Hosts & Vaccination Requirements

[Anonymous]

Now that the Covid vaccine is being rolled out, we're seeing a lot of hosts asking questions about how to make vaccination a condition of entry. I'm not personally in favor of hosts asking for private medical documents, and in many jurisdictions it would be illegal to do so, but these are exceptional times and it's understandable that in-home hosts are trying to find a way to host safely again. As long as Airbnb grants an exemption to the cancellation policy when guests say they've tested positive, hosts have every reason to prefer guests who aren't at risk of this.

So far, the vast majority of people who are able to travel have not had access to the vaccine, but this will hopefully change over the next months. And even though it's a thorny topic, this is the time that hosts really need Airbnb to issue some guidance about how hosts can set requirements here. Can hosts request medical documents, even if they're not qualified to authenticate them? Will the Non-Discrimination Policy be applied to hosts who discriminate against unvaccinated guests? 

@Catherine-Powell I hope this is addressed in the next policy update from Airbnb, because it's increasingly clear that most in-home hosts have no real intention of adhering to the "protocol" that they were aggressively bullied into saying they would follow. If Airbnb is willing to allow people to require guests to be vaccinated, I hope we'll have an on-platform format for guests to enter their data without compromising their medical privacy. But otherwise, I hope we can at least have a loud and clear announcement of what hosts can and can't ask for, so we don't have people's businesses destroyed weeks later by a complaint that they fell afoul of a policy that didn't exist yet.

[Kitty-and-Creek0]

@Lisa723 @Anonymous @Till-and-Jutta0 

@Sarah977 @Alexandra199 

From  SF Chronicle sports section today

Ron Kroichick   

April 1, 2021

Giants fans will need negative coronavirus test or vaccination proof to attend games

The New York Yankees and Mets will host 20% of their stadium capacities, with similar testing/vaccination stipulations.

https://www.sfchronicle.com/sports/giants/article/Giants-fans-in-the-stands-S-F-requires-negative-16068300.php?utm_campaign=premiumsfgate_breakingnews_20210401&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email

[Alexandra199]

This is a great post. Personally I feel if i had the choice i would want my guests to prove they had received the vaccine. My reasoning for this is as follows:

1. There is more and more evidence to show that having the vaccine reduces a persons ability to transmit the virus. This therefore makes it safer for my team and future guests if the guest has been vaccinated.

2. Having the vaccine results in a significant reduction in the symptoms related to Covid. This means that a guest who falls ill is less likely to be very poorly. This is a benefit to hosts because a guest suffering with serious Covid symptoms are able to claim that they need to remain at your property until fit to travel. This could mean staying past their check out date. Unvaccinated they are also more likely to need hospital treatment thereby leaving the property and their belongings in situ.

Removing these issues would give me piece of mind. If there is a possibility of signing up to a vaccine passport I would be more than willing to do so. I also would have no issue whatsoever if a host asked me to do the same.

[Kitty-and-Creek0]

@Alexandra199 

Thanks for your clearly stated and completely valid points. I totally agree with you, and am thrilled that I've had the privilege of being vaccinated for Covid. May we all be so fortunate.

We are still restricted to our manner of hosting here, due to the danger of bringing silent Covid cases into our rural community from elsewhere, a healthy and practical ruling.

As a higher risk elder, I am not eager to be exposed, and have isolated for a year, along with my many peers. The relative freedom that vaccination provides also brings continued responsibility to ourselves and our community, our team, as you said. The ultimate responsibility is to our global human family, which is part of the hospitality industry, which we are an important part of.

I am keeping a laminated copy of my vaccine record with my passport; the best we can do at present. We did this when I was a child for mass vaccinations for Polio, Smallpox, and we all got TB tested. I got immunity to measles, mumps and chicken pox the hard way; by being ill with them, not an easy thing. I have an international vaccine record for all the serious diseases of the countries I like to visit, and am proud to show it to border officials when I travel - long a well justified requirement for travelers such as myself.  

May we all stay healthy, alive.... and be thrilled when we are able to safely and responsibly return to traveling and hosting. 

[Helen3]

I can't imagine in a country like the US they will introduce legislation that will make it mandatory to have a Covid vaccine passport @Kitty-and-Creek0  showing you've had the vaccine in order to book STRs  or travel.

The cruise liners had no choice to introduce having the vaccine as a requirement because of large numbers sharing facilities and the age groups they tend to attract . @Lisa723 

[Lisa723]

@Helen3 no, we won’t have such legislation here. The article shows though that private enterprises can and will impose their own conditions for service. Gyms and other businesses are starting to do the same. I thought it was relevant to arguments some have made here that hosts “can’t” impose vaccination prerequisites on guests.

[Helen3]

It's an interesting one @Lisa723 

For me it's not that hosts can't but it's likely to affect bookings if hosts do and they will need to enforce to verify vaccines have happened 

[Lisa723]

@Anonymous @Kitty-and-Creek0 @Alexandra199 @Helen3 @**

https://www.cntraveler.com/story/as-cruising-prepares-for-a-comeback-more-lines-announce-vaccination-requirements

[Kitty-and-Creek0]

@Lisa723 @Anonymous @Helen3 @Alexandra199 @**

This is excellent! So appropriate. With this proviso I would be much more likely to take a cruise.

This policy should be a formula for promoting staff and consumer confidence and financial success on these floating cities. They are pioneering a model for safely reopening many other non virtual businesses, where people interact in close quarters. Leading by example. 

We're definitely not out of the woods yet on this virus, but with humans caring, respecting, cooperating and protecting each other, we'll get there. 

[Helen3]

What a waste of space this new policy from Airbnb is whereby hosts can ask guests to 'attest' they are Covid free

Asking guests to 'attest' that they don't have symptoms  means nothing .

Anyone can lie. Just as some hosts did when they signed up to the Covid cleaning regulations and then didn't abide by them. 

And why is it only hosts who can ask guests. Why can't guests demand this of hosts and their cleaning staff/co-host? 

[Bryan10]

All the more reason to check guests' vaccination certificates at the door as they arrive. I'll certainly be doing this going forward. 

No job without a jab. No entry to the pub without your proof of vaccination. No flight, cruise, visa or holiday without a jab. These are all plans in the making, to keep us safe. I think we can all see the direction of travel on this. 

[Helen3]

As you're aware @Bryan10  the majority of the travelling public ie under 60s won't be vaccinated until July so you are likely to put off many from booking with you. 

but best of luck but do be aware that if you cancel bookings in the doorstep ( and you will likely have to as we know guests don't read.,  it's likely to lead to negative reviews and Airbnb will refund @Bryan10 

Also how are you able to open from April when hosts with shared accommodation  aren't allowed to open until 17 May in England ? 

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Bryan10 I see you have the following text in your listing. 'Reopening from April 2021 to guests who have been Covid vaccinated: proof/certificate will be checked at the door. '

I trust you are aware that this approach does not make it legal to host people in April in the UK.

[Anonymous]

@Quincy  I;m just tagging you here because you mentioned a couple months ago that this topic was under discussion. It would be great to know if there's any evolution inside of Airbnb on how they plan to handle this.

A lot of things have changed in the interim - an enormous and completely predictable global inequality has emerged with access to vaccinations. But hosts in some of the more privileged locations are still looking out for a way to discriminate on the basis of vaccination status. When can we hope for a definitive statement about whether this is acceptable? If hosts are getting their calendars blocked for not agreeing to their listing service telling them how to clean their doorknobs, I'd think that the same listing service should also provide some guidance on how they might be able to incorporate immunity data into their booking requirements.

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Anonymous The UK government seems to be moving towards vaccine passports for certain things (like pubs for instance). If they extend this to accommodation providers I guess Airbnb will at least have to allow cancellations by hosts for bookings made before any law is implemented. If Airbnb do not get their act together with a policy that at least allows for local laws there will be chaos!

My personal view is leave it to governments and then add to the EC policy that people have to obey the law of the country that the listing is in.

[Kitty-and-Creek0]

@Mike-And-Jane0 @Anonymous 

SF and NY teams requiring vaccine or negative test to attend games: 

https://www.sfchronicle.com/sports/giants/article/Giants-fans-in-the-stands-S-F-requires-negative-16068300.php?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=sfc_coronavirus&sid=5cfa957ecdb7ec7f1911643c