Covid 19 Screening Guest Question Guidance is Lacking from airbnb.

[Marina1328]

So far airbnb has very scant guidance on questions a host should ask a guest prior to  allowing a booking to proceed during the outbreak.   The guidance the do have  is dated from April 16 2020 and it located in  "Our Continued Commitment to Inclusion" https://www.airbnb.co.uk/resources/hosting-homes/a/our-continued-commitment-to-inclusion-154

"For hosts, we suggest sending all guests this message before confirming a booking:

“In the interest of the health and safety of all my guests, I’m asking everyone to answer the following questions before they book:

• In the last two weeks, have you or anyone you live with traveled to any areas that have been impacted by COVID-19?
• Have you been diagnosed with, or suspect that you have contracted, COVID-19?
• Do you currently have any travel restrictions in your area due to COVID-19?”
• Hosts using Instant Book could consider including this set of questions in the pre-booking message, and all hosts can include these questions in their House Rules"

This is WAY outdated and needs to be brought up to speed to reflect the current situation with travel restrictions easing up in various parts of the world and within the USA.  As an example,  the first question is not even applicable today:  every area/country/state has been impacted by Covid 19.  

There are many helpful COVID 19 resources that airbnb is providing guidance on e.g. as cleaning guidelines, but there is NO updated guidance on what up front guest information needs to be ascertained prior to a host accepting a booking.

I have come up with some questions but they may be too exhaustive or intrusive or not specific enough!  I would appreciate some feedback or if anyone has any specific questions they are putting to guests now.

In the interest of the health and safety of all my guests, owners and staff,  and with the dynamic situation, I’m asking everyone to answer these questions before they book:

Is COVID-19 spreading where you, or your travel companion (s) live? How impacted is the country,  area or state you are travelling from? The status of the outbreak varies by location and state.

In the last 2 weeks, have you, or your travel companion (s), been diagnosed with, or suspect that you have contracted, or been tested for COVID-19?

Do you, or your travel companion (s), currently have any travel restrictions in your country, area or state due to COVID-19?

What is the reason for your visit? During your visit will you, or your travel companion(s) be in close contact with others during your trip?   

[Helen3]

As you know @Marina1328 UK hosts can't hosts guests at the moment until 4 July so this isn't a consideration to me.

I am not sure of the value of asking these sort of questions. Do you really expect guests to tell you the truth if they want to travel and think they may be infectious or at risk?

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Marina1328 It is not quite correct when @Helen3 says UK hosts cannot book guests at present. The Act of Parliament, as recently amended,  states clearly that accommodation for key workers and others who need a place to stay for their work are able to do so - Clearly Social Distancing is needed so this arguably only applies to whole house listings. I can't remember all the reasons why people can stay but moving house and attending funerals are also on the list.

stay safe

[Marina1328]

you are correct. Not sure if you got my reply as I did not include your @...... Irrespective of being able to host or not right now, I do think some guest screening guidance would be helpful.   I do not agree that we,  as hosts, cannot ask some information from guests purely from a health and safety perspective extending to home owners who are sharing their homes and housekeeping staff.   What I  am less sure of  is how explicit or extensive it  needs to be to keep it polite and respect privacy.  

[Anonymous]

@Marina1328 I don't see the point in asking guests to provide current stats on their country/state or on travel restrictions, for several reasons:

1 ) The guest probably won't have fully accurate information

2 ) You can find the current info on the internet if for whatever reason you think it's relevant

3) Unless it's a last-minute booking, there's no way to know what the situation will be on the guests' actual travel date

I wouldn't even consider asking guests about their personal health status. As @Helen3  said, they're unlikely to answer truthfully if they feared it would affect their booking. And while it's pretty standard to ask about the purpose of your guests' visit, it's not really any of your business what they do or who they see when they're away from the property.

Given the global reach of the pandemic, the only way to handle this that makes any sense is to assume that all upcoming guests are potential carriers of the virus - symptomatic or otherwise - and take the measures and precautions that would be appropriate to that. 

[Marina1328]

What you say does makes sense.   There is nonetheless an unease around a booking that involves an owners' home as opposed not a 100% 'dedicated to short let accommodation'.  Notwithstanding this the earlier airbnb guidance from April 16 does state messaging  'all guests'.....

[Anonymous]

@Marina1328   I also disagreed with Airbnb's guidance at the time. But we have to read between the lines a bit. I think the reason the emphasized "all guests"  and issued this guidance specifically in relation to Inclusion was because there were a lot of complaints that hosts were only "screening" or declining guests from specific countries.  The subtext was that they won't consider it discrimination if you ask the same questions to guests of all nationalities, rather than just ones from, say, China. 

I can understand the unease, but there's a big difference between putting one's mind at ease and actually being sensible and safe. I just don't see how relying upon a stranger's self-reporting is helpful as a risk-management strategy when it comes to a virus we aren't anywhere near fully understanding. Hosts who aren't confident that they can safely accommodate (and clean up after) a guest who happens to be a contagious carrier of the Coronavirus should not be accepting any guests at all.

[Marina1328]

I was not reading between the lines. Penny dropped.  Thanks. 

[Debra300]

@Anonymous,

I think that inquiring about the purpose of the stay does have some relevancy.  The information may provide some insight into the level of activity that can be expected at the dwelling.  Let's assume that the property is located in a city/state/county/country that no longer has a stay at home order or a short-term rental restriction, and many non-essential businesses have re-opened.  If a guest were to tell me that she's the maid of honor in a wedding, I'd think it is likely that she may have some of the wedding party visit her to socialize and/or prepare for the ceremony.

I'd re-iterate to her that parties are not allowed, remind her of the quiet hours and the guest's visitors may not stay later than 11 p.m. local time.  If I am not on-site, I would share this information with my neighbor/property manager so he is aware of the possible activity.

[Anonymous]

@Debra300  I'm all in favor asking guests to disclose the purpose of their stay in general, for reasons such as you describe. I just don't think it's relevant or useful in terms of Covid-19 specifically, except for when you're required to ascertain that the guest is an essential worker and not a tourist.

[Debra300]

@Anonymous,

I better put on my Magoos, because I misread what you said about inquiring about the guest's purpose for the visit.  Yes, I agree it isn't any of our business what they do and with whom they may contact while away from our spaces.

[Marina1328]

@Helen3 Thank you both for your input.  Irrespective of being able to host or not right now, I do think some guest screening guidance would be helpful.   I do not agree that we,  as hosts, cannot ask some information from guests purely from a health and safety perspective extending to home owners who are sharing their homes and housekeeping staff.   What I  am less sure of  is how explicit or extensive it  needs to be to keep it polite and respect privacy.  

[Mark116]

@Anonymous  I would think it is less an issue of guests lying, because why would a sane person travel if they knew they had the virus? and would be putting everyone they came in contact w/at risk?  More, would be that the guest(s) would not know if they had COVID.  But, either way, as you say, self reporting is not going to be helpful.  If there is a vaccine that is developed, which I am somewhat doubtful will happen, then potentially guests could be asked to provide documentation they had been vaccinated? But, I don't know if that is legal because health info is private.  if we're not allowed to demand to see the papers on the service dog, it seems unlikely we'd be able to demand anything healthwise from the guests. 

[Marina1328]

Perhaps  airbnb have purposely skirted issuing guidance on this issue because it is so fraught with privacy issues......  

[Anonymous]

@Mark116   If an effective vaccine were available,  the obvious safety strategy for hosts would be to get vaccinated themselves, rather than insist upon the guest showing them private medical documents. So in the ideal scenario (one in which the vaccine was available to everyone) that would be a moot point.