What if your host is an anti-covid conspiracy theorist?

[Ash3654]

Hello everyone,

So obviously, I am not going to post this question under my real account as I am still living at my Airbnb place but my questions is simple.. What would you do if your host was an anti-covid conspiracy nut? I rented this place because the host got nice reviews in the past and nothing seemed out of the ordinary. After my arrival, it appears to me that the host doesn't even believe that the virus exist and was flaunting covid rules by inviting multiple people at home and having large gatherings. I also felt a bit discriminated as the host made some political statements disparaging minority communities and as a person of color, I wasn't okay with it but didn't say anything.

Should I warn others about it by leaving a 1 star review? I've heard it's of no use because Airbnb always takes the side of the host and they will have it removed anyway. On top of that, this host has nothing but good reviews. Although on the bright side, I have only given (and received) good reviews myself too. Since, it is my first bad Airbnb experience (after many times of renting), what should I do? Say something? Or let it go? 

Sorry for the strange question but I am in a strange situation.

[Helen3]

As you know @Helen350  hosts Have to sign up to meeting Airbnb’s Covid cleaning policies and standards.

no- one booking a shared home would expect a host to have multiple guests of the hosts and gathering in a shared space during Covid

[Helen350]

When you book a shared home you book a ROOM, not the whole house...

I personally would not have friends round when guests are in - I was just pointing out that for years, it has been accepted that guests accept hosts' set up as they are... not demand that they be other.

 It is BAD MANNERS to criticize the host's own personal home!

Maybe the guest in their pre-trip messaging should ask " Who will be in the house during my stay? Just you & me? Or other guests? Or might you be having friends round, cos that would make me feel unsafe?" 

I've just had a message from a doctor in Cambridge who was due to arrive with a friend for hill walking, not work, on 26th for 3 days ... "We're moving from Tier 2 into Tier 4, can we still come anyway?"!!!!!!!!!

- Think I'm going to have to let her down, and say "No" @Helen3 ! (I do have some standards!) 🙂

[Helen3]

Actually that's not true; as you know many hosts including yourself and myself provide a room in a house with access to shared bathrooms, kitchen, living space etc. A guest doesn't just have access to their bedroom.

It's irrelevant what has been accepted for years. @Helen350 

Hosts with Airbnb have to commit to Covid cleaning standards which they can't possibly adhere to if they are having 'gatherings' in communal areas of the home including living areas shared with the guest.

[Helen350]

A guest CAN choose to stay in their bedroom @Helen3 , most of mine do, they enter through the front door and straight up the stairs, most of them never enter anywhere downstairs except  an area 1m squared at the foot of the stairs. Some nip in & out of the fridge, and very occasionally someone uses the microwave, but most seem to view the whole of the downstairs as my private space. I've had SpareRoom bods stay for months and never clap eyes on the chap in the room next door! A lot of them in their messaging say "I just want a bed!" 🙂

And I think with Covid, most guests respectfully keep themselves away from me & other guests! I certainly assume they'll make themselves scarce, and stay away from common areas.  And I've introduced a 10 mins rule in the kitchen.

[Ash3654]

So I have bad manners if I want to protect myself. I was respecting your opinions until you said this? It is bad manners to have a large gathering and flaunting all or any covid rules, not wearing a mask and going into unhinged political rants about minorities. I think the reason why you are so offended @Helen350  is most likely because you are the same type of a person yourself. Like I said, I feel sorry for someone who is renting your place. God help them! 

[Helen350]

I can assure you I treat all my guests with kindness & respect @Ash3654 , and if you read my reviews you will see how guests of all races speak well of me.

I assure you, I'm not like your host from the description you give, I would not have spoken the way you describe to a guest. I tend to keep all conversation to a) the weather (How British!) b) the tourist attractions/ the mountains/hillwalking c) Hospital parking! - I host a lot of doctors & nurses - of all races! - Sticking to the weather & the mountains avoids the unfortunate scenario you describe, I find!

Oh, and I'm not a conspiracy theorist, which doesn't mean I believe everything the government says is true!

I live in the UK, I'm British, and the culture of renting rooms as temporary short term guests, is maybe different here. The culture has always been that guests stay in their room and keep away from the host and her living rooms, and in these Covid times, staying in your room gives extra safety to BOTH sides.

Airbnbs are NOT hotels, you need to ASK before you book exactly what the set up is, and who else will be in the house, if you're worried. If you rent a private room in a private home, you have to accept the host, their household, their pets, their clutter, their mess. If you want a hotel, book a hotel!

Why not have a chat with your host, try & be understanding of his actions, but kindly say you were a bit alarmed by the gathering? Maybe it never occurred to him that you'd have an issue with it? Maybe he'd be prepared not to do similar for the rest of your stay? As regards the hurtful stereotypes, maybe he did not realise the effect it had on you? Maybe he'd be prepared to apologise & not do it again? Could you see this as a way forward in having a more harmonious last few days? Then maybe you could end up writing each other decent reviews after all?  - You don't want a bad review from him, surely, nor a "Better suited to a hotel!"?

I too am part of a hated minority group, so I DO sympathize! But sometimes it's better to let things go..... 

[Ashlee15]

Interesting ...... I am a host and my experience is that they are always the guests side and not willing to help with any dispute. Maybe they just take the easy way on disputes from both sides.

[John5097]

I would contact Airbnb. They should offer to put you in another place. You would simply not pay for the nights you didn't stay. You can also leave a review. Both host and guest have ten days after your stay to leave a review. Neither can see the other review until both have submitted a review or the 10 days expires. Then you can respond to the review once it becomes public so the response would show up beneath it as you would expect. Maybe because reviews can take 10 days to be made public there is a myth that they get removed when its the opposite. You also can't say "this guy was a conspiracy theorist" but simply say they didn't follow protocols in place. You would also have the option to bring any other behavior to their attention or leave a review. I like the review system. If I read the review as a potential guest, I would also be concerned this group of people might also be wacky and try to intimidate me. Although I think you should call Airbnb and see if they can put you in anther place and you simply don't pay for the nights you didn't stay.  

[Sarah977]

It's 14 days to leave a review, not 10. @John5097

[Lisa723]

@Ash3654 @Helen3 @Sarah977 @John5097 

Actually, in my experience, hosts are not required to commit to the new covid standards; we have not, and are still booking. It would be material to check whether this host has. (We have no shared spaces or contact with guests, and maintain four days of vacancy between stays.) 

[Mark116]

@Lisa723  I thought it was different for home shares and that Airbnb was mandating that hosts wear masks, unless they have a medical out, in common spaces and in any meetings w/guests?  But I may be wrong.  It's a little weird that someone who is concerned about the virus would book a shared space to begin with, but I can see being upset if the host is having large gatherings of people w/no masks on and not doing any type of covid protocols at all.  Strange.

[Lisa723]

@Mark116 maybe so-- I've only been presented with one option to commit to, including both cleaning and masking/distancing protocols, but maybe it's different for shared places. (We would certainly commit to masks and distancing if it were a separate option, and would do it regardless if we ever met guests in person.)

[Marit-Anne0]

So what happened to the delisting threat if we did not comply ?

[Lisa723]

@Marit-Anne0 in our case at least this threat remains empty, so far.

[John5097]

@Lisa723 I think it would be reasonable for a guest to expect host to follow covid protocol.  I completed the update before it was mandatory. As I recall it said a listing could be removed for violating the policy. Not following a required safety protocol seems like it would cary a higher liability risk if a guest did get the virus.  I'm not sure what boundries would be acceptable with a room rental, but feel its the host obligation to make the guest aware of the situation they are renting. 

So far none of my guest messaged me to meet outside so we could chat about politics, race or religion. No complaints yet, so I just come here for the drama.