How do you see the future of hosting in private homes?

[Quincy]

Hello everyone, 

With short-term rentals momentarily on hold in several places due to the situation surrounding COVID, we've seen hosts across the globe offering more long term rentals.  

I've heard of some hosts trying to plan ahead for the future of hosting in their homes which can be quite uncertain at these times. However, let's keep our heads up and look forward to the future where we can (hopefully) continue hosting guests from all around the world again. 

How do you see the future of hosting in private homes? Is there anything that you have been specifically preparing for once things start to open up again? 

I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this. 

Quincy 

[Sarah977]

  Uh huh. That's why there are 12,666 new cases and another 464 deaths in the past 24 hours,  because you've achieved herd immunity and the virus has disappeared, as you claimed it would? 

And that 60-70% vaxxed to achieve herd immunity has been revised. They are now saying it will require 90%. 

@Pete69

[Pete69]

Did you look at the chart? Cases are about as low as they were at the outset of the pandemic back in March of last year. You are looking for the virus to be ERADICATED. That is not what herd immunity is about. There is not going to be another wave. There simply aren't enough vectors. By the way, the new "cases" are people who checked into the hospital because of a car accident, kidney stone, etc, and because of routine testing that they do, they also just happened to test positive. There was an article in the LA Times about USC hospital. They hadn't had a COVID ICU case in like 6 weeks! The virus is dead. The straggler deaths are people who got sick back in December/January and are just now succumbing. The pandemic is over. It's time to end the insanity, which has become a phobia for some people.

[Patricia55]

@Quincy 

Hey Quincy, just come across this thread, thanks 😀 Hope you and yours are well.

It's been ages since I've been on the forum, or thought seriously about hosting... but we recently decided to open up our calendar, just a little*... very tentatively... (Oh, I forgot, in a fit of optimism, I did open up 3 nights for the Great North Run in September... such a beloved event 😍... and got booked almost immediately. I don't even know if it'll take place, but I hope it does, in some shape or form.)

Anyway, I've prepared a message for any guests who may put in a booking request... you know, telling them what we're doing and what we want them to do, to keep everyone safe... I'm happy to share it, if anyone's interested. Would also be glad to hear of other home-sharers' thoughts at this time.

*it's not for the money, we just miss having guests 😒

It's been so lovely here recently, weather-wise, though the students are going a bit mad on the playing field nearby... what can you do? 😉

Best wishes to all.

Pat x

[Elaine701]

I'll just pop in and add my overall reaction. 

First, I don't believe STR or private homes, will be going away anytime soon, despite the pandemic. It's much too popular and when done properly, gainful... And can be in many ways, a much better experience than a hotel. 

However, I'd speculate that (as we see trending right now), the business may well turn to mass production. Entire apartment complexes, housing projects, bought up and rented en masse. I sense that's where major booking platforms like Airbnb and VRBO are (necessarily) headed; Mass production. Efficient and cheap. 

And should that ever come to pass, I suspect new grassroots platforms may emerge. Something rather fashionable that positions itself as "authentic" and "personal", wiith "real" people, with really cool, unique alternative places to stay... 

[Kevin1322]

I don't think private room hosting has got any problems coming, people *like* it.

With a niche of one-nighters we did great in 2019, what we could of 2020 due to restrictions too.

We host hikers and bikers.  Single nighters for people on the coast path etc, and single-night accommodation can often be hard to find at the sort of short notice people need when they are on a long hiking trip with variable weather etc.  So for us short term short notice has been the way.

This year is another ball game, however.

I'd pack it in for this year if we could afford to lose the money,  because the type of guests are the complete opposite from our usual easy going niche of outdoor types.

So I'd say single room hosting has a great future when you are getting the right guests.