When did this appear?

[Colleen253]

Was just doing my regular listing check to see if any settings had spontaneously changed etc, and noticed this has been recently added under the Health & safety banner:

I notice it doesn't appear when I'm previewing my listing on the app. It links to: https://www.airbnb.ca/help/article/2839/what-are-the-health-and-safety-guidelines-for-hosts-and-gues... which I haven't seen before. When was that put up? I hate the constant feeling of being in the dark and the lack of consistent notification to hosts about news and updates. We should automatically be alerted to these things before they are put on our listings, not find out by accident after the fact. Am I just missing some great 'opt in to ALL communications' that all of you already know about? I do get the odd email digests from Airbnb and I do read them, but I do not recall seeing anything about this.

Within that help article I notice this:

"If you're a guest, you will not be eligible for a refund if your host cancels your reservation because you did not comply with these guidelines. Similarly, if you're a host, you will not be eligible for a payout if a guest cancels their stay because you did not comply with the health and safety guidelines." 

Good to know.

[Emilia42]

@Colleen253 I noticed this a few days ago. Of course, Airbnb wouldn't tell hosts about these additions. Just another example of Airbnb setting hosts up to fail by blindsiding them. At least now I know I can cancel a guest for not washing their hands after they use the bathroom and still get paid 🙂 (just kidding)

[Mark116]

Okay as I read that, it means that if I accidentally run into the guest on my front porch and I am not wearing a mask, and this is day  9 of a 9 day stay, they are eligible for a full refund.

LOL.  We're having our city inspection next week and presuming that we pass, we're signing up for VRBO and hope that it brings us some business so we can phase out Airbnb, that may not be realistic, but I hope at least we will be less exposed to this company's mad desire to harm it's host community.

[Colleen253]

@Mark116  Yes! And no doubt the guest will be able to simply “attest” to it, whereas they could bring 10 extra guests, be in violation of social distancing or whatever, we could supply all sorts of proof via camera evidence etc and Airbnb would strike us down. 

[Emiel1]

@Colleen253 

On Dutch website also, but it says:

"De richtlijnen voor sociale onthouding en andere COVID-19-gerelateerde richtlijnen van Airbnb zijn van toepassing"

But "sociale onthouding" means "social abstinence"..... :>)

So guest must live as a hermit, what to do if he/she escapes from the house ?

Best regards,

Emiel

[Huma0]

Yep, would have been nice to know about this, as it seems pretty important. I can follow most of it, but I don't realistically think my guests are going to wear masks in the house when using communal areas.

Why aren't these kinds of changes announced on the CC in a timely manner, or did I miss something?

[Ann72]

@Huma0  Darn it, now I'm going to worry about you.

[Michelle53]

I have had a guest ask me if masks are required in the house.  I said, since it is a separate space, and they don't see me at all, that they don't have to.  But I am not hosting groups of folks from different houses, only individuals or couples. 

I have a Covid-19 guest info sheet that outlines pretty much what is stated in the health and safety guidelines, along with a link to the City of Chicago Covid-19 website, so they can get up-to-date local information. 

I do provide a mask for each guest, hand sanitizer (in a countertop dispenser), disinfecting wipes, extra soap etc etc.   I have been doing this since I reopened after our lockdown.  I always put a mask on, whenever I leave the house, so even if I ran into my guests, coming and going,  I would have it on. 

Technically, Airbnb here wasn't ever shut down completely, but we have a block on one-night reservations.     My reservations have been averaging 4 - 6 days, as opposed to the one and two-nighters I usually got before the pandemic. 

[Huma0]

@Michelle53 

I find this a bit trickier, as the guests are sharing my home. Yes, I do also wear a mask when I go out, but not when I am at home.

I host long-term guests anyway so don't have lots of different guests coming in and out. I'm getting loads of enquiries, but not bookings, so it's not difficult for me to host only one long-term guest at a time (rather than the three I normally would) and I  no longer fill the gaps with short-term stays as I did in the past. I have three showers here, so we don't have to share bathrooms.

However, there is a shared kitchen/diner, living room etc. and we do pass each other on the stairs occasionally. I just don't think that a guest, especially a long-term one, is going to be okay with wearing a mask every time they venture out of their bedroom in case we cross paths. I wouldn't want to live like that either.

[Michelle53]

@Huma0  Yes, I can see how a room share would have complications. I would not want to be wearing a mask around my house. When I have visited friends, we always sit outside. My friends with shared spaces all have their listings paused right now. 

One doesn't really know where a guest will be spending time, during the day, so it's not quite like living with a family member.

We have the added complication of having people from certain states required to quarantine for 14 days, so I have to screen quite carefully, up front. It's amazing how many people live somewhere other than indicated on their profiles. 

[Huma0]

@Michelle53 

Yes, you are right. It is very difficult to know how careful a guest is going to be outside of the house. I am asking specific questions about their schedules etc. before they book, e.g. will they be working from home, or using pubic transport to travel in to work (so far I've only considered guests doing the former), but I don't really feel comfortable grilling them on their every movement, their social lives etc.

The next guest I have already stayed here a month and I feel very comfortable hosting him again for another month, but when I get someone new, who knows?

[Helen427]

@Huma0  @Emiel1 

@Lawrene0 @Ann72 @Debra300 

@Colleen253 

@Helen350and others

Check out "Disabled /Exemptions for wearing Masks/ Facecoverings"  on the Govt.UK official website.

 It's very well written with a wealth of useful info in the links of that article.

Alas it must be read in context to the end and remember we all are covered under the Human Rights act.

Love the bit about not telling people to wear them, or ask why they are not wearing them!

@Quincy @Lizzie 

@Catherine-Powell @Airbnb  Admins, it would be helpful to have those current links to UK Gvt website legislation & related Guidance on Airbnb website & via Listing pages for Hosts & Guests to help us all get some sanity back in the world.

Thanks in advance 

It's been a blessing here in New Zealand to have found that info as the fear mongering by Science Advisors is beyond belief.

Be mindful also that there's an imbalance of what may or may not be applicable as we all have different demographics & environmental factors...something that sadly hasn't been factored into account with the Covid 19 pandemic.

There's imbalances in research of all kinds bc of the proportions of nationalities in the STEM fields at universities and those who perhaps aren't so aware of the wider picture in the world for whatever reason, including toooo much time on the internet.

[Huma0]

@Helen427 

I think there are links to different government websites with advice on COVID-19 safety, but you have to hunt around a bit. I had to open several windows to get to it. It's a lot easier to simply go direct to your own government site.

My issue is with making guests and hosts wear masks inside the homes. I honestly don't think I could force my guests to do this. Imagine telling a guest they have to put on a mask when leaving their room to go to the bathroom a few paces away and back on again when returning to their room because the hallway is a communal area...

What I am asking is for them to thoroughly wash their hands when they enter the house and, luckily, my place is large enough that, even in communal areas, no one has to get close to each other.

[Helen427]

@Huma0 

The info I found, and shared here, there & everywhere, popped up on "How to make a Face covering."

There's details about wearing or not wearing face masks/ coverings inside.

The info in that topic really gets one thinking outside the square & creates an awareness of the many different needs of others in society and basic Human Rights.

UK usually start legislation that is used as a Template across a number of nations, including New Zealand & other Commonwealth countries.

 It was a real blessing finding that info 🤗

Have you noticed how Quiet Human Rights lawyers have been during Lockdown?

I wonder which ones are quietly working behind the scenes....

[Lawrene0]

Yes, just checked and this has displaced my dangerous animals warning. (You have to click on "more" to find it now.) The coyotes and bees will be upset.

I agree, @Colleen253 . This would have been nice to know. Thank you for posting!