Carbon Monoxide Detectors for "Work Collection"

[Mark858]

Latest missive from AirBNB
"For the safety of business travelers worldwide, we’ve added carbon monoxide detectors and smoke detectors as required amenities in the Work Collection.

Once you include these amenities, you can update your listing and it will automatically be added to the Work Collection."

Smoke detectors - of course, we all have them, but Carbon Monoxide detectors?  Why oh why make this a compulsary requirement, there is utterly no logic to it. There must be many thousands of motel type studio rooms around the world like ours, where they have no gas inside, no kitchen, external entrance for self check-in, and no possible source of CO buildup. 
Whoever came up with this hair-brained idea must think that all circumstances are like their own experience, eg gas heating, multi unit, shared entrance and the like.
I know over winter, 2/3rds of our guests are traveling for conferences, seminars, workshops or sales. They drive up the drive, take the key from the lock-box, open the ranch slider door, and throw their case on the bed, type int he wife password - unless they are returning, in which case they were connected before they closed their car door. Deal done.

What force a blanket insistence on an utterly irrelevant requirement.

[Beth80]

@Mark858 I just got the same message!!! Ridiculous!! I doubt I can even buy one in this country, certainly not in my part.  I bought smoke detectors thinking ok, that makes a bit of sense. I do have cloth curtains and bedding that could catch on fire. Airbnb needs to be sensitive to the fact that we are hosting all over the world in many, many different types of homes. What would be helpful would be to guide us in the laws of the country we are hosting in.

[Denise589]

Just got the same message. My studio is all electric....there is absolutely no circumstance that my studio could produce carbon monoxide. Airbnb needs to provide options for these situations and not make us look like cheap skates by showing "no detector" on the listing.

[Mark858]

I am fortunate Beth, there are some mid-priced CO detectors here, and some rubbish made in China at little cost, which are sold online in NZ.  They are not tested nor approved by the NZ Fire Service, and I have no idea how well they work. But I bought one and will install it next week when it arrives. I will then have a little blue light glowing across from the bed to annoy guests all night, but yes, I will be "Work Collection" compliant again.

[Bronwyn11]

Hurray, another kiwi. I'd just read that I was ineligible becuase I didn't have these and had never heard of them! I have wired smoke detectors, the whole enchilada, but obviously not sufficient. Thank you for for finding out how to get them.

[Jonathan-and-Renee0]

Airbnb offers one FREE battery-operated combination CO/smoke detector.  It is completely free, even shipping.  https://www.airbnb.com/trust/home-safety

I also think this new requirement is ridiculous for those of us that have absolutely no source of CO.  At least they are providing assistance to hosts for this as long as they keep sending out free detectors. 

"Detection is the first step to prevention

Smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) detectors save lives. That’s why we’re on a mission to get as many detectors into as many homes as possible. We encourage hosts to install smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) detectors in their space, test them regularly, and make sure their listing description is up-to-date."

[Mark858]

There was no offer of one with the announcement with NO warning at all that my work status had been canceled 

terribke way to do business 

[Jonathan-and-Renee0]

The free detector offer was not in my message either.  I came across it because I had a notice on my dashboard to check the batteries in the smoke detectors and the “Learn more” click box took me to the link above. 

I received an e-mail today with the subject line:

Your listing is no longer eligible for the Work Collection

[Mark858]

Hey Jonathan, 
thanks for the link by the way. They tell me it will arrive in 4 - 8 weeks.
I wonder how many business "work collection" bookings  I would lose if I had to wait for that one to arrive.

Meanwhile I will have one here by Monday to install..

[Asif-and-Tanima0]

Hi Mark,

I am waiting for 5 weeks now for the free CO detector to arrive from Airbnb.

I did not we can get it here in NZ. Would you please share with me where to get it from? that will be quicker to get and I will not miss out on Work bookings for at least 3 more weeks or maybe longer.

Thanks.

[Mark858]

About $18 delivered, looks like a standard smoke alarm.
If you want to get your work collection status back, legitimately and cheaply, these are in Auckland.

Emax...
https://www.emax.co.nz/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=35_10142&products_id=5367

[Mark858]

About $18 delivered, looks like a standard smoke alarm.
If you want to get your work collection status back, legitimately and cheaply, these are in Auckland.

Emax...
https://www.emax.co.nz/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=35_10142&products_id=5367

[Beth80]

@Mark858,  Ok, I've ordered one from here. 4 to 8 weeks is the estimated time of arrival. Since a letter takes about 3 weeks it should be interesting to see how long it actually takes to arrive. I totally agree that if they had said , as of * day it will be required to maintain work collection status, then I would have complied or at least tried. But once again Airbnb is just changing things without notice.

[Louise231]

@Mark858 @Beth80 @Mark858

I actually got one of these from airbnb, and it took AGES to arrive. So long i completely forgot i'd asked for it. It was delivered along with another one for my neighbour, who wasn't even listing when i requested mine.

On the plus, its a nice quality one.

Also i agree the carbon monoxide tester here is completely redundant, my building doen't have gas fitted at all, or open fires, or anything that needs to be tested for monoxide, but meh, if it makes people have closure...

[Angela270]

I agree, my apartment too has no need for a CO dectector as it is completely electric, this is crazy to make this a complusory thing for the work collection when there is no gas in the apartment. The only thing Airbnb may be thinking is that some idiots may bring something into the house or apartment that would produce it - taken from the web "Carbon Monoxide does NOT happen in an all electric home, unless someone brings something that burns fuel, like propane, gas or any other type.  All electric home's are safe, just do not bring stuff in and burn, like gas heaters or BBQ's."  Who knows what some people would do - so I will be following Marks example and buying a cheap one!