COVID Health Policy

[Louise898]

Dear Airbnb,

Please review your most recent COVID Health policy, it does not reflect the current status in our State at all.

In Western Australia we have not had a community transmission of COVID for 6 months, and we have border closures in place. Obviously, should community transmission occur we would increase our health protocols, in line with State requirements.

Greeting guests wearing a mask would be alarminst for them. Sometimes it is necessary to re-enter a room that has been sanitized prior to guests arriving.

You have made the policy document so that we have to sign it, trying to communicate with current guests is difficult with the pop-up screen constantly there waiting for a signature.

A global policy is obviously not working for hosts, based on the feedback on this site.

If this policy is not reviewed before November 20 then we will be looking at alternative platforms for hosting.

Please listen to the concerns of hosts.

[William428]

That seems to refer to the enhanced cleaning protocol which was launched quite some time ago. We didn't sign up to it, as it was way over the top for the situation in our part of the world.  The was no obligation to sign up to that protocol, and listings were indeed highlighted.

What's happening now, though, is a new regime which we are being forced to sign up to or risk de-listing and exclusion from the platform. This is something completely different from the enhanced cleaning protocol. I have received the "threat" of exclusion both by email and pop-ups on the hosting dashboard.

[Emma2259]

Oh dear, that’s not good.. I’ll follow up and try to get better answers from Airbnb! Thanks @William428  for your insight .. 

[Belinda55]

@Emma2259 @William428

I asked Airbnb Support if I would be delisted if I do not comply.

They reiterated to me that if I don’t sign up they may block new reservations:

“Your listing may not be delisted, however as stated on the email;
All hosts are required to agree to these COVID-19 safety practices by November 20, 2020. Hosts who don’t complete this requirement before the deadline may be unable to accept new reservations.”
This could be a great boon for their competitors!

[Marg11]

@Emma2259, @William428 Will make interesting international news when Australian, New Zealander, Scandinavian and other Airbnb hosts are excluded en masse.

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Emma2259 It would appear that Airbnb have spoken.... 

Now, technically they have - I believe - every right to make up any nonsensical rules they like if we want to use their services. I think the only exception to this is if one of their rules discriminates against a protected characteristic such as a disability that stops people wearing masks. What I am afraid I don't know is if such disability exists in law.

It is on days like this that I really need to stop being lazy and get our apartments listed with other, more sane, STR sites so that we are not beholden to some of the madness that is Airbnb.

[Emma2259]

Very sad news.. 

[Shan12]

@Emma2259 , thanks for sharing this response. It seems reasonable but also completely inconsistent with the "To continue hosting on Airbnb, you must agree to the COVID-19 safety practices." message I see every time I open my dashboard.

Just have to wait and see I guess. 

[Helen427]

Thanks @Emma2259 for your efforts, I see you are in Australia, as in directly across the ocean from me!!

Have you contacted the likes of Jim Penman or Clive Palmer who are taking Judicial Reviews?
Or contacted your local Law Society, Australian Bar Association or the like and raised it with them?

There's always our local avenues.

@Shan12 @Louise898 @Mike-And-Jane0 @Marg11 

[Belinda55]

@Emma2259 

I have had a very similar conversation with Airbnb Support! However they did not threaten to cancel existing bookings (and apply a penalty to me). This bullying is quite outrageous, and is not coming from any other booking platform. I believe it is totally about risk mitigation leading up to the IPO they are planning, and nothing to do with supporting hosts.

[Marg11]

@Helen427 , @Louise898 , @Belinda55 , @Shan12 , @Emma2259 et al, 

What point is there in appealing to a local law society who have more important local problems to address like ships arriving with an infected crew?

Lack of understanding of our local conditions in Australia and New Zealand has caused assumptions that Airbnb's rules are universally required. Do Airbnb staff even know where we are on a world map?

Is this because of appalling lack of government and community effort on Airbnb's home turf has increased the spread of COVID19? Is Airbnb just trying to survive? Or are they trying to recover their reputation? "The protocol was developed in collaboration with a former U.S. surgeon general and provides specific guidance on how to clean and disinfect each room of an Airbnb listing."

Already this is adding to Airbnb's poor international press: 

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-05-28/airbnb-coronavirus-travel-refunds-riddled-with-loopholes/1229...

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2020/aug/20/airbnb-to-ban-house-parties-and-limit-guest-numbe...

https://www.9news.com.au/airbnb

Western Australia's strict guidelines apply to arrivals, testing & quarantine but not to local guests staying with local Airbnb hosts. Perth is 4 hours flying away from Melbourne where masks must be worn in some zones.

https://ww2.health.wa.gov.au/-/media/Corp/Documents/Health-for/Infectious-disease/COVID19/COVID19-Se...

Maybe COVID19 will be the end of Airbnb. 13 years has been a good run!

[Belinda55]

@Marg11 

No other booking platforms are doing this. They don't care where we are located, it's all about managing risk for Airbnb's upcoming IPO. Won't look so good for their reputation if hosts start to turn their backs ...

[Marg11]

@Louise898 @Belinda55 @Helen427 @Shan12 @Emma2259 ps: Maybe a really clever person will start an Aus-NZ platform for us to move to. We want to continue to offer rural folk a city place while attending medical appointments, sporting events, shopping, visiting family and when interstate and international travel returns tourists visiting our amazing state.

[Marg11]

et al: 

ps:  if hosts chose to wear a mask because they rely on the income will they have to report guests not wearing masks?

[Belinda55]

I think Stayz started as an Australian platform, then taken over by HomeAway, and now VRBO ... so I don’t think we do have a real local option. Would be happy to know otherwise ...

[Emma2259]

@Shan12 @Louise898 @Belinda55 @Marg11 @Helen427 @Mike-And-Janet0 Thanks for the responses and good ideas, I especially like the idea of setting up a new platform, but wouldn't know where to start! Interesting how they are saying that they 'MAY' do all these things, so it does seem like a threat at this stage, although when i asked directly if they would cancel all bookings already made, there was a clear YES. Whether any of that is true or not, as someone said, we shall see! I am preparing myself just in case I get de-platformed or blocked, but I am not going to adhere to the new guidelines.  I'm still floored they will cancel bookings, I have nearly a month solid of bookings over Christmas and new year and how that affects the guest is very negatively,  because of where we live, most accommodations are booked out by now. with regard to reporting guests not wearing masks and visa versa, I wonder if airbnb will ask more questions to hosts and guests after checkout...I'm not sure how they would monitor cleaning... but for me it's unethical to agree when I don't agree!  Even I wasn't honest about the cleaning protocol, but still kept the accommodation to a high level, it wouldn't feel right and I'd constantly feel like I was doing something wrong.  I enjoy being a host and keeping my place beautiful and clean for guests to enjoy...so yes time to move on.  Someone mentioned that next it will be get the vaccination ...or else, and that won't sit comfortably with me either.  Just crazy times and I pray for you all that you find your way through this as positively as possible and it all works out in the end!      I did wonder if Bill Gates might now have shares in Airbnb 😂