More confused than ever!! COVID

[Kerry14]

So ... Airbnb are letting guests cancel in the UK up to July 31st. Government says yesterday accommodation can reopen 4th July subject to some guidelines. 

2 households can stay over night in the same house no rules about bathrooms

etc. 

But today’s advice or “clarification of the rules” saying that accommodation could only open if have one bathroom per guest room - unless you’re a campsite which has shared bathrooms for lots of people as long as they are kept clean?!?!? 

I can host one household at my place, or 2 households or no one as I don’t have one bathroom per bedroom? 

This is like torture. I don’t qualify for government hand out and obviously not a mythical Airbnb grant - but have been threatened with an unlimited fine by the local council as a “business” due to the fact I let a key worker’s daughter self isolate for free at my place (one person - 4 bed house - do the math!!) and my neighbours reported me as having holiday makers staying! 

Wonder if they knew I’d lost my job and was living in a tent which is why I started renting to make ends meet - and now in danger of being back in a tent with no rentals - they’d have reported me or if they thought I was one of these “out of town folk” that they’re raging about online and making tourists feel unwelcome. 

Does anybody have anywhere I could find some clarity about the “rules” or “guidelines” and if it’s not the law can they actually fine me like I’ve been threatened anyway. 

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Kerry14 Can you provide a link to the government advice with respect to bathrooms - I can't find it anywhere 

[Kerry14]

@Mike-And-Jane0 It was on a Sky News piece last night. 

“Private en suite or one shower per guest room” 

https://news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-these-are-the-new-rules-businesses-must-implement-to-reopen-1...

I’ve been searching frantically for something from government or local council to have some clarity.

Obviously each guest can clean shower after they use it and why would a campsite with multiple people using showers be allowed to open over few people in a family group? Most of whom already live together or would come under the 2 households staying over night together? 

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Kerry14 I think that until the government comes up with more information I'm not going to worry too much. They usually supply guidance a few days post the announcement and will likely update the law around July 4th.

As you say, for most places (and certainly ours), its likely to be only one or two families anyway.

[Tony-And-Una0]

Hi Kerry

Reading the rules, I think it refers more to standard B&Bs where different unconnected people  would be staying in each room. They need a separate bathroom.

You rent a whole house.  Advertise it for one or two households who are allowed to stay under one roof.

I think this is the best sense I can make of the rules at the moment.

[Kerry14]

@Tony-And-Una0  Hi - I hope so but I’m so nervous because of the council already threatening to fine me when I haven’t done anything wrong! 

If anyone sees any links to share I’d appreciate it. 

[Helen350]

@Kerry14  I empathise with all you say...... It's confusing, isn't it?

Re the council issue, we were always allowed to host keyworkers, even for money. So you were doing nothing wrong - Tell the council that! You were providing a much needed service!

During lockdown I personally continued to host my 2 day a week lodger, who needed to be here for essential social work. I also hosted in my own home (shared bathroom), a couple of carers , & a nuclear worker cleaning up & making safe in the first week of lockdown, before being laid off.. I also put up a doctor for a few single nights in my cottage next door. - All with a clear conscience , having read the gov.uk rules!

I too wondered about letting more than one room in my own house cos it's a bathroom shared with me..... Now you suggest that even ONE  room let is not allowed, because of the bathroom....?

BUT, I figured Airbnb HOMESHARES are not hotels, not guest houses, not even 'proper b&bs! - As the chap who ambled round from the Council said, when MY nasty neighbours complained (well pre-covid) about me running an illegal business! 'Nah' he said, it's only Airbnb, 'that's just like having lodgers, isn't it?'

And according to the original ethos of Airbnb homesharing, well it's like having friends or family to stay.... AND THAT'S ALLOWED FROM 4 JULY!

So, I'm thinking about only letting ONE room at a time for now..... (Or a second only if from the same household...) That way I meet the 'only' 2 households' rule - theirs & mine.  - Tho' unlike having a friend over, I won't be spending time with the guests..... So could I discount myself as a 'household' & let 2 rooms to strangers after all? - Still leaning to ONE single/couple/ household of 3-4 at a time tho'

- 2 lads/gals not a couple, not living in same house, starting the Coast to Coast cycle from my town? - & Me makes 3! - Can of worms!

[Kerry14]

@Helen350 Yes it’s certainly confusing. 

I had let the daughter of one key worker stay for a month due to her being isolated and struggling mentally where she was. She’d had a late online group chat with friends. Must have been loud admittedly as nosey neighbours complained - married couple made separate complaints to make it seem like more complaints. How kind of them. And I got a call from the council to say a group of girls had been SEEN going into my house.

Cue her almost being made homeless again, one angry father and me having extreme anxiety being threatened with unlimited fine as being a business - yet I don’t qualify for business support, seems reasonable!? 😉 Turns out story wasn’t exactly true as they admitted only ONE person had been seen! 

I now have another key worker staying at my house (original one found somewhere permanent and her step sister asked if I could help) bear in mind they are literally paying next to nothing for the whole place to themselves so I’m not covering bills.

I offered the information they would be in the house to the Council as didn’t want the police turning up on doorstep as I had been told would happen... had to provide photo ID, previous addresses, work contracts etc for her and partner. Have never even had a thank you or a reply after I sent them. 

My first group booked live in a house share together so they already share a house and bathroom so I wouldn’t see the issue, second group is 2 households who could stay at each other’s houses overnight anyway - no rules about bathrooms on that?!

I’m worried that I’m now in some kind of hit list and will receive a drop in regardless now  - especially as council just admitted paying millions to second home owners out of county, need to recoup finances somehow I’m sure.

It’s my home, just employment circumstances and finances means I can’t afford to be there myself right now -

makes it all the more painful that being “punished” for trying to do the right thing! 

[Trevor243]

Most (if not all) local authorities worked with the NHS and local tourist boards to provide key worker accommodation. This was well publicised from the start. All businesses (which includes you) should have been aware of this - you should have offered your property to the local authority for key worker accommodation, which would have saved you a lot of trouble.

The law was for people to self isolate at home. It still is. A key workers daughter should not have self isolated in your property - she should have self isolated at home and the key worker should have sought accommodation from the local authority or via his/her employer, or should have self-isolated with their daughter.

Lots of people have blagged free or cheap accommodation by saying they were key workers when they were not. Lots of accommodation providers blagged extra income saying the guests they had were key workers.

As for your current question, it all depends on what type of accommodation you provide and whether you actually live there or not. If the guests are renting the whole house and you are not there, then you may have guests from 2 households. If you're living in a tent in the garden, you are technically living at the property, so can have guests from only one household. If your tent is elsewhere, then it's the max 2 households. The bathrooms issue is for B&Bs / Hotels / Guesthouses etc where they could have 3 or more households staying, providing they don't all share the same bathroom.

[Helen350]

Thanks @Trevor243 , Your final paragraph is a useful clarification for my homeshare situation. It confirms my thoughts that because I live on the property, I can only let ONE room post 4 July, or more than one only if from the same household.

[Trevor243]

@Helen350It's always best to check the official guidance both from the government and from the hospitality industry bodies. You can always check with local authorities - it costs nothing to ask and you will get definite advice. In the meantime, stay on the safe side!

[Helen350]

Not being awkward @Trevor243 , but as an old style, original concept, home share Airbnb, I don't consider myself as part of the 'hospitality industry'! - Neither it seems do my local Council, given by events when my nasty neighbour complained about me running an unlicensed premises, well before Covid. Council couldn't care less! Said no different from having lodgers!  'Only Airbnb' - And they are unlikely to have formulated any detailed  plans in this backwater, as we are not a tourist town, tho 5 miles from National Park. But not geared to tourists at all here. If I asked these questions I guarantee I'd get a dumb answer!

Why should the Council object to me hosting ONE household? Government have said a household may invite another household into their house & spend the night... It makes no difference whether it's Auntie Mary & brood, or paying guests! - It's there on Gov.uk!

[Trevor243]

@Helen350  I hear you .... There are so many different people and businesses operating in many different ways, but they do tend to come under the umbrella of "hospitality" ....

The government set the rules .... these rules are enforced by Trading Standards / Environmental Health etc, which is all run by local authorities, hence "the council" being the organisation to get in touch with for clarification .... I know that Trading Standards teams in many local authorities are visiting shops to check on compliance and Environmental Health teams are checking other businesses to check on compliance .... they're doing it on a "be helpful" basis .... so they're not out to crack down, they're trying to support businesses and help them comply .... so that's why it's best to contact your local authority!

[Kerry14]

@Trevor243 Good morning and thank you for your reply. 

What I have and am doing was perfectly within regulations and guidelines and for the benefit of being kind and helpful - not about making money.

If you have some links to share where you have your confident information from that would be appreciated - With all the best will in the world I’m not sure, given the current state of play, that “Trevor on Airbnb told me I could” would be acceptable. 

[Trevor243]

The Government has been posting information on their gov.uk website since March. On 11th May, they posted a whole series of guides for "Working safely with coronavirus". They have posted various updates and additional pages and guides since then. Over the last few days, they have provided specific guidance for accommodation providers.

Are you saying that, as an accommodation provider, you don't know where to find the information that the government has been publishing since March?