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! 

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Jonathan1429 It feels like. you are moving house so could be allowed. That said is it clever to create a need to move between different parts of the country when you do not need to? why not wait until after lockdown.

[Jonathan1429]

@Mike-And-Jane0 Thanks very much for the reply! The issue is that who knows when after lockdown will actually be. I am keen to start investigating whether a move to Norwich could work for me on a permanent basis and have already had to delay doing so for most of the past year. Having said that, I don’t want to break any of the lockdown rules but I would be living by myself in Norwich and would keep myself to myself during the lockdown period so I do not feel that there would be any significant risk to me or anyone else from trialling a 1 month move now. I appreciate your advice though. Thanks again. 

[Helen3]

I wouldn't say your stay would be legitimate under the current lockdown regulations, you don't need accommodation because you are without a home as you have one. @Jonathan1429  which you can use.

Wait until lockdown is over.

[Jonathan1429]

@Helen3 @ Thanks for your reply.  I understand that it is still permissible to move home under the current regulations so I don’t have to wait until after lockdown to move to a different part of the country.  One option for moving home is to book a short term rental through a letting agency.  Short term rentals can sometimes be for periods as short as one month.  So why would it not be permissible to rent a flat for 1 month through air bnb?  What is the difference between doing that and booking a 1 month rental through a lettings agency?  If it is the travelling from the air bnb booking back to Peterborough that concerns you then is it not the case that travelling to another part of the country for work is also permitted as long as you cannot do that work from home which I cannot even when living in Peterborough.  I would stay a couple of nights a week in Peterborough with my support bubble but isn’t that allowed as a single person household?  

Essentially, if I am correct in saying that I could move to a different country by taking out a 1 month rental through a lettings agency then why can’t I do essentially the same thing by making a 1 month booking through air bnb?  Thanks again

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Jonathan1429 You seem to have decided its legal. My only warning would be that the police, in the unlikely event they catch you, might construe it as a holiday rather than moving home as your work remains in Peterborough.

Also Airbnb hosts might be concerned and not be willing to rent to ou for the same reasons.

[Helen3]

It's not about whether you can make a booking it's about whether such a booking would meet the requirements of the legislation. 

You are not wanting to make a temporary booking because  you are in between homes or moving to a new area to work.

[Robbie54]

@Jonathan1429  "Thanks very much for the reply! The issue is that who knows when after lockdown will actually be." We're all in the same boat Jonathan, you're no different to anyone else, what makes you so special? Take a look around you, see what's going on, it's not very pretty out there. Its not as if you're in the middle of transferring properties, you're just on the lookout for one, it's not important enough to risk your and other people's lives no matter what you think. To be blunt you're being ignorant and selfish. 

[Jonathan1429]

@Robbie54 Thanks for your reply.  I think you may be ignorant of the fact that moving house is still allowed under the current pandemic legislation.  What is the difference between booking an air bnb property for 1 month and taking out a 1 month short term rental through a lettings agency?  Isn’t the outcome the same - i.e. me living by myself for 1 month in Norwich and travelling to and staying in Peterborough (with my support bubble) for a couple of days each week for the necessary and allowed reason of work that I cannot do from home?  Before moving permanently to a new city, isn’t the wise course of action to make an initial temporary move to see whether that works for your circumstances?  Are you saying that people who currently live with their parents are unable to move house until some unspecified and unknown point in the distant future when things return to some resemblance of normality?  

You may also want to consider whether I would have bothered posting my question on this forum if I am being selfish.  Wouldn’t I just have gone ahead and done it anyway without asking?  

I appreciate you taking the time to reply.

Jonathan

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Jonathan1429 We turned down an inquiry from a chap who wanted to rent our place for a month. He said he would be working from home and that he wanted a change of scene.

I am sure a 6 month rental would be classed as moving house, a 2 week rental as a holiday. Given that a month is closer to 2 weeks than 6 months I honestly feel it is a very grey area as to wether it is legal or not. A short term rental between selling a house and buying another probably is legal but I don't think this is what you are doing.

[Jonathan1429]

@Robbie54  I realise that this isn’t an official government website but this may help to fill in your knowledge gap about the legalities of moving house at the current time.  

[Robbie54]

@Jonathan1429 

"Are you saying that people who currently live with their parents are unable to move house until some unspecified and unknown point in the distant future when things return to some resemblance of normality? " No I'm not saying that (which you already know given the fact you know you can move house), I'm saying is it wise given the current horrific situation? I'm well aware of the legality, but it begs the question, just because you could it doesn't mean you should. 

You've obviously made your mind up, I'm not the only one on here to tell you it's a bad idea so it's pointless discussing this with you. Anyway,  I'm really not sure why you're on here asking as you've already shown that you can move house, this isn't a goverment covid information centre. I stand by my original comment. 

[Jonathan1429]

@Robbie54 If you feel so strongly that moving house at the current time is unwise then perhaps you should lobby the Government to no longer permit house moves that ‘follow COVID safety guidance.’  That might be more productive than trying to make members of the public feel bad for doing something that is currently allowed under Government law.  

Thanks again for your input 

[Robbie54]

@Jonathan1429  Again, why are you on here asking if you already know it's legal??

For someone that has lost a family member to covid I'm very aware how our goverment has continued to fail us, they have no common sense, but let me ask you this, law or not do you think what you want to do is a good idea in the middle of a fast moving pandemic? Do you believe you would be immune to it? Is it a sensible idea? 

[Jonathan1429]

@Robbie54 I was confident that it was allowed under Government law but I was not 100% sure and I also wanted to check whether Air bnb had any policies that went over and above Government law.  Those are the reasons why I asked the question.

Is it a good idea to go to the supermarket for necessary supplies in the middle of a fast moving pandemic instead of just ordering it all online and waiting for it to arrive?  Is it a good idea to take your daily exercise in a public area rather than in the isolation of your back garden?  In an ideal world we would all seal ourselves in our homes and cease contact with every other human being but is that really something that we can reasonably ask people to do?  The Government rightly recognises that the dangers of the COVID pandemic have to be balanced against other harmful effects of lockdown - e.g. mental health issues.

As stated earlier, I would be living by myself in Norwich under the same lockdown rules and the only other people I would have contact with would be my support bubble in Peterborough so I do not personally see that I would be creating any significant risk for either myself or anyone else.  

It is perhaps easy for a person who currently owns or rents their own property to underestimate the hardship of an adult being asked to continue living with their older parents until some unknown point in the distant future when the pandemic is over - a point we cannot be certain will ever be reached.  

I am sorry to hear about your relative.  Please be assured that I am someone who does his best to follow all the Government rules for minimising the risk of transmission.  I simply wanted to confirm whether my plans broke any of those rules so was not expecting to be accused of being ‘ignorant and selfish.’