Welcome to the Frontline stays board. Introduce yourself here.

[Katrina143]

Hi, I'm Kat on the Frontline stays team. We created this group so that you and other hosts offering stays for COVID-19 first responders have a dedicated space to meet and support each other, and connect with our team. We hope you can use this group to connect with other hosts in your area, share tips and advice for hosting first responders in these unique circumstances, and ask questions. If you haven’t already, please check out our Frontline stays FAQs. 

To start, let’s get to know each other! If you’d like, please introduce yourself - you can include where you’re from, how long you’ve been hosting, and why you decided to open your listing up to first responders. 

Thank you for being here, the frontline stays program would not exist without you. 

Kat

As always, please remember to keep the Community Center Guidelines in mind when you interact in this group.

[Jeannie--And-Skate-0]

Hi everyone,

My husband and I have a unique home on the top of a hill in beautiful San Francisco, California.  Our home is quite special with a magical garden,  spectacular views and with a beautiful piece of parkland right outside our front door. 

The pandemic has hit us hard financially and we are happy to offer our home (at a discount) to health care workers in need of housing.  

[Kenny56]

Hello, good day all! 

I am Kenny from Cameron Highlands, Malaysia. I’m a Superhost and hosting since 2018. We are currently offering stays for COVID-19 first responders or persons who in needs have a dedicated space to meet and support each other here in Cameron Highlands. All of our rooms areas and facilities will be sanitised with antiseptic detergent and spray prior our guest‘s arrival. Hope the guests and all of us stay healthy and safe. 🙂

Thank you to all members here and Airbnb team

Kenny

[Tory31]

Welcome @Kenny56 - thank you for joining!

[Kenny56]

Thank you @Tory31 ! Hope this can help a bit.. : ))

[Yvette84]

Hello fellow AirBnB hosts. I'm Yvette, and I've been hosting for 10 years, and I've been a superhost since the program first began. I work hard to make my guests' stay as good as it can be.

Up until the middle of last year I was renting a private room in my home, and on occasions when I travel I would rent out the house while I was away. Last year I spent a substantial amount of money converting a space under my house I'd been using as a studio into a fully self contained flat whihc has its own independent access. It was booked solid and I was getting great reviews. But that investment was rather ill timed, and the host relief fund has penalised people like me who have a moderate cancellation policy. To add insult to injury, AirBnB is now recommending to hosts that we adopt a moderate cancellation policy!!

I have a nurse staying in the flat now, who I am only charging $50 per week to assist with utilities costs. She will be there until at least mid June, when I still have a booking, though I expect that is likely to be cancelled too. I've actually had two enquiries for long term accommodation in the past weeks, so I've lost out there, but I feel it's important to do my bit.

When and if I start listing again for short term accommodation I will be very reluctant to continue with a moderate cancellation policy!

Take care all and let's hope better days are ahead soon.

Yvette

[Katrina143]

Welcome to the group @Yvette84.  I'm sorry about your difficult situation- thank you for your honest feedback. Would you be willing to share more about your experience hosting a first responder for others in the group? 

[Nancy1249]

Hi, I'm Nancy. I own and rent two cute historic vacation cottages 5 minutes from the Gulf of Mexico in Nokomis, a southwest Florida town near Venice and Sarasota. I have hosted vacation cottages for 22 years now. I have decided to rent this summer exclusively to healthcare workers, and just got a reservation for an occupational therapist for 2.5 months starting in late May. I am happy to open my doors to healthcare workers during this pandemic crisis that affects us all. I wish good health to all of my fellow hosts around the world. 

[Tory31]

Welcome @Nancy1249 -- thank you for joining the group and opening your doors! 

[Ava34]

Hello all! I've been hosting for about 2 1/2 years now... I have a duplex in downtown Riverside (CA), which I rent out... I am also a nurse myself. I recently switched over to offer my place to Covid-19 workers as in Riverside County it is prohibited to rent out to anybody other than the homeless, health care workers or people in quarantine... 

Like everybody else, most of my bookings in March were cancelled... more recently I had one guy who arrived from London and was self-isolating for 14 days, a travel nurse working on a Covid unit, and now I have a doctor staying for a month... so all in all I can't complain!. I like the fact that we have to wait 3 days in between bookings... that, paired with the deep cleaning, will make sure the virus can't be spread between guests!

[Katrina143]

@Ava34 welcome to the group! As a healthcare provider yourself, I'd love to know if you have any advice for others in this group who are preparing to host those on the front lines of COVID-19. 

[Angela270]

Hello to everyone.  I have been an Airbnb Host for around 4 years, the last few months have been disastrous for us as we have a unit which we rent full time for Airbnb and also a room in my house, they both have been empty since all this started.  I too were excited to hear about the possibility of hosting our hospital workers as our unit is walking distance to a big hospital, however we have had nothing. As much as Im disappointed about that I can only imagine its because our cases in Australia are reasonably low and I guess our accomodation is not needed for medical staff and that I am grateful for. 

[Katrina143]

Welcome @Angela270 - I hope that cases remain low in your area, and travel bounces back safely and quickly. Thank you for joining, this group is here for you if you need it!

[S14]

Will anyone from AIrbnb Support be reading and responding to the important questions posted here?

[Tory31]

Hi @S14  this group is monitored by members of Airbnb's Community team, and not the customer support team. Happy, however, to point you to resources and answer questions about the program where possible. Our Help Center and Resource Center may have what you are looking for. Take care.

[ElenaandNick0]

Hello, I'm Elena, myself and my husband Nick have been hosts in London since 2013. We have opened our calendars to first responders from early March when received 20+  cancellations in less then a week, however haven't had a single stay or enquiry. Sad to see empty properties for the third months in a row.