Coronavirus and Extenuating Circumstances - A Host Perspective

[Tom-And-Rene0]

We have properties in Bali.  Just a quick paraphrase of the many conversations that we are having with guests and AirBnB right now.

From Guest:

Dear Host,
We want to cancel our stay next week because of Coronavirus because we don't want to travel from Australia (70+ cases) / Germany (670 Cases) / France (653 cases) etc. etc.  to Bali (no cases at all).  We await our 100% refund.

Yours truly

Your Guest

From AirBnB:

Dear Host,
Your guest has contacted us and is unable to travel due to the Coronavirus. We have therefore given them a 100% refund under our Extenuating Circumstances Policy. I am sure you as a host are happy with this policy as if a host has to cancel a booking due to Coronavirus, we also give 100% back to the guests.  Either way the host receives no payment at all and so AirBnB is being entirely even handed and fair. 

 
We realise that it is now far too late for anyone else to book your property, but that is not our concern.  Our only concern is to make sure guests book through us again, and by over-riding the cancellation policy the guests agreed to and refusing to consider any travel insurance the guest may have, making the host give a 100% refund is the best way for us to do that.

We wish you all the best of luck in somehow magically finding a way to keep paying the salaries for your staff (we understand you are a fully serviced villa) and covering your villa bills and running costs and lastly finding a bit of cash for yourselves as we understand your properties your only source of income. If you don't then don't worry that is not any concern of AirBnB.

AirBnB values your business

Yours Truly

A Very Junior Person in AirBnB

[Sheila22]

We need a more mature platform that is technologically modern but mature in terms of who it serves -- we need an application run by grown ups who understand real life and attract respectful clients.  Airbnb is a great in many ways, but to be honest it is snowflake-central.

[Brenda328]

@Vad254   I glanced at that article yesterday when you posted it.  The thing that struck me the most was the line about Airbnb being a cheap alternative to hotels.  Our properties are not cheap alternatives to hotels!!!  My properties and many others that are listed are 4 and 5 bedroom fully furnished homes that an entire family or group can comfortably stay in for a week-long vacation.  You can't grill out on the deck at a hotel, roast marshmallows over a firepit, host Thanksgiving dinner for your family, or open your Christmas presents under a fully decorated tree next to a fireplace at a hotel.

There are many Airbnbs that are more economical options than hotels and are just single rooms or suites, but a huge number of Airbnbs are opportunities to meet people from other parts of the country or the world (live like a local) or to go someplace as a family.  If the perception out there is that we are just cheap alternatives to hotels, we have a long way to go!

[Alex---Michael0]

Let us all switch to Homeaway!

[Rose123]

Hi guys, I just started a new thread petitioning Brian Chesky and Airbnb to take corporate social responsibility on Coronavirus cancellations. 

***WE CANNOT PAY OUR RENT WITH BIG IDEAS: AN OPEN LETTER TO BRIAN CHESKY***

On March 14, 2020, Airbnb changed policy to allow guests full compensation for cancelled bookings as a result of the current COVID-19 health crisis. This policy overrides existing policies hosts have in place to protect their homes and livelihoods, placing the responsibility of an entire global health pandemic on their shoulders.

Brian, you say your hosts are “heroes”, but everyday heroism can take many forms, and among these is corporate social responsibility. You tweet that Airbnb is concocting “big ideas” to help hosts, but we cannot pay our mortgages, rent, staff and bills with big ideas.

The impact of your March 14 policy change will be rapid and far-reaching. The diverse individuals who comprise your host community will face the very real prospect of eviction. This impacts individuals who may not have another source of income. Or, they may have a hosting income, but are also active participants in creative industries. They are poets, painters, artists, writers, academics, musicians, dancers, ceramicists, bloggers and others who balance the economic precarity of creative work with hosting as a matter of necessity, not luxury. They are the same individuals who, reliant on a gig economy, do not have access to health insurance, nor the protection of employer benefits and sick leave.

Your guests have a refund at stake: your hosts, their homes and livelihoods. We ask you to protect hosts as well as guests. We urge you to reimburse hosts for cancelled reservations according to their cancellation policies. We as a host community do not believe that guests should be traveling in the current health crisis. We also do not think that hosts should suffer crippling losses. We ask you to acknowledge the loyalty – and the revenue – of the hosts who built you. And we ask you to consider how to best support your most precarious hosts, those who will soon be on the verge of eviction.

***Feel free to copy, paste and share. Use the hashtag: helpyourhosts***

@Tom-And-Rene0 stay strong, thanks for your original post on this.

[Michael4841]

@Rose123 - excellent letter - you should also try to get it to Ashton Kutcher

[Rose123]

Thanks! I'm super burned out right now. I just lost my life savings and maybee my apartment at the end of the month. Feel free to copy, paste, share, track down that Ashton guy and you can find more resources on my instagram (@ rose vickers) - all one word. Go for it!

[Angie498]

Sorry, I decided to delete this as I don’t want AirBnB to take me off their books for now. I am a superhost as of when I posted that and don’t want that status being stripped. I don’t have another means of income for my properties.  

[Sarah977]

@Angie498  As far as I'm aware, no one has ever been stripped of their Superhost status or delisted becuse of comments they made on these forums. There's plenty of Superhosts here who have been quite critical of Airbnb policies from way back before the coronavirus, and it has never affected their listing status. 

[Glen-and-Natalie0]

Airbnb's decision to use their hosts as insurance is completely unethical. This decision was 100% about preserving their brand at the expense of hosts. The whole world is not under extenuating circumstances. For example a guest who would be driving in a car (3 hour trip) to our home and staying in a town with 0 infections was just covered under the extenuating circumstances policy.  This strikes we as 2 wolves and a sheep voting on what to have for dinner.  Like others have said 50% seems fair.  I've hear it said that the best solution is arrived at when nobody is 100% happy.  Seems the only ones not happy here are hosts.

[Cathy545]

Give me a break! I get some garbage email stating they are hosts also and basically understand our pain!? YOU HAVE A PAY CHECK COMING IN. I just turned off auto booking. Sick of getting the short end of the stick w/Airbnb. Some websites offer vacation protect/cancelation INSURANCE and Airbnb likes to get in to everyone's pocket book anyways (charge third party Insurance Company percentage for advertising on their website) have Airbnb add it automatically and they cover this type of garbage themselves or give the hosts the option TO REQUIRE THE PROTECTION ON EVERY BOOKING!! Thank goodness for other websites helping their HOSTS! I'VE TURNED OFF INSTANT BOOK with AIRBNB. Id prefer business from other websites.
Regards,
David and Cathrine
PS: I agree with taking their **bleep** temperatures when they arrive so we don't get ourselves or other guests sick. Some guests have gotten their own Insurance.

[Thomas977]

"Hello "Guest",

I am sorry for the situation that has arisen.

We have the «Airbnb Strict cancellation polic:

«Free cancellation for 48 hours, as long as the guest cancels at least 14 days before check-in.

After that, guests can cancel up to 7 days before check-in and get a 50% refund of the nightly rate, and 100 % of the cleaning fee, but 0 % of the Airbnb service fee.»

We are now a lot of hosts who believe Airbnb's shocking «new policy with 100% refound» is illegal and not valid.

It is highly unlikely that we will get a new booking on such short notice. Coronavirus causes a high risk of more cancellations ahead. We are afraid that our small company will make a big loss and that we will have problems with repayments to the bank. We can go bankrupt and the villa can be forcibly sold by the bank.

Unfortunately, our company ATP France AS therefore cannot depart from the strict cancellation policy agreement. We will be happy to give you a 50% refund of the nightly rate, and a 100 % refund of the cleaning fee. Hope you understand.

Please try to get the travel insurance to cover your 50 % loss!

We will be happy to give you a discount on a future stay.

Thanks!

Best regards,

Thomas"

[Thomas977]

"Hello Thomas,

We can understand your situation. It is a disaster for all of us.
As you can read in the news "Because of the corona virus, Germany largely closes its borders with France, Austria and Switzerland from 8 a.m. on Monday morning. " we are not able to make our trip to france.

We have to relay to the conditions of AIRBNB as you have too. Therefore we don't think, that the free cancellation AIRBNB offers is illegal. They wouldn't offer that, if it would be against their conditions. Even you as host could make claims for recourse on AIRBNB, if they act against the agreed conditions.

We would like to offer you, that we shift our 7 days reservation into September, e.g. Sept. 26th until Oct. 03 rd 2020, without additional costs. We hope that helps to avoid finacial shortage.

Otherwise we would cancel our reservation and expect 100% of refund.

Would that be okay for you? Than we would make a change on our booking and expect your confirmation.

Sory and

Best Regards

"Guest""

[Thomas977]

Hello again "guest",

Thanks, we accept to shift your 7 days reservation to Sept. 26th until Oct. 03 rd 2020, without additional costs. The condition, however, is that you take out travel insurance. We cannot depart from the strict cancellation policy agreement. Airbnb COVID-19 updated extenuating circumstances policy is not valid for check-in dates after April 14, 2020:

"The host’s cancellation policy will apply as usual to reservations made after March 14, 2020, and to existing reservations made on or before March 14, 2020 with check-in dates after April 14, 2020."

To Airbnb, if Airbnb read this: "The hosts cannot be Airbnb / guests' insurance company! Airbnb COVID-19 policy act against the agreed conditions. The hosts are losing confidence in Airbnb. Please reconsider your approach."

I'm sorry about the situation. I hope that you have a great holiday in the villa Sept. 26th until Oct. 03 rd. Do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions before or during your stay.

Thanks!

Kind regards,

Thomas"

[Thomas977]

Will Airbnb stand by this? Or will it be extended tomorrow?

"The host’s cancellation policy will apply as usual to reservations made after March 14, 2020, and to existing reservations made on or before March 14, 2020 with check-in dates after April 14, 2020."

[Glen-and-Natalie0]

This is a major risk in my opinion.  I would not be surprised to see the date get pushed out further and further.  In my opinion AirBnB is taking advantage of the fragmented nature of hosts.  There needs to be some sort of unified voice from hosts that can push back on this.