UK Lockdown November 2020

[Eloise55]

Hey Everyone,

Does anyone in the UK currently have guests staying with them where the checkout date is after 5th?  What are you doing, asking them to leave Wednesday or Thursday, refunding them for the 'cancelled' days? 

Thanks for any ideas x

[Anton-and-Alison0]

@Eloise55 The other holiday cottage site I use has posted this yesterday.   There was a link to the gov uk site but Airbnb won't allow me to share!

"Should you currently have guests staying at your holiday home, the UK Government has confirmed that they will be able to complete their stay. However they are to adhere to restrictions in place in England and not go out without reasonable excuse."

[Emma2272]

Ok-I’ve just posted asking for guidance from Airbnb admin. We (all of us hosts, that is) cannot take guests from evening of 4th until Dec 2nd. I’ve contacted all my guests to offer them the chance to postpone (and re-postpone if necessary) so they don’t lose fees. I’m astonished that there’s been nothing at all in terms of guidance or blocking of all Nov dates. This is a national lockdown-whether you agree with it or not (!) and we cannot take holidaying guests. It’s not clear whether it will be law (I doubt it) or just guidance but it’s black and white. I’m feeling very frustrated about zero comms from Airbnb. 

[Emma2273]

Hi there, did you get a response to this at all? 

[Helen350]

@Emma2272 I hope Airbnb does NOT block calendars like they did in the first lockdown. The new regulations suggest overnight stays ARE allowed for work purposes, just not for holidays/leisure.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/new-national-restrictions-from-5-november - Nb Paragraph 11

[Mike-And-Jane0]

I think a lot of advice given re hosts not cancelling is good. However I am very disappointed to see that, in my opinion, Airbnb are not following UK law. All our reservations have a strict cancellation policy but I have made clear in the listing that we will refund anything we receive 100% in the event of a stay becoming illegal. Sadly when I called Airbnb today they said that they will not, as per their Ts&Cs refund their service fees.

This will have 2 effects

Possibly Airbnb will be challenged in court and probably have to refund properly

Definitely guests will book on booking.com or All the other big sites in the U.K. who are applying the law properly.

i really must list on at least one of these sites tomorrow as Airbnb bookings will surely be drying up as no one who is sane will risk a December or January booking with them.

@Catherine-Powell please can you explain why Airbnb are being so obtuse with their policies

[Jean4999]

Just to follow up. I contacted my 1 remaining November guest and reminded them that they would not be permitted to stay in our cottage, wished them well and told them they would get a full refund if they cancelled more than 5 days in advance, after which time I could not guarantee they would get their service charge refunded.

They later cancelled - No message attached, so likely disgruntled!

If they had refused to cancel, my next step would have probably been to cancel and explain to Airbnb that I was uncomfortable hosting this guest as they were planning to break the government lockdown rules/law as would have been evident in the message thread. Thankfully didn't have to.

[Helen427]

Hello @Eloise55 @Jean4999 @Emma2274 @Darren283

@Zoe317 

@Ruth899and others who are new to ABB CC, welcome aboard from a fellow Host across the miles in New Zealand.

 There's much useful related info tucked away here in CC if  you use related Keywords in the Searchbox.

Be mindful also of the wider Political situation that's going on in the background across the world.

Stick to basic Human Rights & look after your own best interests, including the economy & overall well being.

Oh & always remember who has not practiced what they preach & still have a weekly pay packet coming in at ordinary peoples expenses & freedoms.

Be mindful it's also been picked up on from a legal angle that Guidelines have not been signed off at the same time they are passed by a select few, who are told what to say & do by Scientists who are running the country at the moment.

There's time lags which create Grey areas in Rules.

#In Proportion