COMPULSORY enhanced cleaning protocol unrealistic for many

[#1]

Dear Airbnb,

Please quit your paternalistic and bullying ‘one size fits all’ policies. There are many locations in the world with little or no community COVID infections, so to coerce hosts (by threatening blocking of calendar and bookings) into complying with a global policy is both unrealistic and unfair.
There are no other booking platforms doing this! Hosts are able to comply with local regulations and requirements and do not need this heavy-handedness from you. I have been a Superhost, with a perfect record on cleanliness, for 7 years straight, and am insulted and offended by your approach. Talk about ‘biting the hand‘ ... we are now planning to prioritise other booking platforms.

[Helen350]

Sorry @Quincy ! - Just trying to stand up to bullying, in the hope it will stop.  (I'll ignore him in future.) Thanks for your input.

[Adam1295]

I absolutely hate that Airbnb is making this new cleaning protocol mandatory now! I read through what some other hosts are saying about it, and I'm glad I'm far from the only one who has a real issue with it.

To tell my situation:

My listing is a 5500-6000 sf home. Up to this point, I've been doing all the cleaning on my own. It takes 3 hours bare minimum IF guests left my home in good shape, meaning I'm just washing sheets, wiping down surfaces, scrubbing toilets, and vacuuming the floors. And that's if I'm motivated and really moving fast. If they leave more mess, it can easily take 4-5-6 hours, depending on what I have to do. IF I actually do everything in the protocol, it will easily take ALL DAY, EVERY SINGLE TIME! I'm sorry, but that's unacceptable.

Another problem is that I live in the home when I don't have full-house bookings. I leave when I get the bookings. So the bit about not being in the rooms after they've been cleaned/sanitized literally would kick me out of my home, or force me to finish last minute every time. Also unacceptable!

The ONLY way I might manage this is if I hire a cleaning service, which will mean raising the price on guests, but it still leaves me with the second problem of how am I supposed to stay out.

This NEEDS to be optional! Let's be real here... those people who are THIS extremely cautious with their health... are probably not traveling at all. AND they are probably not getting together in large groups, as is the common thing in my home (I regularly have 12-13 guests in my home). I have been giving guests options regarding my interaction with them, or lack thereof, and most have said they're not worried. Again, not surprising considering what my listing is. So WHY should I force them to pay an extra $300 or so in a cleaning fee WHEN THEY DON'T EVEN CARE, and will go somewhere cheaper and less paranoid in their cleaning practices when given the choice? This is utterly ridiculous.

Also, I'm a superhost... and I'm considering taking my business elsewhere over this.

So there's my rant. But apart from ranting, I would actually like a reasonable solution.

[Brent31]

Deb75, thank-you for these words in this community, much needed. Our situation is similar, both in our 60's, we have 3 semi-remote, very private, self-contained accommodations in a location where masks are not mandatory. This was going to be our retirement, we've worked very hard for 20 years towards this goal. Plan was to quit my full time job in a year or two, my wife currently doing all of the cleaning and preparations on her own. This is her full time job. If we complied with airbnb's ridiculous policies, she would be wearing a mask most of the time in a  setting where she sees no one day in and day out while she's working. Sure, it would be easy to tick the box and go on as usual, however, neither of us are interested in perpetuating this global fiasco, that would be unconscionable. We're hoping for a change of policy over the next few weeks, however, preparing to move on, as soon as our obligation to those who have already booked with us is done. 

I think this finally landed in the right spot

BC

[Leslie-and-Paul0]

Leslie@1120RailwayAve

I feel that AirBnB is setting up for us to become liable.  They should not be putting this guideline out at all.  feels like a bunch of youngsters behind computers that haven't lifted a spray bottle in their lives.  Picking on cleaners.   of course you work from top to Botton, clean then sanitise , umnn yeah. 

[Jeannet121]

I am so relieved to find this chain of mails. I thought I was the only one to feel the mandatory cleaning protocol is unrealistic and beyond what is required in national and local guidelines (I live in the UK).

I have long term guests (several months at a time) and live in the property alongside them.  I asked them what they wanted me to do. They said there is no way they wanted to wear masks in their own home. We form a household bubble and will behave sensibly and as required by national and local legislation and guidelines.

If by the time I need to get more bookings (around March and April next year for different rooms) this requirement is not lifted and if my calendar is blocked, I will have to  move to a different booking platform. I would do that with great regret, as I love Airbnb. I have been a super host for several years.