Airbnb COVID-19 related media coverage

Huma0
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

Airbnb COVID-19 related media coverage

Hello, I thought I would start this thread for people who are interested in reading any media coverage specifically related to Airbnb and the COVID-19 pandemic. It might be useful to have these in one place for people to browse.

collection-newspapers.jpg

 

I'll start this off with an article a Canadian host sent to me today, which might be of interest especially to Toronto based hosts: https://www.thestar.com/opinion/contributors/2020/03/31/covid-19-could-mark-the-end-of-torontos-airb...

 

 

Please feel free to post links to other relevant articles you have found (but try not to post duplicates if possible) and to comment away!

91 Replies 91
Helen427
Level 10
Auckland, New Zealand

@Huma0you have had a double blow,  it's incredibly unfortunate journalists and others have lost jobs because of this crises.

Alas I firmly believe some behind the scenes within the airline industry and at the coalface of society will see through the lack of proper research what's caused this "virus" and lockdowns will be flipped on there heads, travel will take off again and the faith in  the wider community will be restored.

 Heads must roll though within Universities who have scaremongered people into effectively believing whatever they spin without having facts.

 

Professor Shaun Hendy here in New Zealand is one such person who must be held to account.

 

 He a couple of years ago came to the conclusion he was flying by aeroplanes a lot so in an effort to reduce doing so caught trains etc instead.

 

 He's the "bright spark" who got wind of a new disease & behind the perceived number of  cases we will have here in NZ.

 

 If he bothered to look further afield and did proper research he would be aware in USA btwn June-August 2019 there was a cluster of similar symptoms found in a group of 100 or so people who had  been vaping. It was reported to FDA USA  at the time.

 I'd expect it to have been reported back to China ...

 

 Not one of these academics are looking into links and snowball effect of  use of unknown chemicals in vapes & vaping etc which is unregulated. 

 

People must wake up to common links to diseases linked back to Vapes, just like cigarettes once did to people.

 

There's some brilliant business people out there who are shocked at the lack of Duty of Care by those involved in Health Research on the wider economy.

 

 To the best of my knowledge it's common practice to consider & incorporate snowball effects when making decisions that impact on the betterment of others, including the economy.

 

 

 

 

Yadira22
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

I am so sorry @Huma0 - better days are coming, hang in there lovely! ❤️

Huma0
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2020/apr/04/how-the-covid-19-crisis-locked-airbnb-out-of-its-... 

 

"Chesky this week apologised and said the company would spend $250m (£200m) covering 25% of what hosts would have been paid for reservations between 14 March and 31 May."

Huma0
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

I normally have a lot of respect for The Guardian (UK) and its reporting, but this article really disappointed me.

 

Firstly, it has fallen straight into the Brian Chesky's ploy of using a very carefully worded 'message to hosts' (read: message to the media), repeatedly citing 25% with no real explanation of what that meant in reality. Chesky's message was so clearly designed to give the impression that he would be compensating hosts with 25% of what they would have earnt, which we all know by now is nonsense. A few hosts may get 12.5% and the rest will probably get nothing. 

 

Also, it's disappointing to see another article focusing almost entirely on those scammers and 'mega hosts' who have made a killing renting out hundreds of properties (usually not their own), thereby severely contributing to the housing crisis in so many cities.

 

The media in general seem to have no interest whatsoever in the rest of us and keep writing basically the same article over and over again, regardless of whatever news hook it's tagged onto.

@Huma0, I agree with you that the article "has fallen straight into the Brian Chesky's ploy", and want to emphasize that large number of hosts offer the Flexible cancellation policy.  Which means vast majority of hosts get 25% of $0 refund = $0. 

 

Chesky this week apologised is a very (literally) calculated publicity stunt.

correction: 25% of $0 (what you would normally receive through your cancellation policy) = $0

@Huma0  Yes, I read that Guardian article. Someone should write them to point out that that "25% of the reservation amount" is false reporting and that they need to issue a correction.

Huma0
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

@Sarah977 

 

Yes, I tried to leave a comment but couldn't see any way to do it. Maybe that's only an option for subscribers. I would subscribe, but I'm too broke right now!

 

I'll have a look at how one can maybe email comment to them.

@Huma0 There wasn't any byline on the article itself,  but I did see the name of the journalist who wrote it in a box off to the side. It had an option to email. Maybe that would work.

Huma0
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

To make my point, most of the Airbnb related headlines in The Guardian are along these lines (and it's the same for the majority of publications):

 

"Many short-term lets in Edinburgh lack planning consent"

"Call for English councils to be given powers to regulate Airbnb"

"Soaring rents and noisy parties: How Airbnb is forcing out Barcelona locals"

"Revealed: the areas it the UK with one Airbnb for every four homes"

"I'm a stranger in my own city: Prague takes on Airbnb to dam flood of tourists"

"Out of control: one in 50 London homes a short-term let"

 

And so on and so forth...

 

It's no wonder so few people have any sympathy for Airbnb hosts.

 

 

Huma0
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

This article, on the other hand, offers a more balanced view. You have to scroll at least half way down before you see that though:

 

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/feb/22/airbnb-model-housing-sharing

 

It's a shame more journalists aren't as interested in the benefits, and not just the downsides, of the sharing economy when it comes to housing.

Huma0
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

Here's an article that @Helen350 brought to my attention. It's about a UK surgeon who was asked to leave his lodgings and has set up a new accommodation website for NHS workers.

 

https://www.newsandstar.co.uk/news/national/18354474.surgeon-asked-leave-landlady-covid-19-fears-set...

Helen350
Level 10
Whitehaven, United Kingdom

@Huma0 I don't know if anyone else has posted this, but this article mentions the same surgeon & his website, and certainly seems to suggest ALL types of accommodation are being offered/accepted - including private rooms. It mentions other schemes  as well, a fuller article: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-52134369 

Huma0
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

@Helen350 

 

That's interesting. I'm not sure that offering private rooms is the best idea but I guess if not enough people with whole units sign up, it may be the only option for some NHS staff.

Helen350
Level 10
Whitehaven, United Kingdom

@Huma0 @Helen3 

 

'Evicted Hereford Coronavirus doctor told to  buy  tent by landlady.'

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hereford-worcester-52222466