Can We Get A Confirmation On The Compulsory Cleaning Protocol?

[Jennie131]

I have read the cleaning handbook, and clicked through the "Five Step Cleaning Protocol" that we are all forced to agree to implement by November 20th. From what I can see, we are required to follow the "best Practices" in the cleaning handbook which include such things as washing walls, outdoor light fixtures, any and all dishes, pots, pans and utensils and extra blankets, towels and sheets that guests may have access to but not use between reservations. 

Many hosts are protesting this, and other hosts are saying that we don't have to follow the handbook, or that it's simply "best practice" and if we deem it "not possible" then we don't have to do it. 

Can I get an official statement confirming either we do or do not have to follow everything stated above? There is a lot of confusion here. For may of us, it would be impossible to follow. I'm not looking for hosts to comment that they agree or disagree, or to argue the point, I want an official word on this.

Thank you.

[Laura4513]

@Debra300 @Marie22 10/22/20:  I had originally tagged Catherine Powell in a Community question last week and got no answer -- although this seems like a pretty important question.  So then I called AirBnb yesterday and was on hold for 40 minutes before I hung up.  HOWEVER.....I just got off the phone with Airbnb Customer Support today (10/22/20); CSR’s name was Isiah. I explained my concern about the need to clarify the AirBnb cleaning protocol commitment, using the example that I host full homes and have  full kitchens and while the dishes that were used by the last guests would be washed, I would not be willing or able (in accordance with AirBnb’s detailed room checklists) to remove ALL the dishes from the cupboards, ALL the  pots and pans, ALL the spice jars etc., and wipe and sanitize ALL of them, whether or not they had been used by the last guests.  (And I specifically tell guests this in a note posted prominently in my houses -- so they can decide if they wish to wipe and sanitize these items before using them; or use their own items brought with them.)  I also used a similar example with the CSR of the bed linens and bed blanket being washed after each guest stay, but I would not be removing extra blankets from the closet and washing all of those whether they were used or not, after each guest stay (and again, I post this info in my houses). However, I said WOULD be able to have my professional cleaning service generally follow the 5 Steps in the sequence offered and replicate the OVERALL cleaning process as outlined by Airbnb, most of which my cleaning service is doing already anyhow and which could be slightly modified to comply with Airbnb’s protocol. I asked these questions and gave these examples several times to make sure lsiah, the CSR, understood the essence of my question — I.e. “What does compliance REALLY mean?”  He said he did understand my question and said he needed to consult with his support team for a few minutes to get an answer and he put me on hold while he did.  He then came back and said, for example, ALL dishes and ALL linens in the house that are available to guests,  whether used or unused, needed to be washed and sanitized in order to comply with the Airbnb cleaning protocol.  So.... at least per this CSR’s answer, Step 4 compliance is not “based on,” in a general sense,  the cleaning checklists. It means full compliance with those checklists in a detailed way — something I would suspect most hosts who are hosting a full home could not comply with, without significantly altering the amenities to their homes or creating a cleaning process and cost nightmare. Or perhaps AirBnb is trying to get "back to its roots" and get out of the whole home hosting business?   If anyone gets a different answer, I’d be interested in hearing it. Laura

[Debra300]

@Laura4513,

Thanks for sharing the information from your discussion wit Isaiah.  It is another example that since the five-step guideline is not clearly written, interpretation will vary amongst CSR agents.

@Katie,

I really appreciate all of the effort you put into trying to get clarification for us on this topic, and all of the other questions that we pose about Airbnb guidelines.  Unfortunately, your updates are not formal revisions to the posted guidelines, and can be easily refuted by a CSR agent if a situation arises where a guest and host have a disagreement about compliance.  It would be much more helpful if the page for the 5-step cleaning process said something like, "You can also commit to the Enhanced Cleaning Protocol (with the appropriate linked page - I don't have it right now) which includes the 5-step cleaning process and detailed cleaning checklists."

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Debra300  and @Katie We have signed dup to the 5 step protocol based on how it is written AND the answers given on this forum as to what it does and does not entail. I am confident that if anyone tried to claim we should  have followed the original enhanced cleaning protocol we would have sufficient defence.

It beggars belief that Airbnb make this concept so complicated and I can fully understand that a CSR (who is likely on minimum wage) cannot keep up with the nuances of the two concepts.

[Debra300]

@Mike-And-Jane0,

I've not yet signed up for the 5-step cleaning process, and am waiting to see if it will be necessary, because I may not re-open my guesthouse this year.  Although I don't regularly share common spaces with my guests, and before installing kitchens and washers in each room, usually only interacted with them during check-in and laundry exchanges, I would prefer a more clearly written set of guidelines so that I wouldn't have to defend any claims of infraction due to confusion or misunderstandings.  

I also have deep concerns about the probability of guests and Airbnb abusing the COVID-19 safety practices' cancellation policy.  As it is written now, a guest can wait until just prior to checkout, claim that a host didn't follow the guidelines, and obtain a refund and free stay.  The policy doesn't state that the host will get paid for any days in the reservation prior to the date of reporting the supposed infraction.  A refunded period should begin only from the date of report, because obviously guests must not have thought the situation was too dangerous if they continued to stay after the first few hours that the host didn't observe, or requesting the host to observe the guidelines.

"All hosts and guests are required to follow the COVID-19 safety practices outlined above, as applicable. If you're a guest, you will not be eligible for a refund if your host cancels your reservation because you did not comply with these practices. Similarly, if you're a host, you will not be eligible for a payout if a guest cancels their stay because you did not comply with these practices. Hosts who don’t agree to these practices by November 20, 2020 may have their calendars blocked. Any host or guest who repeatedly violates these guidelines may face other consequences, including account suspension or removal from the community."

Also, the policy makes the assumption that all guests are via Airbnb.  This is not the case for many hosts that have multiple rooms/spaces, and list them on multiple platforms (none of the other platforms have such intrusive policies in place).  It could be awkward or harmful (business-wise or physically) for host to try to impose these guidelines on a guest who booked through another platform.  Especially, in areas where there is no government mandate for face coverings and social distancing.

[Emilia42]

@Debra300 

"Also, the policy makes the assumption that all guests are via Airbnb." That is an excellent point and didn't cross my mind. 

[Laura4513]

The more I think about this and read so many concerned host comments here about it, combined with AirBnb's obvious lack of response or clarification from the top -- I become more and more convinced this is part of AirBnb's "strategy" since management could so quickly and simply dispel host concerns with a clear statement -- but are clearly choosing not to offer that statement.  Here's the strategy:  Be purposefully vague, yet specific as to the cleaning protocol, add the penalty of being blocked if hosts don't comply, and sit back and wait to see what happens by November 20.  The bet AirBnb appears to be making (due to their absence of clear guidance on this issue) is that more hosts will end up choosing to commit (hoping they are OK with what they've committed to, even though they are really not certain what that really is), versus be dropped.  Either way AirBnb is covered.  AirBnb can have the PR of saying they have the highest VR industry standards, but can claim false commitment and CYA if there's a problem with a specific host who didn't follow all of the "enhanced" cleaning protocol (because that host thought they were really just committing to the broader 5-Step Cleaning Process).  There is just nothing else that makes sense to me here.

[Lisa723]

@Laura4513  I think you nailed it.

[Jennie131]

Yep, this is exactly my interpretation of these events and actions.