Uk accommodation is closed until at least the 4th July!

[Hazel85]

I am becoming very frustrated with Airbnb not keeping there information up to date. I own a holiday cottage and have lost thousands already however we(uk) are not allowed by law to be open until 4th July! I contacted airbnb last week but they still haven't changed the information so it means that guests can book holiday accommodation during June which is breaking the law! 

My concerns have been worsened today as I visited my local beach Crackington Haven.  It was busy!

There were a lot of locals making the most of a lovely day however there were (they are easy to spot) a lot of people not from the area.  The public toilets are closed which raises concerns straightaway with no other facilities available. I'm sure everyone would like to see Cornwall open for business but it's just too early.  There is no lifeguarding on any beaches at the moment  and there will be approximately only 70 beaches around the whole of the UK with lifeguard cover this  summer. 

Its a bank holiday weekend,  the forecast is amazing and the surf is going to be big and people are flooding into our county.  There will be fatalities which is not a good advert for Cornwall. 

Please get it out there that Cornwall is still closed until at least the 4th July.

[Michele1266]

I just booked a flat because I’m traveling to England to look for housing for when I begin a law post-graduate program in October. I’ve no idea if this is allowed and would love clarification so I can cancel my flights. I wouldn’t want my host to get into trouble, but I also will not stay with friends as it’s too risky for all involved (and also not allowed).

[Helen3]

You shouldn't have been able to make a booking for a flat in the UK for bookings starting before 4  July  as mentioned above it is illegal in the UK,  unless you are a key worker, attending a funeral, are already in the UK and don't have access to your permanent home.

If you have booked somewhere to start in October then you should be okay (assuming they don't extend the ban for STRs).

The only reason a host would get in trouble is if they choose to accept an illegal booking - but then they would be at fault rather than you.

Have you spoken to your university to see if you can access student accommodation? It is also legal for you to book long term accommodation. Your university should be able to help you with information on sources of accommodation.

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Michele1266 The link to the law in England is in the post above yours.

The relevant section to you says

A person referred to in paragraph (3) may continue to carry on their business and keep any premises used in that business open—

(a)to provide accommodation for any person, who—

(i)is unable to return to their main residence;

(ii)uses that accommodation as their main residence;

(iii)needs accommodation while moving house;

So (iii) could easily be argued to apply to you.

All of these exceptions require social distancing so a whole flat listing should be fine as well

[Helen3]

I would see iii) as applying to people who are moving from one permanent home to another.

So if @Michelle1266 was moving from a permanent home in the US to a permanent (i.e. long term let in the UK for the start of term in October, that would be covered.

I am not sure that moving from a permanent home to a short term rental in the UK five months before her course starts  and then moving again a few months later to a longer term rental would count.

Who knows though. I saw they introduced further legislation this week with more exceptions opening up such as housing professional athletes. So hard to keep up.

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Helen3 Remarkably not everyone in the UK owns their own home. Moving house MUST cover people renting as we'll as buying

[Helen350]

@Helen3 @Mike-And-Jane0 @Michele1266 

https://blog.spareroom.co.uk/essential-information-for-flatsharers-and-renters-during-covid-19-crisi... 

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/government-advice-on-home-moving-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbrea...

[Michele1266]

Yeah it’s very difficult to keep all these straight. I’m only coming for two weeks to house hunt and then returning to the US. It’s too hard to do this online from 4000 miles away. I’d wait until July 4, but then I suppose I’d be subject to quarantine, which means I’d have to stay even longer. And coming in July creates problems with my visa application, as I have to send off my passport.

[Rob7148]

Similar to @Hazel85 , my listing was automatically blocked from taking bookings during May. As this automatic block didn't extend in to June, I have just taken an Instant Booking for that month. Cancelling it  would result in penalties.

Guest is travelling for work, but my listing is 'Private Room' and not 'entire flat', so is this allowed?

Airbnb does have the data for each listing to know which ones would be able to take bookings according to latest UK guidelines, so I would have thought that they could have continued with the automatic blocking through June for those listings. Or at the least notified those hosts and made them aware that bookings could be taken on the website again.

Is Airbnb now facilitating bookings that go against the UK guidelines?

[Robbie54]

When you say you have "just" taken a booking what do you mean? My calendar was automatically blocked by Airbnb a couple or so days ago for the whole of June, and I see on your calendar that no dates are available for June also, so how could you take a booking for this month? 🙂 

[Helen350]

@Robbie54 Our UK June calendars WERE fully open till 2 days ago, when Airbnb blocked the whole of June, up till 3 July. So, Yes, it was possible to book dates in June till 2 days ago.

@Rob7148 You MAY host in a home share; You will not be breaking any UK government rules. So long as you and your guest stay 2 metes apart.

(I've been doing so, with long term on/off guests, in permitted occupations.)  We occasionally speak for 2 mins across the room from 5 metres on arrival, but most days I don't see them at all. They stay in their rooms. They're never here on the same days.)

Have a look at the links I posted a couple of  threads above, from the British SpareRoom flatshare site - which gives their blessing to people moving into new flatshares- and the link from gov.uk.

Also read @Mike-And-Jane0 's posts above where they post the section from gov.uk which says that ALL types of provider may accommodate those in permitted occupations.

I wouldn't worry about being a private room...People are allowed to stay in hotels for work... Do they have the hotel to themselves, &  no cleaners around? Unlikely!

[Rob7148]

@Helen350 Thanks very much for the reply. That all makes sense. I guess my booking was made in the small window when the calendar wasn't automatically blocked by Airbnb.

If it's not too much of a stupid questions, if it's safe and allowed according to the guidelines, why has Airbnb blocked out the calendar again?

[Helen350]

@Rob7148 - I forgot to say, the hosting I wrote of, is of course only allowed for WORK, not holiday, short break, nor visiting friends/family. Such jollies are still not allowed.

In the early days of lockdown, the exemptions to the no staying in hotels/bnb etc rules were Key Workers only; i.e health & social care, police - essential services, those unable to work from home.  Now that Boris appears to be encouraging more people back to work, neither I nor other posters here have been able to find info on the gov.uk site which makes it clear if we may host ANY worker, eg. Could we legally host travelling salesmen? I - don't know!

I'm still searching the gov.uk site but can't find the most helpful article I read before.... There was a link to it on my Airbnb dashboard, top left but I deleted & can't get it back.... It contained detail about  what workers we can host...

So I don't know if you want to ask your guest what sort of work he does? 

In answer to your question, WHY have Airbnb blocked the calendar again?

- I assume it's because it's still ILLEGAL to host leisure visitors. I've been annoyed since the start that in order to prevent illegal bookings, Airbnb is also preventing legal ones! Maybe it's cos SOME hosts flouted the rules in the early days of lockdown? 

- Also, Airbnb has put out it's own rules & regs re cleaning, & instigated a special programme to sign up to if you wish to host key workers... But it's complicated, & I DON'T THINK AIRBNB ALLOW HOME SHARES to participate.....

That said, you were very lucky to catch a month long booking in that small window, & I'd go for it! It's LEGAL in the UK, (right profession of worker permitting), so who cares what Airbnb think? 

[Robbie54]

I know, however “just taken a booking” implies it was taken today, which is why I asked 🙂