Guest booking shared accomodation for quarantine.

[Jules189]

Hi,

I'm hoping someone can help.

I accepted a booking from a guest for 4 nights.  He sent me a message a day after telling me that I would receive a parcel with a PCR test and to put it in to his room.  I explained that as I worked that I couldn't be there to receive the parcel and that my listing was advertised as having shared bathroom and kitchen and therefore unsuitable for quarantine stays. I asked him to cancel the booking and I would agree to a refund.  He won't cancel.

Our current regulations for travellers is:

Quarantining safely

As soon as you arrive at your place of quarantine you should, as far as possible, avoid contact with other people in the place where you’re quarantining to reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19.

You should stay in a well ventilated room with an outside window that can be opened, separate from other people in your home.

If you’re staying in a hotel or guest house, you must stay away from others who did not travel with you. You must not use shared areas such as bars, restaurants, health clubs and sports facilities.

Stay 2 metres apart from other people staying there at all times.

I've spoken to UK Health protection this morning and they've said that the booking doesn't comply with current guidelines and strongly advised me to cancel it (which means that I face a financial penalty from AirBnb) or the guest faces a fine of up to £10,000 if a UKPHA representative visits to check quarantine compliance.  As the guest has informed me that he will be going to work daily and not quarantining whilst waiting for the test result I'm really concerned that I'm complicit in the regulations being broken.

Airbnb have emailed that they will suspend my listing if I keep declining bookings (for the same reason).  I'm quite worried that I'm going to lose the income which subsidies my self-employment income,  unless I allow travellers who are required to quarantine to book. 

Will Airbnb fine me for cancelling the booking to comply with our current travel regulations?  Has any AirBnb host had someone from the UKPHA turn up to check that a guest is complying and was the host penalised for allowing them to stay?  Am I allowed to put something on my listing page that tells people that I cannot accept people required to quarantine as the communal spaces are shared with family and other AirBnb guests?

Thanks in advance

Jules

[Huma0]

@Jules189 

I totally agree with you. I'm in a very similar situation with more than one room listed in my shared house.

The reasons I do not want guests quarantining here are:

- The kitchen is shared. Even if the guest didn't use the kitchen at all, how would they have their food delivered? Would I have to stay at home the whole time and take food the food up to leave outside their room (I don't allow guests to eat meals in their rooms anyway)? Would I then have to collect their packaging and left overs to dispose of it? I certainly don't want it sitting in the room for days.

- The bathrooms are shared. Even if I could allocate a separate shower for that guest (which is possible), there are only two WCs and I can't ask other guests not to use one of those. What if I had more than one guest book who then needed to quarantine? Regardless, the bathrooms re not en suite so the guests cannot reach them without passing through communal areas.

- The guest cannot actually even arrive and get to their room without passing through communal areas. There are no separate entrances, just one front door and a hallway before heading up the staircase to the rooms.

Even if I was comfortable hosting quarantining guests, I do not think it's fair to expect my other guests to share with them. I also do not like springing surprises on guests that have already booked/are already staying, if I can help it!

As for guests ignoring your now very clear message on your listing, yes that will still happen, but at least now you are covered. I simply remind them of it when they request to book and tell them they can book my listing for the remainder of their stay but not the quarantine. I have had a few guests do exactly that (although it turned out one hadn't actually self isolated but at least she did not come to me until her quarantine period was over and she had done her tests). Even if guests used IB, if you have this specified on your listing, it's a valid reason to cancel them penalty free.

[Huma0]

@Jules189 

It's nice to meet you too. 

I briefly listed my entire flat back in 2012 while I was waiting for the sale to complete but I don't really count that. I think I started hosting in my own home in the summer of 2016. It was just one of the rooms at first, then two and, eventually, three. At first I had a mixture of short and long-term guests (mostly the latter) but gradually switched to long-term as I found it suited me better.

I'm always learning new things about hosting, especially since the pandemic. I am trying to keep on top of the changing restrictions and how they impact potential guests, but it's not always easy. I am finding that many guests are up to date with these and others not at all, but it's baffling to me how even the ones who are up to date, never consider that a shared house like mine is not the place to quarantine!

[Huma0]

@Jules189 

As of today, this are the current government guidelines that apply to guest accommodation, including B&Bs etc.:

Take steps to ensure that customers who have symptoms or who are self-isolating do not attend your facility.

• Clearly communicate that customers should not come to your facility if they need to self-isolate, for example because they have been asked to self-isolate by NHS Test and Trace or because they are displaying any COVID-19 symptoms (a high temperature, new and persistent cough, or a loss of/change in sense of taste or smell), even if these symptoms are mild.
• Customers should be informed that if they, or anyone they live with, have one or more of these symptoms they should not attend, and should follow the guidance on testing and self-isolation. Make sure staff and customers are aware that they must self-isolate if they are a contact of a case (or possible case) of the Omicron variant, even if they are fully vaccinated or exempt.
• However, people who need to self-isolate but do not have suitable accommodation may need to self-isolate in a hotel or guest accommodation facility. You should consider how to manage this (for example, if you only offer shared facilities this may not be possible in your facility) and clearly communicate your policy to customers. Find out more about guests who need to self-isolate.

[Mary996]

Bravo @Huma0

Thanks for looking this up and for so kindly sharing xxxxx

[Jules189]

Hi,

Sorry for the delay in getting back to you.

This is really helpful information.  Do you have the direct link so I can send it our in messages to guests?

Thanks very much

Jules

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Jules189 you need to tag @Huma0 if you re asking for help otherwise she is likely to miss your post.

[Huma0]

@Jules189 

This is the link: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-covid-19/hotels-and-guest-accommodation#customers-...

There's a lot there, which is why I just copy pasted that section. You need to click on 'reducing risk to customers' and then 'communications and guidance'.

There is also guidance on this link for accommodations which are suitable for self isolating guests (i.e. where the essential facilities aren't shared).

[Huma0]

I have also just realised as a home host that I really need to have a back up plan in case I contract COVID or am advised to self isolate. Of course, this is something I've thought about before, but I am not really sure what I would do if I needed to self isolate for 10 days and I have guests already staying.

I wonder what is Airbnb's policy on this. I assume the stays can be cancelled penalty free but what about the poor guests having to suddenly find somewhere else to go? Would Airbnb relocate them? Or, do I leave the property for the self-isolation period and then have to book a hotel/self-contained accommodation for myself where I am allowed to quarantine, which would obviously be more expensive than losing the Airbnb income? I wouldn't want to go stay with family or friends and put them at risk. I would also need to book a cat sitter 🙂 

It's not a bad idea to have all your ducks in a row just in case...

[Jules189]

I own a wraparound childcare business and our risk assessment has to state what will happen if a member off staff tests positive during session.  They have to go home and aren't allowed to help to sterilise the areas they used themselves, as they may inadvertently be increasing risk of contamination.  I can't see you being able to Covid clean the area before you moved to a hotel, so I'd hope Airbnb would waive the cancellation fee.

I can't find any info about it on the site.  Our childcare professional body told us to update our risk assessments in September 20, even though the children are the lowest 'spreaders' our rules are really strict on infection control, but our governance is UK based.   I wonder if there isn't anything because different countries have different rules on social distancing and self-isolation?