Out-of-State Visitors Quarantine

[Teagan3]

Hello, 

I accepted a booking yesterday for a guest coming from NYC, I am in MA. Prior to accepting the booking I sent the following messages:

1. I want to make sure, prior to accepting this request, that you are aware of Airbnb’s policy for refunds and cancellations related to COVID19. Here is the link to this policy: https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/2701/coronavirus-information-and-extenuating-circumstances-polic...

2. “Reservations for stays and Airbnb Experiences made after March 14, 2020 will not be covered under our extenuating circumstances policy, except where the guest or host is currently sick with COVID-19. COVID-19 related circumstances not covered include: transportation disruptions and cancellations; travel advisories and restrictions; health advisories and quarantines; changes to applicable law; and other government mandates—like evacuation orders, border closures, prohibitions on short-term rentals, and shelter-in-place requirements. The host’s cancellation policy will apply as usual.”

3. Please confirm you have read and understand this policy.

The guest responded with: Teagan, thank you for the opportunity to review! Yes, we are comfortable with the cancelation policy and would love the opportunity to stay at your place.

This morning the Governor of MA has asked that all out-of-state visitors self quarantine for 14 days, specifically those coming from NYC. Questions:

1. If this guest chooses to come, do I have to accommodate for a 14 day quarantine? I have future bookings that do not allow for that. 

2. Since this is out of policy, I will be penalized as a super host for canceling. 

3. What do I do?

Thanks, 

Teagan from MA

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Teagan3 

I guess that your attempts to guarantee that the guest will not be able to cancel have spectacularly backfired.

Good luck

[Teagan3]

I was hoping for sincere advice and not a backhanded comment. 

My correspondence with the guest was to make sure they understood the new policy would not guarantee them a full refund at this point. 

My state now wants outsiders to quarantine. Guest cannot quarantine for 14 days at my rental. 

Again, thanks for your thoughts. 

[Lisa1222]

Can you tell the guest the situation that they would need to find other accommodations after their checkout date, or they could cancel themselves? I’m not sure but I thought they could choose covid as a reason and you wouldn’t be penalized. Best of luck. Please keep us posted. 

[Sherilee-and-Doug0]

I have the exact same question.  We are in Santa Fe, New Mexico and our Governor has called for 14 day self-isolation for individuals that travel into the state.  The New Mexico Health Department told me they are enforcing it for travelers that fly in and are requesting it for travelers that drive in.  They emphasized that the self-isolation for flyers is legally enforceable.  

How do we handle guests that are booked for less than 14 days?

And why aren’t the New Mexico restrictions listed on the Airbnb Travel Restrictions and Advisories page?

[Rodney11]

@Teagan3 and @Sherilee-and-Doug0 , contact your guests and let them know that with the new, mandatory 14 day self-isolation rules now in place, you are unable to offer a property where guests will be able to self-isolate and you are requesting that the guests cancel their stays with you, using COVID-19 as the reason. This will provide the guests with a full refund and will not count as a cancellation against your host status.

If your guests are unwilling to cancel, you will need to initiate a host cancellation, and provide a full refund. This will count as a cancellation against your host status. However, you can contact AirBnB customer service and plead your case to have the cancellation nullified. I cannot guarantee they will do this for you. However, the self-isolation rules are in place to protect both your health personally, and your community's health at large. This concern should always trump any financial consideration.

You can also add a Pre-Booking message to your listings that guests must respond to in order to book your property. You can use this message to inquire if guests are coming from out of state and require 14 day self-isolation, and you will need to pre-approve any booking. You can then deny the pre-approval to anyone who answers yes to this question with no impact on your host status. Go to Listings->Edit->Booking Settings->Guest Requirements->Edit and then add your message in the pre-booking message field. Once you click on the Save button, this feature will be enabled.

I hope this information helps. Good luck!

[Sarah977]

@Sherilee-and-Doug0  "How do we handle guests that are booked for less than 14 days?"

You don't. You tell them they need to cancel.