WHY WILL COVID-19 BANKRUPT HOSTS AROUND THE WORLD?

[Michael303]

COVID-19 WILL BANKRUPT HOSTS AROUND THE WORLD BECAUSE AIRBNB REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE EXISTENCE OF TRAVEL INSURANCE!

Travel Insurance is easy and inexpensive for Guests to purchase. The lack of travel insurance protection is completely devastating for Hosts!

For 3 1/2 years I have been trying to get AirBnB to listen. Well, unfortunately, a global pandemic is going to bankrupt hosts around the world because AirBnB refuses to make legitimate travel insurance available for booking guests.

VRBO and HomeAway do such a superior job offering travel insurance to their/ our guests.

1. If you drive a car without insurance and get into an "unforeseen" accident, you are responsible, not the person you ran into. If you book a trip without travel insurance and something "unforeseen" happens, you are responsible, not the person who is hosting you. 

2. I have to carry liability insurance, flood insurance, homeowners insurance with an added hotel policy on top of that on my building to protect me and my guests for short term rentals. I would carry travel insurance for all my guests if I could... no wait it do?! It is AirBnB's insane policy of refunds?! Hosts are not Insurance companies. 

3. I think it's beyond unfortunate for Airbnb, hosts and guests that Airbnb does on hold guest accountable for travel insurance. The simplest way to handle this is to explain travel insurance up front - prior to booking and let guests know it's their responsibility to purchase it or guests will be taking the risk themselves. Travel insurance has existed since the beginning of modern travel. 

4. Airbnb Actually Recommends Travel Insurance. (the AirBnB link is blocked by AirBnB) Airbnb offers refunds at the host’s expense. It is completely unacceptable as a policy and puts the hosts in an untenable situation of loss that cannot be recouped for last minute cancellations – which, by the way, is why trip insurance exists.

5. Suggestion: if Airbnb wants to act like an insurance company and refund guests their money then charge a fee ($35 – $45 to be competitive with trip insurance companies) for that service.

This part of the Airbnb & Host relationship is 100% unfair and 100% unprofessional. Hosts are not Insurance companies. This policy is insane. Travel insurance has existed since the beginning of modern travel.

Airbnb is hurting the small business owners who are the reason Airbnb is in business at all. Shame on them for allowing this and for interfering with legitimate trip insurance companies who protect the owners as well as the traveler when situations happen outside of either parties control. Airbnb clearly is not protecting owners and their businesses with this kind of policy.

[Michael303]

I’m sorry. My bookings on VRBO and HomeAway and private bookings all have travel insurance (of course) and will be covered. AirBnB has completely failed us...

[Emma690]

I have three bookings through a local agency and they are refusing refunds and telling guests wanting to cancel to claim on their travel insurance.  It looks like these three bookings could be the only ones I get paid for this year and that just won't be enough to pay my running costs.  It is really irresponsible of Airbnb to just hand our income back to guests who could actually claim in the proper way on their insurance.  I foolishly believed I was protected by Airbnb from this happening!

[Ian-And-Anne-Marie0]

@Emma690 

I think Airbnb could learn a lot from your local agency. I would expect you will be providing them with some preferential rates despite the fact they don't email you regularly to reduce those rates.

There lies an interesting quandary don't you think? 

[Emma690]

Not sure what the quandary is there.  I'd much rather rent out through my local agency and the house costs exactly the same whether you book it through them or Airbnb.  But totally agree with you that Airbnb have got a lot to learn from other agencies!

[Ian-And-Anne-Marie0]

@Emma690 

The fact that the very agency driving lower costs is the one causing them to be higher..

[Rebecca181]

So much for "Peace of Mind" and the "Host Protection Guarantee".  A guarantee that is useless in this situation, as it couldn't protect us from Airbnb's greed and callousness.

[Heather397]

Michael thank you I never knew this I will start using them closing Airbnb now. This has cost me a fortune.

[Michael303]

Heather please double check all your options. I see you’re In Edinburgh 🙂 I am in Louisiana, USA 

[Marvin107]

Exactly I lost almost 10k this month in March because Airbnb totally disregarded our agreement to cancellations. They should definitely add insurance to the booking but since they didn’t the company should be held accountable to pay lost wages for host. 

[Michael303]

Marvin, I’m sorry. That is sickening... I hope you can hold on to your property. I’m in the same boat with no help in sight.

[Bobbiecool0]

I posted this earlier on another thread-

Here in the UK travel insurance generally isn't required for UK travellers to UK destinations as we are covered by the NHS for medical reasons and home insurance generally covers high price items that are taken out of the home ie wedding rings, watches etc. I just had to cancel a local holiday in April through an online cottage holiday site and luckily, as the owner was accommodating, I was able to move the dates for later in the year, otherwise I'd have lost ALL of the money. 

It's one extreme to the other as Airbnb gives the travellers all of their money back but most others, if not all as far as I can tell, are obliged to fall back on their own cancellation policy. However in these very strange times we surely have to find some sort of middle ground that would be best for all. As a host I certainly wouldn't want to take all of a guests money, I would find it immoral. Yet I would expect the guest to either move the dates or have to pay some sort of compensation, I would be happy for anything in between 30 to 50%.

Airbnb have really cocked this one up and i would expect a mass exodus of hosts as a result of it.  In fact I hope it happens

[PaulaCristina0]

I also request to speak with owners actually as they are three of them . Asl for their emails .No answer whatsoever....

If I dont get it , im going to look for them on Linkedin and send them a message ....

I think we should take some actions all together as the community it's huge but only a few people are here discussing the matter,  like doesn't affect anyone else . 

I do Airbnb to pay the rent , I was left with only 2 bookings and I'm not sure if I won't be homeless next month as i had to refund fully to everyone . 

I'm thinking to take to media , social media everywhere.....but it will be nice if we were together in this as it's for our benefit .....

Only complaining here isn't going to solve anything .....

Let's see ...

[Michael303]

Try these!

Aisling Hassell

Vice President Community Support

888 Brannan St. Floor 4

San Francisco, CA 94117

aisling.hassell@airbnb.com

Greg Greeley

President of Homes

888 Brannan St. Floor 4

San Francisco, CA 94117

Greg.Greeley@airbnb.com

Belinda Johnson

Chief Operating Officer

888 Brannan St. Floor 4

San Francisco, CA 94117

Belinda@airbnb.com

Chief Executive

Brian Chesky

Co-founder, Head of Community, and CEO

888 Brannan St. Floor 4

San Francisco, CA 94117

(415) 800-5959

brian@airbnb.com

[Caroline257]

Thank you - will definitely write to them.

[Scott222]

I am in agreement as a fellow super host.   This is a devastating situation with massive financial losses to the tourism industry and hosts, ESPECIALLY on the AIRBNB PLATFORM. 

As hosts, we are ONE family, that has been forced to absorb the costs of multiple families and travelers over multiple weeks.  Our financial loss is multiplied several times over our guests for this fact and strains our ability to make mortgage payments, pay taxes, insurance, utilities and so forth.  Unfortunately, there is no way for hosts to protect against this loss unlike guests who have the option to purchase travel insurance for a minimal fee.   As hosts, we cannot purchase any protection for unforeseen events other than to implement a cancellation policy.  To place all the burden on a host is unfortunate and overwhelming.  HOSTS SHOULD HAVE SOME PROTECTION!!!! For example, the ability to:

1. Offer a credit toward future stays  (MY AIRLINE JUST DID WHEN I HAD TO CHANGE MY PLANS FOR APRIL BREAK , I WAS NOT OFFERED A REFUND)
2. Offer the option to change dates
3. Offer a partial refund, like VRBO at 50% with a full refund of booking fees,
4. Allow guests to purchase Travel Insurance directly on the platform (all travelers can buy travel insurance even for AIRBNB thru a 3rd party - I ran a quote online for approximately $125 to protect a $5000 trip for 4).  
5. REQUIRE THE CANCELATION TO BE AT LEAST 24 HOURS BEFORE CHECK IN, and preferable 48 HOURS, 
6. ALLOW HOSTS TO COLLECT SECURITY DEPOSITS (ANOTHER WAY AIRBNB DOES NOT PROTECT HOSTS.  This would prevent party homes, and damage from unruly guests,
7. Allow guests to have longer cancellation periods (AIRBNB charges a 5% fee to hosts for any of their "Super Strict" polices" beyond 30 days- VRBO nothing)

On my larger homes, that are booked by 5 families I must now take the brunt of their shared expense as my SOLE loss over multiple weeks. 

VRBO/HOMEAWAY allows hosts to work thru this with the guests, I was able to reschedule one guest and offer a 50% refund to another, AND ONE GUEST DID CANCEL BUT HAD TRAVEL INSURANCE!!!! SO, I was able to keep my rental income!!  I BOOK on average $80,000 a month on AIRBNB and a decent amount on VRBO- I AM NOW MOVING AWAY FROM AIRBNB FOR BOOKINGS AT MY LARGER HOMES.  I cannot afford to host on a platform that does not protect its hosts.