Am I the only one who doesn't want to host during Coronavirus pandemic ???

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

I am very surprised to see so many angry hosts who worry about the money more than about their health and life. Do you really want to host during a pandemic? You would risk your health for a few bucks? Are you so desperate? Money means nothing if you will die or live with damaged lungs for the rest of your life. Think about it.

I really don't want to risk mine and my daughter's life and clean after potentially sick guests. I don't want us to be infected because we touched their towels and sheets and inhaled the air in the room where infected guests spent a few days. We can't protect ourselves by wearing just a pair of rubber gloves, without even a proper mask not to mention the whole protective suit. Do you?

And, no matter how much we try, we just can't sanitise and disinfect the entire apartment from top to bottom. It is not a hospital room with just a metal bed and a metal nightstand on the vinyl floor. We have carpets, upholstered furniture, curtains,  full kitchen with cutlery and plates for 12 people.... We can't wash every single item in 70% alcohol after each guest and this virus will stay on surfaces for days .

We closed our calendar for all future bookings a few weeks ago. We offered our guests a mutual cancelation and most of them already canceled. Others contacted Airbnb and we are still waiting for their answer for days. I am happy for each cancelation and I hope the rest of my bookings will be canceled as well. Maybe we will rent long term. Maybe we will keep our property empty until everything is over. We don't know yet but we plan to survive 🙂

I am happy Airbnb allows penalty-free cancelations and my opinion is - it should be free for all bookings until September so hosts can rent their places long term if they want to until this pandemic is over.

We all need money but for us, our health is the most valuable thing we have.

Be reasonable, this is not the flu, THIS IS VERY CONTAGIOUS and it can easily kill you so take care.

[Luana130]

I guess it depends on what type of property you have, your risk group and even the precautions you take. I have no problem with it, and this is my main source of income.

If you have an entire place availble to guests and don't really need to interact with them, if you are not in a risk group, it is preatty much like the flu in my opinion.

Something is always scarier when is new and unknown. But this is not something that will go away, it will be like the flu. We have flu season, and we will have corona season. Everyone will eventually get it. The problem now is that people don't know how to deal with it because it is new.

[Tessa--Ben-0]

Something to remember is that the virus will only live on surfaces for a couple days. If you have a relatively separate suite and separate bathroom, you can just block off a couple days around each visitor, and then wait 24-36 hours before going to clean the room. Just my thoughts! We haven't decided what we will be doing, but we will likely keep our air bnb open, using separate entrances when we can.

[Sarah977]

@Tessa--Ben-0 Wrong. Up to 9 days and in certain environments up to 28.

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Tessa--Ben-0  as far it is known for now the virus can survive on surfaces for more than 9 days.  With just a couple of reservations in a month, it would be more profitable to rent it long term.

@Luana130it is not a flue. It is far more contagious and people are dying from it. Italy has a 7% death rate, 2158 Italians died from it in less than a month, their hospitals are full so doctors have to choose whom to treat and whom to let die. It is like a war zone and it can be the same in Brasil tomorrow.

[J-Renato0]

@Branka-and-Silvia0 

I see your point and fears... but, have you read that post

https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Hosting/Coronavirus-fear-vs-reality/td-p/1258181

[Wendy1071]

Let's see if her numbers for infection hold true in a week or two.  She may not be painting such a rosie picture.  Also, Travel is banned in most places; restaurants are closed as our tourist attractions, so who's going to travel?   Saying it's only seniors with an 18% mortality rate is, on the surface pretty cold hearted, but consider if you break your arm, have a heart attack or any number of everyday calamities that cause you to go to the hospital for care.  If they're over run with COVID-19 patients, you or your loved ones could be made to suffer in ways you can't imagine now.  

[Sarah977]

@Branka-and-Silvia0  I am in agreement. I have only one upcoming reservation, check-in April 5th. That guest hasn't cancelled, but I am going to message her in a week to see how she's feeling about it. If she still wants to come, I'll let her, but i am also going to let her know what I need her to do re keeping us both safe. If she's amenable to that, I'll just have to let the room stay empty and not go in for a week and a half after she leaves, and then super-clean. But as you know, I host a private room in my home, and guests do have use of the kitchen, so there are going to be safety rules about that, as well as asking her to deposit all the clothing she wore on her journey here into a plastic bag, not to be opened again until she leaves. (one week booking) She is coming from California to Mexico, so will be going through 2 airports, sitting on a plane, then taking the local bus or renting a car.

The hosts I feel most sorry for right now are people like single moms (or single dads) and retired people with paltry pensions and no savings who have come to be dependent on the Airbnb income from the private rooms they rent in their homes to pay the mortgage and the bills. Those people could actually lose their promary residence. The hosts I have a really hard time drumming up sympathy for are the ones who own multiple homes that they str and are screaming loudly all over the forum about how they won't be able to afford to pay the mortgages on all of those homes. Big first world problem- they might have to sell one or two of the homes to get by. 

Really, no one should be travelling now, and even limiting their movements in their own town. It's the only way this is going to get under control. The people who think its no big deal or it's just like the flu are dangerous. If they don't stop thinking like that, many more people will die.

[Geni4]

Ask her to cancel..if you do airbnb will charge you and adjust your ststus..even violating their own policy of doing so within certain dates. Happened to me.

[Sandra126]

@Branka-and-Silvia0 I lost my long reply as it keeps cutting out but trying for a short one instead. I'm with you, 100%. Trying to cancel all future bookings.  Have snoozed listing.  Living off savings.

[Jessica-and-Henry0]

@Branka-and-Silvia0 

I mentioned in a different post that Henry and I made a decision to take a break from hosting earlier this year (in January).

We've always only hosted international guests and mostly exchange students. Plus, we are home-share hosts with a private guest room & bath but shared kitchen. 

The fact that an exchange student would be in contact with a huge group of 20-something students from all over the world at a time like this worried us since there's a limit to what we can and cannot ask of a guest. 

Henry and I were not worried for ourselves but rather more for our parents - who we visit at least once or twice a month. 

When we made this decision, covid-19 was considered a problem only/mostly in China, and there was limited screening of people from the Wuhan area only. 

Henry and I had were vacationing in Boracay end of January (during lunar new year holiday) when it spread like wildfire all across Asia. Our parents wanted us to cancel that vacation and just stay home.... but at the time we felt we could keep ourselves safe with the right precautions. We also had vacation plans for April~May, which we are in the process of cancelling. 2 of the 3 hotels we booked actually reached out to us first, informing us that our bookings would be cancelled with full refunds (even though my bookings were non-refundable).

We were initially thinking we'll wait till end of March to decide what to do.... and all our bookings were non-refundable anyway, with travel insurance not covering cancellations because they fall under the general exclusion for an epidemic/pandemic. 

I saw on the news that more than 70~80 countries around the world have some sort of entry restriction or mandatory quarantine in place for all passengers coming off flights from S.Korea so hotels and airlines are proactively cancelling all bookings from Korean guests. - I don't blame them for not wanting us to come. 

No one should be travelling right now. 

[Cathie19]

Nice to “hear from you” @Jessica-and-Henry0 , as well as knowing you are both okay. I was concerned and thought of you when the outbreak was happening...

Sound advice as always. This is not a influenza or cold  as most humans have no natural immunity  with varying resistance when it reaches the body - and no vaccine.

As this Covid19 changes, it is less predictable, so until it’s pattern of behaviour can be pinned down a little more, I’ll be also sitting quietly. I have vulnerable persons to consider. So it’s a no brainer!

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Sarah977 @Jessica-and-Henry0  @Sandra126  thank you 🙂 it's good to know I am not the only one who thinks this way. I am just surprised to see how many people around the globe still think it's just the flu. I've seen too many footage and testimonials from the affected areas to be able to live in denial.  I worry for my beloved 88 y.o. mum.

Jessica and Henry, I am afraid Croatia has travel restrictions for Korean people as well (quarantine or self-isolation for 14 days from arrival)   I thought about you a lot these days and followed the news. Here in Europe, we appreciate the way China, Korea and Singapore handled this situation and we know Europe is not capable and disciplined enough of doing so well.

[Piotr48]

If someone sleeps on money then of course they can stop renting during Covid-19.

[John1574]

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Hi, @Piotr48 

I like that turn of phrase. Is that a Polish expression, "sleeps on money"?

I think it can also work well in English. "Of course they don't care, they sleep on money!

Good one.

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@Piotr48