Taking Bookings in the UK as lockdown eases

[Jennifer2453]

Hi, We are in England and beginning to get booking requests, one for this Sunday (17th May) and we don't know under the new vague lockdown easing measures whether it is right to take them or not? We have asked AirBnB for guidance and they suggested coming to the community for opinions. Anyone have any thoughts or understandings on this? Many thanks

[Gordon0]

@Jennifer2453 - the advice is crystal-clear; you should not be taking in guests. 

Can I go on holiday now?

Holidays are not permitted under the new guidance.

You are free to drive any distance to other destinations in England, like parks and beaches, but are not supposed to stay overnight somewhere you do not normally live. This includes any second property you may own.

This means you cannot rent a self-catering cottage or Airbnb property, and UK campsites, hotels and holiday parks will remain shut until at least 4 July.

[Jennifer2453]

Thank you so much for this. Can you give me the source of this information. It sounds like you've taken it from an official source. It would help for me to copy and send this information to the guests who are trying to book with me.

[Gordon0]

BBC (via Google): https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/explainers-52646738?xtor=AL-72-%5Bpartner%5D-%5Bbbc.news.twitter%5D-%5Bhe... 

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Jennifer2453 If they are on holiday you cannot accept the booking. If they are key workers and you can socially distance from them then its fine. That said they have to be working not just key workers on holiday!

[Rhona20]

what about overseas working students who attend a uk university? 

[Jennifer2453]

Thank you for these replies. This was my understanding. Why have AirBnB opened up our calendars for booking from the 17th May? I have people auto-booking. Why are AirBnB not following guidance?

[Gordon0]

I suspect Airbnb will rely on us (so a certain point) to ensure we abide by our locals laws and advice, @Jennifer2453.

[Helen3]

Why don't you just block the dates out? @Jennifer2453 

[Mike-And-Jane0]

I HOPE it is because there are people we can rent to. At the end of the day the host must be responsible for ensuring their property is legal in every respect.

Strangely it appears Airbnb do not block calendars in the USA - I can only think that Trump is influencing them.

[Mark116]

@Mike-And-Jane0   It is probably because the rules for what is and isn't allowed are variable, depending on the state, county or city.  It would be a massive undertaking for airbnb to figure out the rules for STR for every county in the United States.   Trump has nothing to do with it. 

[Rhona20]

......absolutely mark!...restrictions are not at all clear in any Country especially here in uk! ( or should I say Scotland ,Wales, Ireland and england/?/)

However, I have a long term airbnb request from a USA student needing to be back in her Scottish University to finnish her degree over the summer months (june july aug)  and not being able to find out what the heck is happening? Im as in the dark as to how to advise her as she is as what to do!?

[Jennifer2453]

I have blocked out the dates myself now.

AirBnB did block dates out in the UK and they are now unblocked. When they were first blocked the date lines were quite vague with ongoing monitoring as would be expected given the circumstances. But they have ended the blocking without messaging to tell me this final decision had been made, and so I have people making bookings without having been able to anticipate it. I have now taken control myself. 

I guess I am just a bit surprised that AirBnB don't have regional agents managing the situation in each area. I imagine the US is very different from here so it seems mad that they would have a blanket policy.

[Sarah977]

@Jennifer2453  They don't have a blanket policy. Hosts need to keep abreast of the ever-changing restrictions in their location. I don't know how you would expect Airbnb to have "regional" agents. They would have to have hundreds and hundreds of them. Every state in the US, every state in Mexico, every province in Canada, has different and constantly changing restrictions, and this is true all over the world.

If you are allowed to host certain demographics, i.e. essential workers, people needing housing (not for vacations), you can always keep your calendar open and put wording at the top of your listing description as to which bookings you are allowed to accept.