A reflection on financial loss vs human connection

Pilar1
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

A reflection on financial loss vs human connection

This past few months have been like a roller-coaster of emotions for me, I assume that for many others too. I have started writing about this several times but never finished, sometimes thinking no one will really care, others put off for fear of being judged whatever I say (I’ve realised I don’t handle criticism very well lately, but bring it on). I was starting to see the light at the end of a long and dark tunnel when we were hit by this awful virus and everything suddenly came to a stand still; no more job prospects, no more bookings and no option to travel and see my family at Easter as I had planned since I had to miss Christmas with them. Probably like most I’ve had mixed feelings about this platform, who hasn’t been affected by having to deal with customer support only to find there’s no recourse to an unfair decision. But all in all they were good to me so, long ago, I made the conscious choice to stay loyal to Airbnb and now was paying the consequences. I was kicking myself for having relied on them when I got my one and only Covid-19 cancellation, mainly  because it happened long before it became a real threat in Western Europe and the way my guests went about getting a full refund without even asking me first. I know many will disagree but I soon realised the only acceptable course of action was to refund anybody that could not travel because of it, whatever cancellation policy we had. We’ll never reach an agreement about Airbnb’s right to override hosts’ policies, it has been discussed endlessly, I think even Solomon would find it difficult to reach the right decision in a case like this, and it’s not of any use to keep shouting about something that cannot be changed. If I have not had to deal with many more refunds it’s only because unfortunately I had to start rejecting bookings very early on given the high risk of a very bad outcome for someone like me catching this virus.

 

When you live alone in a flat in the middle of a big city, the prospect of having to lock yourself down for weeks on end and isolate is not very appealing for someone with depressive tendencies; there’s so much time to think and the constant worry about the financial issues and how or even if I would survive this has been too much at times. Although in this situation it has been a blessing and a curse at the same time, I’m grateful to live in the Internet era, amongst other things, I wouldn’t have rediscovered this forum otherwise. In spite of what I’ve read many times about Airbnb not being a partnership or a community, reading and replying to posts has indeed given me a sense of community and of belonging, I’ve realised there are many beautiful places I’d still like to visit one day (maybe staying with some of the hosts I’ve “met” here) and in turn has given me hope too.

 

Hosting is not a job for me, never considered it a business, it’s a lifestyle; it was a nice extra income at first until it became my lifeline, and maybe I should really have used the past tense here as given the current circumstances I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to host again. Having guests to welcome in my home kept me focused and motivated, I’d say it even kept me sane in spite of some ups and downs, and can also honestly say that they are what I miss the most. I’m surprised that very few ever mention this or seem to be too bothered about them, maybe because guests  appear to have turned into the “enemy” due to the flood of cancellations suffered by most hosts. Even before this started I was getting worried about how long home sharers who once were the backbone of the platform and made it different from the competition would last amongst the plethora of “professional“ hosts that flooded the market, at least in my city of London. I have read that Brian said in his last broadcast to us here that Airbnb intend to focus on the human connection again, go back to their roots, this will mean supporting hosts like me and couldn’t be more welcomed. The cynic in me is reticent to believe it, but amongst everything that’s been said since all this started, if that comes true, for me it would be the most positive outcome from an awful situation (again many will disagree but aren’t there many better suited platforms to choose from for them?) because at the moment I feel it would be my only hope to get back to normal, whatever normal is after this. The financial side of things can be dealt with in other ways, it’s the human contact I want back in my life. I miss my guests, I want them back.

16 Replies 16
Ian-And-Anne-Marie0
Level 10
Kendal, United Kingdom

@Pilar1 

You have the right perspective on things. It isn't the guests who are the problem, its the rules put in place by the Controllers for the game to happen in this particular ballpark. For home hosts, letting options are quite limited.

 

There are options; Change the rules. Airbnb could be a great place if it was more even handed.

 

Check this out:

https://www.change.org/p/airbnb-airbnb-host-collective-for-change?utm_source=share_petition&utm_medi...

 

A movement by hosts to make a better ballpark.

 

Helen350
Level 10
Whitehaven, United Kingdom

Me too @Pilar1 ! (except the relatives elsewhere bit, I'm not in contact with my relatives, sadly.) I live in the country, with beautiful walks through, field & woods, & country lanes, & can even walk to the beach 1 mile away, so it's a good place to be 'locked down' in..... With a daily dog walk of 30 mins - 2 hours, it's not like lockdown at all.... I have few meaningful social contacts where I live, nor anywhere else, so, like you, I really value the social contact Airbnb gives me.... And yes, it's a big help in keeping me sane!

- Congrats on the SH grant invite! 

Dimitar27
Level 10
Sofia, Bulgaria

“If we never experience the chill of a dark winter, it is very unlikely that we will ever cherish the warmth of a bright summer’s day. Nothing stimulates our appetite for the simple joys of life more than the starvation caused by sadness or desperation. In order to complete our amazing life journey successfully, it is vital that we turn each and every dark tear into a pearl of wisdom, and find the blessing in every curse.”
 Anthon St. Maarten

 

Sarah977
Level 10
Sayulita, Mexico

@Pilar1  I really appreciate your post. I also home share and also only had one reservation on the books when COVID hit, which in fact I contacted the guest to say I thought it best for her to cancel, (I had been waiting for her to, expecting it any day, but as of 10 days before check-in, she hadn't) and she readily agreed. We both expressed  "Bummer, but hopefully you can come another time". 

 

Airbnb isn't the major part of my income, so thankfully I'm not facing big financial difficulties, but I really miss having guests. I tend to have quite a bit of interaction with them and have met some wonderful people from far flung places. I enjoyed preparing their space for them and picking a bouquet of flowers or foliage from my garden for their room. I was touched when I showed them to their room and they said "Oh, this is much nicer than what I expected", or said halfway through their stay "I just love my cozy little room." I don't enjoy cooking, so when a guest said " I love to cook, but it's hard to just cook for one, so please help yourself to the pot of soup I made", it was so nice. I sometimes invited guests to join me for a beach day with friends or out to dinner to some place a tourist would never ordinarily know about. They'd express how much they appreciated this and how much fun they had. 

 

I so sympathize with those like you who have been cooped up in an apartment in the city- that must be so hard and really get you after awhile. I'm so lucky that I live in the countryside, with a big yard, nice neighbors I can talk to over the fence, and plenty of space around to take long walks. 

What is hardest is that I always go up to Canada for a month or more in the summer to visit family and friends and it doesn't look like that will be possible this year. Fortunately my youngest daughter, her boyfriend and new 4 month old baby came to visit back in February, but the baby is now almost 7 months old, and by the time I see her again, I will have missed so much of her development. And the other daughters and grandkids, I haven't seen in a year or more.

 

Jenn4387
Level 1
New Orleans, LA

I agree with you. I unfortunately, have not been following the online conversation about these issues, but I know too well of the Professional Business Host companies who are purchasing units, entire homes, small hotels, and even building apartment / condo complexes and using them for Airbnb until they get fully leased, or until sold. In my city, for example, New Orleans, an Historic European city, one of very few in the United States, there are incentive grants to revitalize abandoned older buildings or to develop in an area that has yet to be brought back from Katrina, such that these professional companies are even getting free money and tax incentives to build more which they use for the incentives which requires they own the property for 10 years. During that time, they lease through airBnB and longer term leases. Really in any way they can get income. Their goal is always maximize the grants and tax incentives, minimize vacancies, and generally, to see the units after they held for the required 10 years as condominiums to new owners at a huge markup from the cost and the Professional host business doesn’t have to repay any of the money they received to build! Most of these Airbnb Hosts are not only not available in the city, they have an answering service who isn’t located in the city either and no one is actually available ever to assist the guests, which in my opinion was the entire point of the AirBnB platform to begin with. I hope AirBnB does finally do something to level the playing field and remove these giant companies from the platform and return it to the homeowners and small families who truly want to share their community with other likeminded honest travelers. Because, I have noticed guests are now becoming less transparent and it’s making the decision to host a guest more time consumer and worrisome. I hope AirBnB does something to address these concerns as well. I too miss the human connections that this platform was meant to encourage. 
thank you for sharing. 
jenn in New Orleans 

Yuan100
Level 10
Singapore

Hi @Pilar1 

 

Thank you for putting this discussion up which is much needed to represent some of the hosts here. As you can see from the replies, there are a few passionate hosts like us. 

 

I am pretty much like you living in the city. During this period, I am lucky to have my partner here (but he's leaving back home soon) and my long-term guest who got stuck here is leaving too if her flight is confirmed. I had those moments before where I miss human connection, I feel weird when I am alone at home. I am so used to having people around the house. 

 

I noted the shift of Airbnb a few years back when community manager role in the company was removed. I couldn't get hold to anyone from the company anymore. It feels like they were told not to be in touch with hosts. So, I really hope there will be a change from now on, it's time for Airbnb to make it right, to go back to their roots. 

 

I've learned so much being home share host for the past 8 years. In fact, I just published an article https://medium.com/@khaiyuan/earning-money-from-airbnb-theres-more-to-it-9993cca1c6b3 

 

Hang in there! We're here virtually for you. 

 

Yuan 

 

Melodie-And-John0
Level 10
Munnsville, NY

 

@Pilar1 , you express yourself and your feelings well.  I think those of us that have chained ourselves to the Airbnb Tree want to see it survive and thrive again at least as the place @Brian and company envisioned and created it to link great Hosts and Guests together around the world.  

 

I have been feeling a bit guilty lately cause Yes, I have enjoyed all the human interactions at work (university) and here at Bearpath Lodging but by nature, I can be rather reclusive in my off time (my wife's not always fond of that part of me).  And yes, I truly have both enjoyed and benefited from this 90% time out (I still work a couple hours a day at my day job completely alone) to get the things done here that I would not have normally had time to do at this point.  And Yes, strangely enough, I'm frugal Kraut so this has actually allowed us to save more by not socializing, driving and going out to eat and buying stuff. 

 

Alas, the  Inn Keep in me is certainly missing the inflow of $$$$. from all those guests that cancelled though its clear, we don't do this hosting thing for just the money but we couldn't do it for free!   

 

Pilar, "it’s the human contact I want back in my life. I miss my guests, I want them back", Im realizing that more today than ever before.  I didn't know how much I would miss those silly social things with humans, I never imagined I would miss so much but I do!   Its all part of La Vida Llena, The Full Life,  I hope it returns soon for all of us, Stay well, JR  

Patricia55
Level 10
Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom

@Pilar1 

You've said it all, for me - missing the guests so much - and it makes me want to cry. (Well, I have cried, a lot.)

I hope you're keeping OK, somehow, and knowing that it won't last forever 🙂

Take care of yourself! x

@Pilar1 

Thank you for your post. Henry and myself.... when it comes to hosting, we really enjoyed the human connections hosting brought into our home. Sure the extra income is nice to have, but there are plenty of other things we could do for some extra cash if we really needed the money. We hosted a lot of long-term guests; mostly exchange students and we had some great kids stay with us. Henry and I both have plenty of younger siblings and cousins who spent semesters abroad - so we enjoyed hosting exchange student guests. Getting to know them, helping them get settled and feel *at home*, hearing about school and their classes, introducing them to new foods and occasionally sharing a meal or snack was something we never thought we'd be doing, but we loved it! 

Helen427
Level 10
Auckland, New Zealand

@Pilar1  thank you for starting this topic as there are other people out there far & awide across the world who feel the same so never feel alone through your struggles and life's challenges.

 

To others who have contributed to, and subsequently contribute to this topic, remember wherever you are that the same sun will shine that shines above us all in some place in the world whilst others sleep under the same skies, moon & stars.

 

It hurts and is a breach of basic legal rights to deny any human being human contact, regardless of if one has a disease or not.

 

We all have a Duty of Care.

 

We are all here together as one wherever we are.

 

Take comfort we are blessed to have access to the internet as those who suffered in times gone by through wars and illnesses oft didn't have family or friends to contact in an instant and had to wait 6months by boat for correspondence from their own families.

 

That said in New Zealand those who still prefer to write hand written letters, which includes many elderly people and those in locations without the internet, have been without Post Offices or postal service shops open to buy so much as a stamp to post overseas based families letters, or others a parcel in the post.

 

The sooner this lockdown is over the better for all.

 

Society does not repose in isolation.

 

Take Care xox

 

 

Cathie19
Level 10
Darwin, Australia

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@Pilar1  , @Helen427 , @Jessica-and-Henry0 , @Patricia55 , @Melodie-And-John0 , @Helen350 , @Sarah977 , @Lizzie , @Stephanie , @Quincy , @Nick@Yuan100 , @Jenn4387 , @Patricia55 , @Ian-And-Anne-Marie0

 

Maybe @Pilar1 , you might like to try and join a face to face “social” meet up with a few of us from this forum - via Zoom? These have been a great means of maintaining an Airbnb connection with a global and diverse group of people. 🙂😊🙃😉

Thats a perfect Idea @Cathie19 !  @Pilar1 , do please join in, I have missed a couple recently but they really are a fun way to end a WWW, (weird work week)!  Stay well and hope to see you on the Zoom!  JR  

Agree with @Cathie19 and @Melodie-And-John0 , please join if/when you can @Pilar1 . I only manage to join Zoom calls when the AP time is in the evening.... as I'm not a morning person :-)) 

Fred13
Level 10
Placencia, Belize

@Pilar1 Very heartfelt post. I always felt the financial rewards of hosting and the direct human connection it can offer are complimentary, to what degree depends on individual situations and mentality. No doubt about it that in a world that offers so many options with so many accessible forms of communication (via the internet), individuals could have both, financial freedom and direct social exchange on their terms.

 

    Hosting today even allows one to switch from a traditional life of the past (daily travel to work, punch a clock, deal with co-workers and one's boss) to being their own boss and dealing direct with the customers of one's own 'product'. One can even switch from a hyper (and in time exhausting) reactionary society to move to a more peaceful locale even in 'the middle of nowhere' and even in a foreign country without missing a beat.

 

   For some inexplicable reason your post reminded me of Charles Dickens' opening line in  The Tale of Two Cities - "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of light, it was the winter of despair".