Airbnb overriding cancellation policy

[Jillie0]

Has anyone heard any news on when Airbnb is going to stop over riding our cancellation policies if a guest tells them they have tested positive for Covid?

It has been the norm in the UK that Covid is covered by travel insurance since 2021.   -   I do not understand why Airbnb recognise that for every other illness if a guest wishes to cancel  the host should direct the guests to make a claim on their travel insurance,  but in the case of Covid Airbnb is still insisting that the hosts take the financial hit.

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Jillie0 with  estimates that 1 in 10 people in the UK had covid recently it is clear that for fully vaccinated and boosted people it is now little more than a cold for most people. In addition the fact that free tests no longer exist in the UK it is highly likely that people are staying who are actually positive.

I agree it is time Airbnb look again at the cancellation policy but suspect that if they work to a worldwide lowest common denominator it will be some time before the worldwide vaccination program allows a change.

[Jillie0]

The probability of people being positive is why I am concerned.  My property is designed for groups of friends and extended family reunions.   (Its a 7 bedroom property)      So the odds are that one of the group is either positive or knows someone who is positive.  

Even if they don't just ask a friend who is known positive to furnish them with a positive test result,   there is enough information out there on ways of generating a fake positive Covid test.   

Welsh Government is still offering free lateral flow tests,   you can't pick them up from shops,  they have to come mail order,  but you can still get them. 

So while Airbnb is continuing with this policy of offering a full refund to guests if a single member of a group claims to have Covid,   I  effectively have lost all control on my cancellation policies if I take a booking via Airbnb.  

I agree if they are waiting to change policies world wide we are going to be in for a long wait,  but I would have thought that changing policies for Europe,   would have been practical.  

[Jenny]

Hi @Jillie0 

I hope you're well.

I thought you might like to know that we've announced some changes to the Covid Extenuating Circumstances policy recently:

https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Airbnb-Updates/Update-to-our-approach-for-guests-sick-with-COVID....

Hope this helps!  Let me know if you've any questions or concerns.

Jenny

[Jillie0]

Thank you for your message.  

The link you have provided doesn't work.  

There has been a post circulating on facebook groups for hosts which mentioned that the current policy  of overriding hosts cancellation policies will change at the end of May.     So it will be safe for hosts to restart accepting bookings from that point.   

Jillie.

[Helen3]

@Jillie0  Airbnb emailed all hosts last week (who have signed up to receiving emails from them) to say that from May if a guest or host has Covid it will no longer be counted as a penalty free cancellation.

[Debra300]

@Helen3, @Jillie0 

Just a point of clarification that the policy update goes into effect on May 31.

[Jillie0]

As I understand it,  the policy takes effect on all bookings made on the 31 May,     it will not apply for bookings made before then for dates after the 31st of May.   So it will be June before we can safely resume accepting bookings via Airbnb,

[Debra300]

@Jillie0,

The policy is for bookings that are made on or after May 31.  That means any same day reservations made on May 31 will fall under the updated EC policy.

https://www.airbnb.com/resources/hosting-homes/a/removing-covid-19-as-an-extenuating-circumstance-52...