Do you ask guests for proof of a negative COVID test or proof of their vaccination status?

[Huma0]

Hello hosts. I know this has been discussed here and there on the CC, but I wanted to start a topic to gauge what people are doing currently. I am a home host with three guest rooms in my own house, so often have a non-related different guests staying. Due to the pandemic, I didn't host for much of 2020 and 2021, but my financial situation (I lost most of my other income due to the pandemic) makes it very difficult to stop hosting altogether. I do not want tourists and other short term guests in and out of my house but I host long term stays anyway. I still want to ensure these are as safe as possible.

The first thing I have been doing is to make sure that guests coming from overseas fully understand the current entry/testing/self isolation requirements and I do not let guests self isolate/quarantine at my house as it's a shared home. This has already caused a lot of strife, but it is clearly stated on my listing and I am sticking to my guns.

I have, sometimes, asked guests about their vaccination status. This is easier to do with overseas guests as their status will determine which rules apply to them on entry to the UK. 

One thing I have never done, until now, is to ask guests for proof of a negative COVID result. The reason I have done this recently is because I had a guest delay their check in when they said they tested positive. However, there is something not quite right here. If a guest sends you a photo of a negative home test, how do you even know A. who took the test (unlikely the guest would lie about this or B. when they took it (more likely they would lie)? As PCRs and even LFTs are becoming quite hard to get hold of here in England, would you accept this as proof or would you want a test certificate?

I don't want to interrogate guests or have to take on the role of a private detective but, seeing as this is the first time I've asked, I've realised that I'm pretty powerless to know whether the test result is valid or not...

[Huma0]

@Elaine701 

That makes it sound quite straightforward.

Of course, in the UK, the government has decided to do something different to Europe! You don't need to be vaccinated to enter the country, but you do need to quarantine/do tests. As I don't allow guests to quarantine here (it's impossible to self isolate in my set up) I don't get this category of guests.

However, I do get guests that are nationals or already living/staying long term in the UK, so there's no requirement for them to be vaccinated. Also, there are very few situations here where you have to show proof of vaccination. Unless you want to travel abroad, it's pretty easy here to go about your day to day life without it.

I have my vaccination certificate, but to be honest, no guests have ever even asked me if I'm vaccinated let alone required proof.

[Gillian166]

I'm not willing to participate in any situation that asks for people's papers, not about something this murky.

I wouldn't let a covid +ve person make a booking, just as someone who said "hey, we have the chicken pox, can we come stay" would be declined, although my own lifelong immunity was tested when my kids got it, so i'm all G.  If you're sick you should bloody stay home, that goes for normal flu season too, I hope that idea becomes part of our "new normal" moving forward. The idea you could pop a pill and still go to work must surely now be challenged in our society. got the flu? STAY HOME. I hope people learn that the flu kills old people (in numbers greater than we realised, my grt aunt died of pneumonia years ago and i was told it was very normal), and entry to aged care facilities in the future should perhaps involve some kind of rapid testing for staff and visitors. That's the kind of regulations I would support in the future. 

[Huma0]

@Gillian166 

I understand your sentiments entirely, but how would you know if the guest is COVID positive if they don't offer that information and you don't request any papers, e.g. a negative test, to prove otherwise?

[Gillian166]

@Huma0  I'm not doing home share (well 1 of our listings is home share, but the house is so big we don't interact with guests, they have their own wing, entrance etc, only the kitchen is shared) so I don't need to know. If someone is covid +ve and still travels, i won't interact with them to know. 

what's the point of the test, on Day2 of staying with us they could pick up covid in the supermarket..... then what? test them daily? 

let's flip it: do guests ask hosts to prove they are covid-negative buying showing a daily test result?  

[Connie168]

We require a guest to supply COVID vaccination cards, with a minimum of two vaccinations shown on the card, for each person who will occupy the property.  If they don't provide them, they cannot stay.

[Gillian166]

@Connie168  people are still doing this ?  Are your guests staying in the house with you? Surely the damning evidence that is being released about the pfizer jab is making you re-think this position? Also, the jab does nothing to stop the spread so this is about feelings, not science. History will reveal all, unless of course it's censored by msm (which it currently is, but go to youtube, there's plenty of newmedia channels discussing it). In good conscience I cannot continue to participate in this utter farce. 

[Connie168]

Everything you write Gillian166 has that right-wing, don't believe anything, feeling to it.  One good thing is I can hit mute on your posts.

Yes, there are some in the real world that continue to take COVID seriously. In our city, there have been 107,000 reported cases and over 500 deaths.  1800 people plus have tested positive just in the last few days. This is in a city of 300,000.  The new variant is gaining ground.

[Gillian166]

@Connie168  "right wing - don't believe it" lol.  I'm merely suggesting you get more info than what you are being fed by govt/pharma/media, and that's "right-wing"? 

 I'm not denying covid, if that's what you are suggesting.

Nor am I whatever you think is "right wing" (i'm assuming you think that means a whole barrage of nasty names), and btw I'm Australian so please don't trot out the tired "fox news" jab at me. We took covid seriously too, in fact, one might say we had the strictest rules in the whole world.  

Yes, we have thousands of cases here too. My daughter had covid last week. she is fine. The new variant is milder, and is the best immunisation you can get (even Bill Gates reluctantly admitted that, you did see that interview with him, right?). I am incredibly concerned about the long term effects of these jabs, and if you were keeping up with the latest news about the Pfizer document releases, you would be too. 

There is some frightening information out there, if you dare to look. But instead you want to mute, and no doubt censor those who seek the truth? Well, again you are welcome to remain ignorant, but to force others to be jabbed based on what msm told you is the truth? No, I cannot in good conscience take part in that anymore. 

You didn't answer if these people were sharing your house or not, but looking at your listings, it seems they are not, and still you are requiring a jab? I've no issue with people choosing to be jabbed, but I wouldn't force anyone to be jabbed, not when the data suggests we have no clue what the long/short term side effects are, and in fact they were completely denied in 2021. I would hate to think a guest got jabbed to stay at my place and later had a heart attack brought on by the jab. I already worry about my own parents with regards to this (both sets are fully jabbed and boosted). You also didn't respond that you do in fact understand that the jab doesn't stop you spreading or catching covid, so how does it help you if your guests are jabbed or not?  Never mind, you put me on mute, how convenient for you. 

[Cherie71]

I require COVID vaccination cards.  I don't FORCE anyone to get the vaccine.  I am only saying if they want to stay in one of my properties, they have to have the COVID vaccines.  

[Gillian166]

 your house, your rules. 

Do you make them send it to you before they book?  Or show you upon arrival? what happens if they've paid but then don't have it when they arrive? 
 

[Cherie71]

The House Rules state they are to provide names of all guests who will be occupying the apartment and a copy of each guest's COVID vaccination cards showing a minimum of 2 vaccines at the time of booking.  Failure to provide the information at the time of booking assumes the guest has canceled their reservation under the cancelation policy.

The Rules also stipulate that there are no exceptions.  4 guests in the apartment - 4 COVID vaccination cards required.

I send a reminder of the rules when I thank them for their reservation. 

Our season is so short that we just don't have the time or staff to follow people around to get COVID tests, rapid tests checked, and play doctor.   After an awful experience of some guests checking in, after getting off of a cruise ship, knowing and hiding that they were sick, and having to deal with their quarantine (they didn't want to leave and all of the hotels were booked) to having to isolate in our own home, and don't get me started on the lack of support from Airbnb, none of us want to go through that again.

Yes, I know that people can get sick once they are in the apartment, but that risk goes down considerably if they've been vaccinated.  

[Debra300]

I don't require vaccination or testing (although all of my international guests have done both due to border entry requirements) since I don't share living space with guests (and their only common area is a walkway/hallway from the entrance to their respective suites).  I've chosen to get vaccinate, but for COVID prevention I rely more heavily upon following what should now be common sense regarding public health guidelines: social distancing, hand washing and masking in crowded indoor venues.  As of April 2, 2022, the St. Lucian government eased its COVID-19 regulations, and now vaccinated travelers no longer need to test or quarantine, and non-vaccinated persons only have to obtain a negative PCR test result within 5 days prior to arrival (and they also won't need to quarantine).

Personally, at this point in the pandemic, I think that testing prior to travel is not the appropriate method for a locale to mitigate the risk of a COVID surge and overwhelming the local medical resources.  I've not read any information that states virus transmission from an unvaccinated person is more harmful than from a vaccinated person.  Pre-travel testing is being used as a punitive tool against those who've not gotten vaccinated, because it's inconvenient and costly, which are major barriers to traveling.  Furthermore, depending upon the location's regulations, testing must occur between 1 and 5 days prior to arrival, and it can be extremely stressful waiting for the results just to see if you will be allowed to take your planned trip so close to the scheduled departure date.  IMO, if a government wants to maintain a separate travel policy for the unvaccinated, it would be more reasonable and useful to both the traveler and the destination to require travel insurance with COVID-19 coverage instead of a test.

[Christine3284]

I am brand new to hosting and have been very curious about this issue.  I am listing a private home for short term stays- 2 to 4 nights, with self check in and plan to allow 24 hours after guests depart to enter and clean with gloves, glasses and masked, or to have my cleaning support do the same.  I am providing masks, antibacterial soap, information about covid testing, and letting them know that this is a home where all family members are vaccinated.  I have also requested they inform us if they become ill during their stay so that we can take necessary precautions.  I am very covid concerned but did think it was not within legal boundaries to require proof of vaccination, using hotel stays as my frame of reference.  Tests can be false negatives or just false, and in this stage of the virus, many vaccinated and boosted people are contracting covid.   It is a slippery slope to be sure no matter what one does.  Is there any data on infection rates related to airbnb stays?

[Cherie71]

Airbnb's COVID policy states hosts can make whatever stipulations in their House Rules about COVID as long as they do not go against local laws.

I've included a requirement for guests to provide a COVID test with a minimum of 2 vaccines at the time of the reservation. 

I know other Airbnb hosts in the city who also require copies of the vaccination cards. 

Airbnb has confirmed our cancellation policy when guests have not complied.