Illegal booking

[Helen350]

Today I got a 2 night booking for tomorrow & the day after. Message said the Italian guest is flying from Italy to Edinburgh today, overnighting in Edinburgh, then coming to mine "to see a boat at the marina on Monday."

I sent a welcome message, then checked the  gov. regulations & was shocked to find that Italy has to quarantine (self isolate) for 14 days on arrival! So I messaged the info, and the fact that mine is a shared house with shared bathroom & another guest coming Monday...

He replied "the owner of my first accommodation for tonight in Edinburgh didn't make any problem about it. I don't know the house is yours (!) for me is no problem to ignore such restriction but you have to take a decision."

- Whilst I'm typing this, he's just cancelled! Good! Saves me umming & arring, & feeling a s*** for subsequently asking him to.....

Will he now book with someone else in my town? The landlord with 14 shared houses with other people in them?

Will he still be rampaging round the harbour on Monday (Fresh air at least!)

The problem is thankfully now out of my hands. Yes, his part of Italy (Genoa) may well have less Covid than parts of the UK where my guests come from.... but not the point, they can travel legally.....

DO I OFFER A REFUND??? Yes @Mike-And-Jane0 it's a frustrated contract, - but he chose to make an illegal booking the afternoon before.....

Do I report him to Airbnb?

Thoughts?

[Cathie19]

If @Helen350 , he did give an address for quarantine, are the authorities not checking? 

[Helen350]

I believe they do occasional random checks @Cathie19 . The UK has notoriously lax border control. Not like Australia, says she who's had her bags checked at virtually every major Australian airport! 

[Helen3]

Hi @Helen350 

I think your Italian guest may get a shock when he arrives. Airports are carrying out checks to see visitors have a minimum 14 nights booked at a single space if they come from a quarantine area.

He may find himself turned back on arrival 😁

[Helen350]

UPDATE!

 @Helen3 @Cathie19 @Marit-Anne0 @Anna9170 @Emilia42 @Sarah977 

Just as I anticipated! - The Italian guest, whom I told would be breaking the law by staying at mine for 2 days  the day after flying from Italy on account of it being a breach of quarantine laws - ended up STAYING IN ANOTHER AIRBNB IN MY TOWN!!! - One of the HMOs run by a professional landlord, with 14 listings!

How did he get through immigration at Edinburgh @Helen3 ? (Wouldn't happen in Australia!)- I guess that's the UK for you! 

And why did he even fly to Edinburgh, then find his way to Whitehaven next day, after I'd told  him it breeched quarantine laws?  - I'm rather cross, what about you? 

[Anna9170]

@Helen350  Maybe he had a legitimate reason to enter the country? For example, for work.

[Helen350]

He was looking at a boat in the harbour @Anna9170 , 2 night stay. Probably a potential leisure purchase, as there are NO commercial ships in our harbour! - When I messaged to say his booking with me was illegal, - without 14 day quarantine, he replied he didn't know & didn't care about the rules!  He was still intending to stay 1 night in Edinburgh cos his host had not said he couldn't! He JUST DIDN'T CARE! (He could have explained if he was here for legal purposes, eg Inspectors of merchant shipping.) - I fully expected him to book somewhere else in my town, probably with the professional landlord - and he did!

[Anna9170]

@Helen350  I think that not everything is so dramatic, he can make a medical certificate-test the day before the flight about the absence of the covid.

[Helen350]

That would still be AGAINST THE LAW @Anna9170 !  ALL arrivals from Italy must self isolate 14 days, test or no test! (You can test negative one day, then positive the next!) - My take was not being 'dramatic' but instead I did not want to allow his UK law breaking under my roof! What I/we/you think is not the issue, I would not have felt good about having that guy break the law!

(Strangely enough another Italian is now here in the room the first one cancelled... But THIS one lives in London; he has not just flown in from a country on the list of countries from which you must self-isolate 14 days! - That's the difference!)

[Cathie19]

@Anna9170 . An individual can have a negative test then within 24-48 hours have a positive one. They can also be a symptomatic and feeling fine.... just a carrier silently spreading Covid19.

[Helen3]

That’s irrelevant. Our legislation is that Everyone needs to quarantine if not on the safe travel corridor No ifs, no buts @Anna9170 

[Anna9170]

@Helen350  So any guest from your region (let alone from London) can also have one day negative test, and the next day positive test.😉
But I agree with you that everything has to be legal when you share a common space! This is your safety and that of other guests.

[Marit-Anne0]

@Helen350 @Helen3 what about those with a valid antibody test, are they allowed to enter without restrictions ? I just discovered that is the case in Norway and we have some of the strictest entry regulations in Europe.

[Helen3]

All an antibody test shows is that you have had a strain of the virus at some point. @Marit-Anne0 

It doesn’t mean you won’t get the same virus again or that you won’t get another strain of the virus.

If you want to come into the UK and aren’t travelling from a country on our safe corridor list you need to quarantine, 

[Anna9170]

@Helen3  @Cathie19  No problem, it should be so that everything is in accordance with the law. It's just all very random and selective, any guest of yours from London can be no less a problem. 😉
But, of course, you have to take care of yourself. I do not call to break the law, maybe we misunderstand each other. 

[Helen3]

Hello @Anna9170 

I am a little confused as to what point you are trying to make.? 

Those outside our safe travel corridor outside the UK, such as the guest who is the subject on this thread, need to quarantine for two weeks on arrival.

London is not outside of the UK. We have different restrictions for areas within the UK such as London currently on Tier2 status.