Host standards

[Rick3277]

The answers I have received so far from Airbnb about hosts' screening of possible COVID 19 guests left me very concerned about mine and my friends future roles with Airbnb. The model of the world seems to be that in the near future, airlines, hotels, shops, restaurants, etc will take the temperature of people entering their establishments and if the people have a fever, they will not be allowed to enter due to the fever being the most common symptom of the COVID 19 virus infection. This is for the health and well being of everyone on the planet and considered a good role model for near future transactions. However, I'm being told by Airbnb that if I do the same thing with my Airbnb guests, that I will be punished with fines and reduction of status. This seems completely unreasonable and punitive and I would like for Airbnb to reconsider their stance on this.

What do other hosts think about this unfair situation ?

[Sarah977]

@Rick3277  A study from New York recently said that doctors there working on the front lines reported that 70% of their COVID patients had no fever whatsoever. Taking someone's temperature is really pretty pointless. Not only are many people who are infected with coronavirus asymptomatic (but can easily infect others) but people can show an elevated teperature for all kinds of reasons having nothing to do with the virus.

You keep yourself safe by not hosting any shared spaces, keeping your distance from others, not entering a space where someone else has been staying for a day, sterilizing all surfaces, and washing your hands a lot.

[Rick3277]

thanks for your reply Sarah. Unfortunately if you read 5 different articles about common symptoms of the virus, you'll get 5 different answers. The problem is no one knows for sure about this thing. I need to find some way to feel safe around new guests as I share my 3 bedroom flat with Airbnb guests, so your suggestions aren't possible. The only other solution is to wait for who knows how long until a cure is found

[Helen3]

I don't see why testing a guests temperate would be helpful in terms of you feeling safe? @Rick3277 It doesn't in any way ensure your safety in terms of the Corona virus. As you know many people who are shedding the virus show absolutely no symptoms at all. 

I agree with @Sarah977  the best way to keep you and your family safe is not to host in the current circumstances.

I am sure you know from first hand experience of living in Spain one of the worst affected countries outside of the US the devastating impact of those who travelled from places like Madrid and Barcelona to the costal area spreading the virus. And the impact it had in terms of those who sadly dies and health services who struggled to cope.

[Pilar1]

The only other solution is to wait for who knows how long until a cure is found,

that's right @Rick3277, or until a vaccine to inoculate us all by the millions is developed. Of course we’re still in the infancy of our knowledge about this terrible disease and even the scientific community does not seem to agree on many things, the debate on the use or not of masks comes to mind for example. I do agree with the advice @Sarah977 gives you, you seem to acknowledge she’s right in your reply too. 

And to answer your question, I don’t think AirBnB’s position on this is unfair. If you share your space and you were to screen your guests on arrival, who’s to say that they don’t get infected while they’re out and about and bring the virus into your home inadvertently? Asymptomatic  spread has been one of the main issues with this terrible disease, that’s why countries which had a good capacity for testing combined with geographic localisation and follow up of contacts have done much better at containing it. There’s much talk over here of a mobile app to help facilitate this sort of thing, because it’s impossible to do manually when millions are involved, but I’m sure many voices will shout about being an invasion of privacy and an assault to our liberties; it’s going to take a while to find a solution with enough guarantees to convince people to use such an app in my opinion. We’re far from going back to any sort of “normality” and home sharers in particular are going to need a lot of patience and resilience to get through this.

[Rick3277]

so my question is that obviously Airbnb bookings have not come to a screeching halt. Do you believe that every host who is sharing an Airbnb space these days are just crossing their fingers and hoping their guests don't give them COVID 19 ??

[Helen350]

@Rick3277 Yes, that's me! - I want to host again asap, but maintain social distancing within my shared space! No more tea & chat!

[Helen3]

How do you feel you would be able to do this @Helen350 ?

Not withstanding the fact that it is, of course illegal to do STRs in the UK, we are still in a stage of lock down in the UK with sadly many, many people dying.

[Rick3277]

I don't understand your question Helen. How do I feel would I be able to do what ? And what is an STR ?

[Helen3]

I was asking @Helen350  not you  @Rick3277 🙂   in that post.

STR= short term rental.

[Helen350]

@Helen3 I mean I wish to host ONCE IT'S LEGAL to do so. As you may have seen from my posts on other threads, I'm still hosting outside of Airbnb, so I might as well do a bit via Airbnb, if allowed. - ONE room at a time, not all three, 2 meters distance within house, bathroom taps, loo flush, door handles, bits of shower you touch disinfected before & after I touch them! 

A social worker (ex-nurse) stays in my own home 2 days a week - we've discussed this before, I recall! He's a married man, my age, & has always given me a wide berth in the 3 years 1 month he's been here! Tho' we exchange jolly banter 2-5 mins a day from 2 meters plus, as we have for 3+ years! 

- I was hosting a carer 4-5 nights most weeks since beginning March, last two times I've billeted him in my 2 bed cottage next door; 2 ensuites let separately. One room is let, if I find a LTR for the 2nd, the carer will be back in mine.. Young African lad... the last thing he'll want to do after a 12 hour shift is  mingle with me!

The trump card in my argument that you can host in a shared space whilst LOWERING risk is the on-call out-of-hours GP (doctor) who stays one weekend in 4. He came 2 weekends ago, didn't even mention the virus, didn't ask beforehand if I'd still honour the date on the calendar under the circumstances, just rang from work at 8.30pm as usual, & said he'd be in around 11.30pm as usual. This weekend he's come to a private arrangement with his last Airbnb homeshare in the other town he works in at weekends. Doesn't seem bothered in the slightest about home sharing.

As regards family, friends & community - I don't really have them. Paying guests are my only contact with other human beings, which is why I value them so much! And my only source of income.

[Sarah977]

@Helen350  What I don't understand is that you are sharing a bathroom and kitchen with your guests- the virus is emitted in breath if someone is infected and those fine particles can stay in the air for hours- it isn't just a matter of disinfecting the taps and so on, and it isn't just a matter of them sneezing or coughing. That's why they say not to enter a space where someone else has been for 24 hours.

[Helen350]

@Sarah977 Everything I've read says it only stays in the air for minutes.... - I found one article which said 3 hours, but they were a supplier of air purifierers!

My chaps spend 2 minutes a day in the kitchen, when the carer was here he never used it at all! - I'm at greater risk when I have to brave the supermarket! 

[Helen3]

No sensible hosts who care about their families, friends and communities - are not hosting in a shared listing even where it is legal to do so @Rick3277 

[Pilar1]

I don’t know about other hosts @Rick3277, but I think that any responsible home sharers need to think long and hard before resuming hosting once their respective government imposed restrictions are lifted.   You seem to imply you know of many still hosting, is it allowed in Spain? There will be so many variables to take into account anyway, for example there are home configurations that would allow for minimal or no contact, but for me not to be able to interact with my guests goes against my idea of hosting so even if I didn’t have other personal reasons not to I doubt I would do it in that case.