. - with regular lodgers they buy their own stuff and do their own laundry, etc.).
For a simple life, I may just stick with what I've got at the moment, which feels secure and within my control, and not likely to be upset again by another change of policy on the part of Airbnb.
Wishing you all my very best in this strange new world we find ourselves in! xx
