Opening up to hosting again... What safeguards should I put in place for incoming, long-term guests during COVID 19 pandemic?

[Catherine310]

I have a young couple coming from Long Island, NY who are due to check in for a three month stay on June 1st. We exchanged a lot of messages when they first booked and have since exchanged a few more... They seem delightful! When I checked in a few weeks ago they said that they were healthy and far from the horrors of NYC. On the other hand they may feel fine but just be asymptomatic...

I am a woman 'of a certain age,' and am considered to be at risk due to that factor... On the other hand, I have been laid off from both of my jobs, due to the pandemic. I want to ensure that my health will not be jeopardized by having them stay with me... Keep in mind that the last two guests, who arrived in late January and late February were from Washington State (where COVID 19 made US landfall), and Northern Italy, respectively, and at this point I don't want to push my luck...

Does anyone have any ideas what to do about welcoming new people into my sheltered-in-place existence? Any thoughts on how to handle this? I don't want seem dramatic but do you think I can ask them to bring some sort of proof (test results, doctor's note...) that they are not infected. Can I ask them if they've been locked up in their house for 2 weeks before they jumped in the car and drove up here? Take their temperature (if I can find a thermometer)...

Any thoughts or suggestions are welcome.

Be well, be safe, stay healthy and strong!

Catherine

[Sally221]

Dear Catherine, I don't think they will be able to get tested, not having a temperature doesn't mean they aren't asymptomatic & infectious , I suppose you can ask them if they have been sheltering in place but what does that mean, really? When I go to the store I wear a special "plague coat" gloves & a mask, keep my bank card in my coat pocket and peel out of my coat & take off my special going to the store shoes. My husband is 76 & hasn't shopped since mid March. Is yours a shared space listing? that seems way riskier than a separate space. Long Island may not be Manhattan but that doesn't mean there aren't active cases. Best of luck & health, Sally

[Ann783]

Hi @Catherine310  Personally, I wouldn't do this type of hosting. I'm in NYC, 1 out of 62 residents are estimated to be COVID positive. However, there is antibody testing available…. I had it done about a week ago.  I work in health care so I'm at high risk. It was negative and I would have sworn I had the virus in January. Perhaps this is something you could request. I was told the results would take a week, but i received them in 24 hours. 

[Sarah977]

@Catherine310  I fully understand that you need the income, but I certainly wouldn't be hosting in a shared-house listing now. This virus is far too contagious and you have zero way of knowing that guests will not be infectious. It doesn't matter how nice they seem. Aren't there shelter-in-place orders? How does travelling from Long Island to Massachusetts jive with that?

[Jessica-and-Henry0]

@Catherine310 

Like other hosts have expressed, it's really not a good time to home-share host guests right now, and the best would be to NOT host anyone. Also, are those guests even allowed to travel and are you allowed to host out-of-state guests right now? 

With that said...... if you are allowed to and intent on hosting the guests you mentioned above, I think it would be absolutely critical to set some clear ground rules for social distancing within your home, where to hang coats, rules about shoes, washing hands (or hand sanitizer at the entrance) as soon as arriving home, and strict rules for using any shared spaces such as the kitchen, living room and/or bathroom. I would also suggest limiting use of shared spaces to certain times only and you'd have to set up some sort of regular cleaning schedule for all doorknobs and surfaces.

All this should be listed/organized and shared with guests, and they would have to agree to respect all the rules before arriving. I would also think it prudent to ask *in detail* about guest intentions to socially distance while staying at your home, along with the purpose of their stay with you. If they plan on socializing with other friends/family in the area while staying as guests in your home, that would be a huge concern. But also, if they plan to be home all day...... are you sure you are up to having them in the same house 24/7 for the next 3 months? And are you sure you priced yourself adequately for 2 adults staying at home 24/7 for the next 3 months? The impact on your electricity and water bill will be significant, as well as TP consumption. What about other amenities you provide, such as laundry and cooking oil/salt&pepper&spices/condiments? I'm not sure how familiar you are with long-term hosting but it is very different from short-term hosting. 

Since they are coming from a different state, have the guests expressed any plans to isolate/quarantine for the first 14 days of arrival? If yes, how would that work in terms of meals and basic supplies? Your safety and sanity are most important, but I'd also hate to see you end up with less than you deserve for hosting them because you underestimated expenses. Good luck~

[Jen5]

I've been uncomfortable simply entering the house soon after guests have left, and I'm not in a high risk group. I also won't visit my elderly Dad right now (for his protection), even though I've been pretty well quarantined.

I just don't see how it's feasible to remain quarantined with strangers. And if they don't maintain a quarantine at home, then they will be putting you at constant risk.

Is the amount they're paying high enough that it would make economic sense for you to rent another place for the duration?

[Anonymous]

@Catherine310  Is your house set up in such a way that you and your guests can go for three months without getting within 6 feet of each other or touching the same surfaces? Do the guests have a private entrance, kitchen, bathroom, etc?  If not, I don't think it's realistic to think there's a "safe" way you can fulfill this booking.

I also can't imagine what was going on in these people's heads when they decided to join a complete stranger's household under quarantine. 

I understand, your situation leaves you under financial duress, and you might not have any good options here. But even if the guests were able to get tested before arrival (with only 70% accuracy), and voluntarily shared their results (you don't have the right to require medical records), this only accounts for their status prior to arrival. Every time they leave the property is a new opportunity for exposure, so you're completely at the mercy of the safety precautions they take and the choices they make when they're away.  If one or both of them becomes infected during the stay, your odds of contracting the virus as a result of sharing the household are very high, even if you're busily disinfecting surfaces and living like a prisoner in your bedroom.

Of course, a lot will change between now and June - in what direction, we can only guess. But based on where things are now, if you aren't willing to accept a high risk of infection,  in-home hosting is a really terrible idea.