Covid-19 Vaccination Requirment?

[Fr--Brian0]

Hello Community,   Can anyone tell me if we are permitted to require proof of COVID-19 Vaccinations from our guests?  We have been closed during the pandemic and are thinking about opening back up in the fall but feel uncomfortable hosting guests who have not been vaccinated.  Thank you.

[Mary4369]

Thanks!  But if the guest doesn't want to cancel, will Airbnb let us cancel without a penalty?  As far as Twitter, I will give it a go!  I just got back on but it seems I have more questions than when I did this 18 months ago. I hate contacting them but sometimes i feel like that's the only way I will get my question answered.   Mary

[Sarah977]

@Mary4369  If you use Instant Book, you can cancel by stating you're uncomfortable with a booking. If you require guests to submit booking requests, make sure they tell you their vaccination status before accepting their request. Then you shouldn't have to cancel.

[Kathryn-and-Paul0]

Well come November 30 I will be requiring VACCINATED GUESTS only.

Yes, as I'm vaccinated, this cuts down transmission rates but if my guests are vaccinated the transmission rate is cut further still. If this does not work out I will be closing.

[Eva315]

I just got a penalty from a agent that says the guest dont need to get vaccinated. 
The guest was booked for 2 months and was supposed to check in 15 th of Janyary. 
The guest wrote to me a week ago and told me h was recovered from Covid 19 and had a Recover certificate from a doctor. 
It was dated 24th of november and the booking was made the 27th of november. 
H also wrote the doctor had recommended him to postpone vaccination, but no written proof of this. 
The listing  is in my private home and I also have other guests sometimes and we share wc, shower and kitchen. 
It seems to me that Airbnb do not protect hosts and not follow the WHO’s recommendation. 
This is a significant  economic lost and extra work for me and I will not get any compensation. 
H contacted Airbnb and also sent a request of full repayment (I have a strict cancellation policy). 
The agent wrote to me and told me I had to answer within 24 hours and if not I could get penalties etc. But prior to this I also got a message that told me my rights and It said I do not have to cancel and let the guest cancel. It did not say I have to answer within 24 h and if I do not answer I could get penaties.....
I was in a University examination and could not reply so when I got home the agent had cancelled the booking on my behalf and given me penalties. It violated against my cancellation policy and also houserules in my ad. 
I claim that I have the rights to protect me and my family plus other guest from potential life threat (the listing is situated in my private home) I also folliw WHO’s vaccination recommendations but it seems that Airbnb dont follow this or any recommendations to protect guests or/and hosts. 

The guest is also a new member in the community with no previous bookings or rewiews. Im confused and upset since Im a superhost working a few years now with excellent service and reviews.  

[Till-and-Jutta0]

Dear @Eva315 , so sorry to hear this.

You are a host of two private rooms in Sweden. Your house rules in listing #1 state clearly “Important !!! negativ covid 19 test (24 h old) is mandatory plus full Covid 19 vaccination (2-3 shuts).” and listing #2 says “You need to provide me with a covid 19 test plus vacination ID (proof of at least 2 shuts vaccination) No covid 19 positive guests or non vaccinated are allowed in the house.”

Sometimes guest don’t read the rules. As I have a similar situation I repeat this super-important information at more prominent places. I disabled IB, and I clear this before accepting.

https://www.airbnb.com/resources/hosting-homes/a/answers-to-your-hosting-questions-about-covid-19-14... says:

Can I require my guests to be vaccinated or tested for COVID-19?

Hosts can set their own house rules, including specifying whether they require guests to be vaccinated or recently tested for COVID-19, unless prohibited under applicable local laws or regulations.

If you’re requiring guests to be vaccinated or recently tested, be sure to say so clearly and prominently in your listing description as well as in your house rules, so potential guests don’t miss it.

IMHO there should be no problem for you and no penalty if you have asked your guests to be fully vaccinated. If an agent has a different opinion, show him the Airbnb rules.

But, it could be a totally different matter regarding the cancellation fee. Often, in such cases, the customer service tends to cancel these bookings neutrally, without fee.

IMHO you should insist to get your case escalated to a higher agent, to get a deeper insight. If they resist or close the case without further discussion, we can help you to re-open or escalate.

[Marg11]

We have decided to only allow vaccinated guests to book our flat even though it is separate from our house. My husband at 80 has asthma and other conditions. However, we have a regular guest who refuses to vaccinate and sees clients when she stays, most of whom are elderly and probably not vacinated. She has bookings up to April which we accepted before the Omricon variant arrived so we will discuss this with her on her next stay. In the meantime no more unvaccinated bookings for us and I'm putting this in our house rules.

[Sylvia38]

We are seniors and host in our home and we require that guests are vaccinated and boosted and upload a copy of their vaccine card to a message ASAP....  in our policies and in our manual and description.  If a guest does not comply with pur policy Air BnB has canceled the reservation for us with no penalty and according to our cancellation policy.  I have found AirBnB to be very helpful.