Book an air bnb for 1 month during lockdown?

[Jonathan1429]

I currently live in Peterborough but am looking into the possibility of moving to Norwich over the next few months.  However, my work will remain in Peterborough at least in the short term.  So I would like to ‘trial’ living in Norwich to see whether doing so will be compatible with my work being in Peterborough.  I would therefore like to know whether it is possible to book an air bnb in Norwich for a full month during the current lockdown?  The government guidance doesn’t seem to clearly answer this question.  It states that it is possible to stay in hotels, self-catering etc if they are your ‘main residence’ which the air bnb would be for that month although I would need to travel to Peterborough for work (that I cannot do from home) a couple of days a week and would stay at my parents house for those days but I understand this is allowable as part of a single person support bubble.  I have also been living with my parents until now while I have been building up my business so do not have a property that I currently own or rent.  

So can anyone confirm whether it would be permissible to make a month long air bnb booking based on the circumstances set out above?  

Thanks! 

[Jonathan1429]

@Robbie54  Listen, you’re probably right.  @Mike-And-Jane0  made a good point that it is a grey area not directly answered by the legislation so as a result most hosts will understandably probably err on the side of caution.  It’s probably not the best idea though to enter a conversation by calling a complete stranger selfish and ignorant.  Not generally considered to be good manners.  

[Robbie54]

@Jonathan1429  you're selfish because you're thinking about yourself only, not for the safety of others, and you are ignorant to this fact. As I said, I stand by my comment.

You're happy to endanger the lives of other people because you dont want to live with your mum and dad and you lecture me about manners? Deary deary me....

It's quite simple, Stay at home, save lives. 100,000 dead and counting...

[Jonathan1429]

@Robbie54 Do you have any social skills?  You simply cannot accuse complete strangers of thinking about only themselves and of being happy to endanger the lives of other people.  Would you make those type of assertions in any other setting than behind the anonymity of an online forum? Actually, it won’t surprise me if you say that you would make those type of accusations face-to-face with a complete stranger.  Perhaps worth considering whether that would generally be considered to be acceptable behaviour...

I am only going to do this if it is within the current laws that have been introduced by the Government that are designed to protect life.  Plus I would keep myself to myself in Norwich (I would do my shopping online) and I would only see my support bubble in Peterborough.  So exactly whose life would I be endangering and does that sound like the behaviour of somebody not interested in the safety of others.  Hardly going to an all night rave somewhere is it?  

[Marit-Anne0]

@Jonathan1429 when posting on an open discussion forum, you are bound to receive all sorts of responses, also some that you would not like.

Your situation is probably a grey zone, so dark grey that hosts may be reluctant to accept you as you cannot really prove that you are actually moving house and so it may be illegal to actually host you unless you can prove otherwise. Hosts may not be willing to take that chance.

Not being able to move around takes it's toll on all of us when going to the grocery store becomes the highlight of the day.

[Jonathan1429]

@Marit-Anne0 Thanks for your reply.  I am very happy to hear answers telling me that my plans are not within the rules or are in a grey area.  After all, that was why I asked the question - to find out what other people's opinions are as to whether my plans are within the rules.  The only thing I object to is @Robbie54 calling me ignorant and selfish simply for asking that question.  As you demonstrated, it is possible to answer the question without calling a person ignorant and selfish. Thanks again for your opinion. 

[Anonymous]

@Jonathan1429  I don't want to comment on the legality or ethics of what you're considering, but just ask a different question:  would your experience during a "trial period" under lockdown be an accurate predictor of what your life in the city might be like after lockdown is over?

Of course it depends a lot on your lifestyle and social needs - there are plenty of people out there whose daily lives aren't affected that much by the restrictions as their home and work lives were already more on the insular side. But I can definitely say that someone visiting Berlin right now is not getting much of a taste for what life is like here outside of lockdown. 

[Robbie54]

@Anonymous  Norwich is not far from Peterborough at all, I'm guessing Jonathan knows what's it's like, within reason. However he's so hell bent on renting a place in Norwich I dont hink he'd care much. 

[Anonymous]

@Robbie54 The chance to stay alone for awhile in a self-contained flat instead of living with one's parents does seem like a possible motivating factor. I don't know anything about Norwich or what its special appeal is. 

If it weren't for the pandemic circumstances, I think spending a few weeks in an STR getting to know a place before committing to a full - on move there would be an excellent idea - even if it's close enough to visit frequently. Needless to say, the current situation complicates all of that. 

[Robbie54]

@Anonymous its definitely the motivating factor, just not the greatest idea in the world to do it right now. The UK has the worst covid death rate per capita in the world after Belgium and Slovenia. Says it all. 

[Jonathan1429]

@Robbie54 @Anonymous Thanks for the input.  I’m not going to go down the air bnb route anymore.  Not because in reality I think it against the law or putting me or anyone else at risk (I would only have any meaningful contact with the same people whether I live in Pboro or Norwich) but because in practice I don’t think many hosts will be willing to let me make a booking because the guidance the government has provided isn’t very clear.  It’s important to remember that I can legally move to Norwich right now and travel to Pboro a couple of times a week for work so it doesn’t really make sense that I cannot book an air bnb and do exactly the same thing.  Just to confirm again though, I’m not going down the air bnb route anymore.