Covid-19.....lets help each other

[Robin4]

Reading many of the posts on this hosting board almost all correspondents are critical of the way Airbnb have handled this current pandemic situation.

What disturbs me is, some are trying to whip up hysteria by creating scenarios of their own which is not helping.

One host here  @Sheila22 has claimed she as a guest has double dipped on her travel insurance and also got a refund from Airbnb and then goes on to talk about price slashing, guests cancelling and rebooking at cheaper rates and even looting!! She then backtracks and says she is a host and just trying to put different ideas in the mix!

Sheila, I appreciate that you are simply trying to play the part of 'Devils Advocate' with your comments, but this is seriously not the time to be doing it! 

The hosting community are going through hell at the moment......as it stands this will cost me $20,000 this year if there is no short term remedy to the current pandemic. And all 3+ million of us hosts are going through the same thing.

I am also concerned that this pandemic could spell the end of Airbnb! To suddenly lose $94m in invest-able funds is not something a service company with few tangible assets can handle. Airbnb depend on cashflow and, that cashflow has stopped. The company may quite possibly not recover from this.

We are a community of hosts who collectively have a mass of experience and ideas to draw on. This is the time to be constructive and support each other and think of alternate ideas that may help us get our hosting wagons back on the tracks again once the worlds medical brains get on top of this. 

Please folks, can we be creative, not destructive!

Cheers........Rob

[Wende2]

Hi.....You're right, but the easy way that works for the host as well seems to never come to mind.  How ABB could for one minute think their hosts wouldn't be left short on finances is beyond me.  They could have sent out an email saying their plans to refund their fees, and we could go into our listing/'s to change ours if we choose to.  We sure aren't in it "together" if we haven't been giving a choice.

[Ian-And-Anne-Marie0]

@Wende2 

Hi.....You're right, but the easy way that works for the host as well seems to never come to mind. 

It's so sad that supposed partners can be so morally devoid.

[Wende2]

@Ian-And-Anne-Marie0 

Yes, morally devoid indeed.  I guess when their money is involved, they think putting a spin on it to sound good to us is the way to good.  I think they've underestimated their audience.

[Ruth873]

Am disgusted that Airbnb pretend to be decent and actually plainly do not GAF. Guests could have claimed money back on travel insurance..at worst, would have lost their rental money .  Airbnb has $billions and will be fine. They have made gobsmacking amounts of money from our homes. Remember, guests pay up front and there is lovely interest to be made on that too. Hosts are now left with no income for months and many will endure real hardship and financial ruin. What proportion of hosts will actually receive any financial support under the pathetic and weaselly scheme for 'host support'? Don't know how whatshisface that sent out that nauseating video about 'partners' sleeps at night. 

[Helen3]

Hi @Ruth873 

Travel insurance doesn’t usually cover pandemics so you are not correct in thinking guests can claim on travel insurance.

You are correct that hosts like many business owners in the UK are losing their main income stream and will suffer financial hardship.

However where we differ is that we can take mortgage breaks, apply for rebates on business rates and whole listings can continue to take key workers so we have ways to reduce our costs and generate income. We can also look st converting our listings to long term rentals. 

[Jamie362]

I am included in this group message though I no longer use Facebook and I haven't been "thrown under the bus" by Airbnb.  Thanks for the message.