Covid Changes in Scotland

[Kim2504]

Hi, I just wondered with the announcement made yesterday in Scotland about not allowing people from separate households indoors what impact this will have on prebooked/shared accomodation?

I have a 28 day stay booked from Sunday in Edinburgh but it is in a shared flat. I contacted the host this morning to ask if he had heard anything from Airbnb etc but he said no and that all was fine. I’m just worried it seems to be going against the rules, but then if I cancel I can’t afford to lose a months fee. I’m just not sure where I stand and who is in the wrong? 

[Catherine1022]

I am an airbnb host and would like to ask the same question. On the face of it you are not allowed anyone into your home who is not from your own household so it would appear your host is wrong. 

Airbnb do not update or let you know about the effect of local coronavirus rules so i doubt that would be an acceptable excuse. I called airbnb yesterday to try to get some clarity and have also written to tjem but they were unable to help. 

It might be an idea for yiu to contact them by phone as a paying guest to see if they would refund you under the current rules. Either that or you could just take a chance that all will be well in Glasgow.

If you find anything out it would be great if you could let us all know.

Thanks ... airbnb number i used was 02033181111

[Anonymous]

@Catherine1022 "Take The Chance That All Will Be Well in Glasgow."

It's a little known Belle & Sebastián ballad from 1999, and of course it ends in despair. 

[Kim2504]

Thanks @Catherine1022 I have rang customer support and they’ve logged my query/will get someone to ring me back, so we’ll see what they say. I have friends who are hosts in Scotland and all have cancelled their future bookings in light of the announcement, so I assumed it would be the same for me but then it seems like he is fine with it/won’t be cancelling. I just don’t want to be stranded either with less than 72 hours to go! I’ll keep you updated

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Kim2504 You will be breaking the law if you go to a shared flat in Scotland this weekend. Call Airbnb and tell them that it is illegal for you to go and you should get a full CASH refund including the service fees.

If they say no then take them to the small claims court saying that the contract was frustrated and you will, assuming the Competitions and Markets Authority is right, win your case.

Search Frustrated contracts if you want more ammunition before calling Airbnb.

I should add that no one is in the wrong - Thats the point of a frustrated contract when an external event makes it not possible to perform a contract.

[Kim2504]

Thank you for the information @Mike-And-Jane0, I have phoned Airbnb and they said someone will get back to me so hopefully that is sooner rather than later! 

[Helen350]

@Kim2504 Are you going to Edinburgh for leisure purposes or are you going to work? 

= In the first lockdown, people were still allowed to move house/form a new flat share, so if you're working, common sense would probably prevail...

[Anonymous]

@Helen350  Would you like to elaborate on what "common sense" entails in your construct of it?

I mean, if we were living through a sci-fi Martian invasion, and we knew that the evil aliens hitchhiked in travellers' cars and reproduced themselves when they arrived in a new household, we'd probably think that collectively as a species we should reduce the exposure of one stranger's household from another, for the sake of defeating the aliens. In this scenario, how does your concept of "common sense" differ? 

Perhaps you believe that these Martians should just be accepted as a part of the community, with a system of totally open borders, to keep the economy running the way you like? That's cool. Surely you wouldn't support political parties that demonize fellow human beings seeking refuge in your country while trivializing alien invaders which have thus far killed 41,902 of your national compatriots. I mean, only common sense would tell you that this is utter hypocrisy, right?

Sense is a horribly complicated mechanism, and I don't think we quite agree on how common it is.

[Helen350]

@Anonymous You misunderstand... @Kim2504 ;s profile says she is a teacher... I meant if she is going to work as a teacher in Edinburgh she is probably ALLOWED to find accommodation there to do her job! Certainly during the first lockdown, taking up new flat shares was allowed, and in these circumstances Kim would become ONE household with the owner/current resident...

I am NOT looking for ways to flout the law, just teasing out the circumstances to see if Kim's intentions might after all be within  the law!

(No need to be so rude & sarcastic btw!)

[Kim2504]

@Helen350 @Hi Helen, yes I’m here teaching, so it’s more of a base until I find my own place near the school/settled in Edinburgh. I understand what you are saying and I have had similar thoughts. I spoke to Airbnb yesterday and they have just repeated the fact I booked after the 14th March and have given no further help on the issue, so we’ll see if that changes in the next few days but if not I don’t see what choice I have. 

[Helen350]

@Kim2504 I wouldn't bother with Airbnb CS unless you are cancelling and explaining a change in law means a frustrated contact.. (Airbnb CS staff do NOT know the daily changing law in all the countries they operate!) However, I'm sure if you are WORKING you are not flouting the rules! You are NOT visiting, you will be LIVING there TO DO YOUR VITAL JOB! - Not a frivolous jolly!

I've tried googling but can't find any info either way to say you can or can not take up this 1-month residence..... 

Could you phone the housing dept of Edinburgh Council to ask? (Explain you're working, obviously...) 

IMO DON'T cancel unless you know for certain that you can not form a new flatshare for the purposes of being what I would have thought is a keyworker!!!!

[Helen350]

@Kim2504 .... Your OP speaks of " not allowing people from separate households indoors"

- You and the Airbnb owner would be ONE (newly formed!) household! 😜

[Helen350]

@Kim2504  - I just used live chat on the "Shelter Scotland" website!

I asked "Could a teacher from Nottingham move into an Airbnb flatshare in Edinburgh for a month for work purposes?" Shelter Scotland replied: "If she has the consent of the home owner, Yes!"

- Live chat then advised phoning Shelter Scotland on the free 0800 number..... Try that!

@Anonymous 😜