Burned by Covid Cancellation Policy

Deirdre12
Level 8
Santa Monica, CA

Burned by Covid Cancellation Policy

Hello fellow hosts,
 
This past Sunday I was on the sidelines of my 9-year-old son's first flag football game when I got a worrying message from my incoming guest. He had booked months ago, and was now due to arrive in 3 days from the UK, and stay for 11 nights, with a payout to me of thousands of dollars.  He and his family were flying in from the UK and they had just taken their required pre-flight Covid tests and their daughter had tested positive. Now, he wrote, they would not be permitted to fly for another 10 days.  Could I give him a refund or could he push the reservation to a later date? I have a "strict" cancellation policy that prevents last minute cancellations with refunds, so I wrote back that I really felt for him and I was so sorry he was stuck in England, but no, I could not refund or push the dates, as either way, I would be losing the money for the dates he had originally booked, and I rely on that money to pay the house's expenses, and I would be unlikely to find another guest so close to the check in date.  I suggested that he cancel as soon as possible to free up the dates so I could try to rent them to another guest, and if so, I would happily refund him for any dates booked, of course.
 
Well, stupid me, I was unaware that Airbnb has a Covid Extenuating Circumstances Policy that states that if you show a positive Covid test within 14 days of the trip, you may cancel without penalty or payout, no matter the host's cancellation policy.
 
So the guest just went to Airbnb, sent the positive Covid test, and Airbnb cancelled the reservation.  3 days before the check in date for an 11-day stay.  No penalty for him, no payout for me.  I got no help from Airbnb despite repeated calls, conversations and emails.  
 
I had long assumed, from a cursory read of the updated Airbnb policies, that a guest could no longer cancel by blaming Covid.  But I was wrong, of course. It turns out that the positive test is the only remaining way you can cancel.  But it's a VERY easy way -- just send in a Word document -- and it also guarantees that the cancellation will be last minute, which is the worst thing for hosts, since the test must be within 14 days of the stay.
 
It goes without saying that of course I wouldn't want someone who has tested positive for Covid to travel.  Of course.  But that doesn't make the consequences from a guest's pre-travel Covid test my responsibility.  Knowing he was flying internationally, from a place that has travel restrictions into the US due to Covid, the guest could have booked a house with a flexible cancellation policy, or he could have purchased travel insurance. He did neither. Instead he -- and more importantly Airbnb -- essentially expected ME to act as his travel insurance.
 
There was a lot of blowback in the early days of the pandemic after Airbnb allowed guests to cancel without penalty.  In response, Airbnb set up a fund to reimburse hosts for 25% of their cancellation policy, which was not much but at least something.  Post all that, Airbnb has talked a big game about trying to be better about supporting hosts.  But if they were serious about that, why didn't Airbnb just keep the Covid fund going if they were still going to allow guests to cancel without penalty due to a positive Covid test?  (You are not allowed to cancel due to other surprise illnesses or injuries.)  Why, as usual, are hosts expected to carry the entire burden of Covid on our shoulders? Why doesn't Airbnb just require guests to either purchase trip insurance, or forgo their right to get a refund due to Covid?  Or I am sure there are a million other ideas, any of which are better than making the host shoulder the entire cost. 
 
But what really worries me is what happens going forward. Because now I realize that there is a way for guests to easily circumvent my cancellation policy by either sending Airbnb a legit positive Covid test, or just sending a Word doc that looks like a Covid test.  So, what if someone books my house for weeks or months, blocking it months ahead of time, and then cancels with a positive Covid test 3 days before the check in date?   Sure, it may be unlikely that someone would do that, but my point is that Airbnb allows it.  And then I would have no recourse and I would really be in trouble financially. 
 
At the end of the day, this whole experience just once again makes me resent Airbnb and it makes me want to try to get bookings on other platforms that don't micromanage me and get in the way of how I want to do business.
 
Thanks for letting me vent and for listening. 
76 Replies 76
Mary996
Level 10
Swansea, United Kingdom

Totally with you girl...!! @Jenny349 xx

Jenny349
Level 10
Bordeaux, France

For what it’s worth, here’s the feedback I sent to Airbnb:

 

Subject: Airbnb policy on full refunds for guests who test positive for COVID

As a committed superhost, I would like to express, in the strongest possible terms, my dissatisfaction with the current Airbnb policy on full refunds for guests who test positive for Covid.

LESS THAN 24 HOURS BEFORE GUEST ARRIVAL, I was informed by Airbnb Support that my guest, XXXX,  had submitted documentation to prove she had tested positive for Covid and therefore qualified for a full refund, despite our STRICT CANCELLATION POLICY.

I cannot understand why the host, having chosen a STRICT CANCELLATION POLICY,  should be expected to bear the full financial loss associated with this policy?

I would be willing to SHARE THE LOSS with the guest, but I am outraged that I have to provide a full refund.

Guests should be encouraged to TAKE OUT APPROPRIATE TRAVEL INSURANCE.

I fully understand the need to act responsibly and safely to curb the spread of Covid, but I DO NOT UNDERSTAND why the onus is placed entirely on the host.

As a side note, I feel this option is also open to abuse by guests.

Please, please take a MORE EQUITABLE ATTITUDE and consider your long-suffering hosts. 50% loss for the guest, 50% loss for the host. That would be a fairer scenario in my view.

Mike-And-Jane0
Top Contributor
England, United Kingdom

@Jenny349 And if the host goes down with covid? Should they pay the guest half the cost of their stay to compensate?

@Mike-And-Jane0 

In that case, the guest should o receive a FULL refund. Sells obvious to me.

Mike-And-Jane0
Top Contributor
England, United Kingdom

@Jenny349 so no penalty to the host - how is that fair?

Mary996
Level 10
Swansea, United Kingdom

@Deirdre12 @Helen3 @Huma0 @Jenny349 @Allie228 @Branka-and-Silvia @Mike-and-Jane0

Not sure how to include all participants can you possibly help with the tagging thing @Helen3? And further to your point about a VALID test result do you or does anyone here have a sample test result to share so we can see the paper work to be expected? 

@Mary996  To tag users who don't appear in the box with 5 posters listed, hit the @ symbol, then just type in the user's identifier here, name and number. A new box will appear with their name and profile photo, click on that and it will insert itself into your post.

 

I think what you're doing currently is typing in the @ and their tag name, but you actually have to click on their name that appears in the box for it to post as a tag, rather than text.

Mary996
Level 10
Swansea, United Kingdom

Thanks so much @Sarah977 I'm on to it. Lovely to hear from you (I wrote a much more effusive response but decided you'd prob prefer brevity so I'm adapting my style...!! Haha... Hopefully to suit?) 

Helen3
Top Contributor
Bristol, United Kingdom

Hello @Mary996  there are lateral flow tests  and PCR tests.

 

It depends whether your guest has had an NHS or another test and whether a lateral flow or PCR,  but I'm sure if you Google them you will find examples.

 

How have you managed to get through the last 18 months without having a test 🙂 I have one every time I am expecting a guest or socialising 🙂

Mary996
Level 10
Swansea, United Kingdom

I don't socialise except outdoors with horsey types so my life is very simple... @Helen3....!! 😁🐎🐎🐎🔥But I'm happy to offer a lateral flow test if going to a restaurant.

If symptomatic I gather a PCR test is the way to go. My daughter working in the NHS was providing negatives all the time so I knew I was also clear xx

Mary996
Level 10
Swansea, United Kingdom

@Helen3 I like the idea of Hosts offering lateral flow tests to Guests. Its just my daughter hosting at the mo... Tho neither of us are very keen with the utility bills for those home working. I'm sort of putting things on hold till I have a strategy.... which might involve an increase in the Guest fee for winter time.

Do you make adjustments for this? 

Mary996
Level 10
Swansea, United Kingdom

@Helen427  @Ann72

And all interested

Its being raised here by @Deirdre12  and @Jenny349 that we have moved into a new realm with covid becoming part of everyday life and that perhaps the time is approaching for changes to Airbnb policy as a result.

Your perspectives very welcome and those of anyone else wanting to help keep @Airbnb abreast of the trends.

Would love to hear what you think and from others you may know who might be interested?? xx

Mary996
Level 10
Swansea, United Kingdom

We're working on possibly asking Airbnb to review the current policy on cancellations. Especially for strict. Or perhaps designating the strict to be the one that doesn't refund in the event of covid @Deirdre12 @Jenny349 @Allie228 @Helen3 @Sarah977 @Huma0 @Richards531 @Brian2036 @Max144  @Mike-And-Jane0

Sorry getting 'no matches' for some of you but hope you see this and might each pull in one other so we can expand the conversation as it may be time to ask Airbnb to update this particular policy. What do you think ....???? 

Mary996
Level 10
Swansea, United Kingdom

Huma0
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

@Mary996 

 

What I would most like to see is that Airbnb is asking for official evidence of a COVID infection. 

 

Is this the case now, or are guests still allowed to just 'attest' to the fact?

 

Does anyone know?