Can a host make a guest move to another shared room mid-stay?

[Loren2301]

Guest here. I'm currently in a room designated as shared in a house with multiple shared and private rooms. I was shown the room I would be moving into upon arrival (the listing had multiple rooms pictured).

I'm male and a female arrived today to move into my room. They didn't tell her it was occupied, much less that it would be mixed gender. She's not keen on sharing with a male, so they want to move me to another room that has another guy in it. The room they want to move me to is certainly a downgrade. Smaller, far less natural light, and has had an ant problem pretty recently.

My question is: does the host have grounds to require me to move to a different room mid-stay? Or would they have had to stipulate in the listing that I could possibly have to move rooms during my stay? (I'm halfway through a 1-month stay).

Thank you!

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Loren2301 Guests and hosts are all welcome on this site.

Difficult to answer the question without seeing the listing BUT if you booked a specific room then you certainly should not be moved. If the room was allocated on arrival then its harder to say. Perhaps you could ask the host to move the other chap to you rather than you to him (if that makes sense)

[Loren2301]

Thanks for your response. I will link the listing. 

https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/39191577?source_impression_id=p3_1608414326_A0xgIn1PmdCAeu%2FU&guests=1...

The room was allocated on arrival. Their whole process is pretty scattered. The bed wasn't even set up until I was at the door waiting an hour past when I was told I'd be checked in. Things were pretty scattered for this person arriving as well. They didn't tell her or anyone that people might have to move rooms at all. She just showed up with no one to check her in (also without a bed made for her) and is now hanging out now while we figure things out. The house manager isn't set to come until this evening to assist.

The guy in the other room is himself refusing to move.. so we'll see when the house manager arrives. 

[Helen3]

I can’t imagine why anyone would be booking a people in a shared room or offering one under Covid. Sounds like a recipe for disaster in terms of spreading this fatal disease.  @Loren2301 

if they allow shared rooms it’s unlikely they have proper Covid systems in place for separating guests in communal areas.

personally I would use this situation to ask Airbnb to cancel the booking penalty free and finding a whole listing or at least a room with its own bathroom 

[Helen350]

@Loren2301  Don't be too hard on your host; it was probably an honest mistake! If I had taken a booking from you, I would have assumed you were female because of your name!

(In the UK, Loren, or usually Lauren is a woman's name, I myself was shocked when a Lauren arrived on my doorstep, & he was an (American) male, not female as expected!)

@Helen3 

@Mike-And-Jane0 

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Loren2301 I guess the other room can't be all bad if the chap there won't move out!

[Loren2301]

His motivating factor is that he wants to keep living in the room by himself. He also has some personal issue around feeling disrespected for being told to move. So it's not about the quality of the room for him. He also switched beds to avoid the ants. And my moving into that room would necessitate that I occupy the ex-ant-bed that's surrounded by ant bait (2 beds total in that room).

[Sarah977]

@Loren2301 This whole set up sounds really sketchy and really amateur. When a guest rents a room, they are supposed to be renting one specific room, not just shuffled around however. I read the listing and it's definitely not done correctly. Each room should be listed separately and guests book one.

And why are unrelated people sharing common spaces and even rooms in the midst of a pandemic, when this is most definitely not supposed to be going on? This is a COVID super spreader situation which should be shut down and I don't quite understand why anyone would book it.

[Loren2301]

Agreed it's a bit sketch how it's been managed. I booked my stay months back when there was a lull in cases and lowered restrictions. I couldn't get any refund from Airbnb and didn't want to lose my money so I went with it. Luckily, it's just a super-spreader situation in theory right now, as no one here is (at least showing) illness. But no, that doesn't make it any better. There could be an asymptomatic spread.

[Sarah977]

@Loren2301  Perhaps you should phone Airbnb to let them know that the host is arbitrarily wanting you to move into a shared room. I'd say to see if they can find you alternate accommodation, but that would likely be difficult a week before Xmas. But at least they might tell the host that they can't expect people to share rooms in a pandemic, nor sleep in the midst of ant bait.

And you do realize that even people who are asymptomatic can still be COVID positive and infect others?

[Loren2301]

Good thoughts. Thanks. Yes, I do understand. That's why I mentioned there could be asymptomatic spread.

[Debra300]

@Loren2301,

I see why you chose to stay at this place.  It's in San Francisco, and in the Panhandle.  The City is expensive, and you're unlikely to find something this expensive without having a major hookup.  I didn't see anything that said that guests agree to stay in mixed-gender room arrangements, nor that they agree to be moved at the host's discretion. I know you don't want to make things difficult for the new female guest, but you could refuse to move, just like dude in the ant room has done, and have her to work it out with the host and/or Airbnb.  

[Loren2301]

You're spot on, Debra. And I think that'll most likely be the result. They have a network of 5 houses in the region, one a 10-minute drive away. They could potentially relocate her to one of those. Thanks for your comment.

[Lisa723]

@Loren2301 this operation is likely in violation of California's current stay-at-home order:

https://covid19.ca.gov/stay-home-except-for-essential-needs/

Airbnb should at minimum allow you to cancel with a complete refund. Of course, that would mean you'd need somewhere else to go.

[Loren2301]

Thanks, Lisa. Without a doubt it's in violation of the current regional COVID directives. I may end up going that route - or in the least use that as leverage to get moved to a private room. I appreciate your comment.