Our Main Hosting Concern

[Lisa-and-Mack0]

First I have to say that I am a little gobsmacked by the hosts complaining about not getting full cancellation fees.  Every guest we had reservations for April and May has cancelled.  Why on Earth would I want to charge people a fee for either obeying travel restrictions or just just protecting their health?  We all have skin in this game, and I am sorry if you are heavily leveraged after investing in STR properties.  That's on you.  Hosts with multiple properties are the dark side of this business if you ask me.

So, my biggest concern is to have a guest become ill while in my rental.  I could not in good conscious throw anyone out, not to mention potential liability issues if I tried.  First, I raised the minimum days for a stay, and I allowed three days after for no guests.  I had to turn off instant booking because it became unwieldy to manage my calendar.  I get that the app is still doing what it is programmed to do, but really AirBnB needs to not ding me for turning down guests right now.  I don't want anything from AirBnB in the way of compensation...not their fault, just allow me to manage our property as we see fit to protect our own health.

As usual, YMMV.  Thanks for reading. 

[Lisa-and-Mack0]

Yes.  And I make no judgments about what hosts decide to do.  It's the "after the fact" decisions that I myself don't want to make.  AirBnB doesn't have to make that call.  I do.  But they can help me survive this.  I'd like to help them survive this.  Ultimately, we'll find out if it's hosts out here, trying to provide a service and make a few bucks...or those of us that took this opportunity to rely on lazy money to make a comfortable life for themselves.  You accepted the risk.  That's the deal with investments over work...you know the risks, you accept them.  Screaming for relief now seems a bit over privileged. 

[Norene1]

Woah! Lazy money? What planet do you live on? What's with the "investments over work" remark? Apparantely you have "your people" taking care of and turning over your listings. Getting my listings up and running is a huge job every year. I turn my winter rental into a sweet weekly. I literally move out of my home every spring to create a wonderful space for guests to feel at home and enjoy. Taking care with everything after every guest leaves could hardly be called  anything other than work and meticulous care.  I am retired and on a fixed income. My rentals allow me to take care of the over and above bills and utilities which take the majority of my income. I am not trying to make a few bucks...the roof needs fixing...the appliances need replacing...my overhead keeps rising. You live in a world that I don't relate to. 

[Lisa-and-Mack0]

I understand what you are saying, and I am not unsympathetic.  But you, as a single investor, (I assume) are not the biggest problem.  There are entire investment groups out there, many of which bought properties after the crash of 08, and it took thousands of single family homes off the market, and drove home prices artificially higher.  When I say "investment over work" i am talking about how too many of us, under the guise of being "investors", are really just speculators, and doing so means an assumption of risk.  I stopped watching HGTV when it became less about fixing up your own place, and more about buying distressed property, put in ridiculous amenities and elevate the price for fun and profit!  Lots of retired people have a home or two that they rent, and they depend on that income.  I'm one of them, though I can survive without that rental income.  Improvements and repairs will have to wait.  

[Norene1]

Repair and improvements and repairs cannot wait. That's what "keeping up a property" is! Airbnb has proved to be a wonderful way for me not have to worry about those "extras". I cannot survive without added summer income. The reason I bought my property many, many years ago was because it was a good income property and that's what it's doing for me.  In my home town there is a huge and raucous argument about weekly rentals taking year round rents off the market and driving young people off the island where I live. Those of us who aren't from "away" and don't own several properties are caught in the middle having to battle for our rights to do what we should be entitled  to do what we want with our property. As a super host with a full calendar this summer starting the end of June I'm at a loss as what to do. If I cancel my reservations I'm out a ton of $100 penalties which in this case should be exempt. I have a strict no-cancellation policy now, if I understand correctly (which is cumbersome to say the least), if my guests cancel they get 100% refund but I don't get anything. How is that right? They loose one trip, I loose every trip. 

[Sarah977]

@Lisa-and-Mack0  So why are hosting at all now? Asymptomatic people are passing the virus around, you don't have to be sick to do that. It's not only you that are at risk, anyone travelling to get to your place is disregarding directives to shelter in place and could infect anyone they encounter on the way.

[Lisa-and-Mack0]

I agree, and just re-read my post.  My plan was to do longer stays, with breaks in between, but we have since decided to shut it down until the situation is resolved.  Sorry about the confusion.

[Mike-And-Jane0]

We've stayed open (key workers only during current lockdown). Our next guests arrive later today who are guys working to install safety screens in local supermarkets to make it safer for the checkout operators and presumably the shoppers as well. 

Also we have registered with the NHS in case doctors/nurses need a place to stay. 

I think there are valid reasons for staying open but I don't think we'd do it if it was a room in our house.

[Mitchell101]

i just shut everything down

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

me too

[Norene1]

Ok so you shut everything down. What exactly did you do? Please elaborate.

[John2654]

@Lisa-and-Mack0 Totally agree with you regarding the way some people, or should I say businesses, are using Airbnb and then expecting to get full cancellation fees. To me that was never the intention of the original Airbnb. 

[Huma0]

@Lisa-and-Mack0 

This is possibly the most hypocritical post I've read from a host on the whole COVID-19 issue and, believe me, I have been reading a lot of posts.

Ok, so you don't like hosts with multiple listings and think they are all making 'lazy money'. That's pretty debatable. Some are, some work very hard for that money, but don't tar all of them with the same brush when you have no idea of their individual situations, or the staff that rely on them for income.

Meanwhile, you choose to keep taking bookings and money, because you have so much 'concern' for your guests as opposed to all the others whom you perceive to be money grabbers?

If you are so genuinely concerned about others' welfare and so selflessly unconcerned about your own income, then just STOP HOSTING for now. It's not rocket science.

[Lisa-and-Mack0]

Oh I actually have stopped hosting.  I turned off instant booking so at least I can tell potential guests the situation.  You're right, I don't know everybody's situation..but I do know the housing market, and what affects it, so I stand by my assertion that large real estate investment groups have no cause to whine about the lack of cash flow.  

[Tamera7]

Trying to do the right thing, I started telling guests that we need to cancel their reservations through June as our town is shut down and will be for a while. I have to switch to long term as it's not sustainable to keep taking bookings and issuing refunds (not to mention really stressful). One guests cancelled per my instructions, I gave full refund as promised, then they told me that airbnb kept their service fees!!  THIS IS WRONG.  Add to that I cannot find a way to contact customer support anymore - does anyone else know how to do it?

[Deborah950]

We are having the same issue, waiting for reservations that cancel is costing us. We would like to cancel the next few months (they are slowly disappearing anyway) and switch to a short term rental until this is over.

Were you penalized for the cancellations? And I read that after 3 cancellations I could have my listing removed. Advice?