[UPDATED April 10] How hosts can provide housing for COVID-19 responders

[Airbnb]

Many of you have expressed an interest in hosting healthcare staff, and first responders on the front lines. So we wanted to let you know about a new program we launched to help you do just that. Airbnb is partnering with our hosts to connect 100,000 COVID-19 healthcare staff and first responders with comfortable and convenient places to stay. 

We know you might be wondering how the Frontline Stays program works, whether or not your space is eligible, and how to apply. We’ve answered these questions and more at Airbnb.com/COVID. If you’re interested in applying for the program, you can do so using the online form at Airbnb.com/COVID19relief. 

As always, we appreciate the resilience and generosity of hosts in the Airbnb community. We know this is a challenging time for so many of you, and your desire to help others is such an inspiration. Thank you again for all you do!

Updated April 10, 2020

We’re so inspired by your enthusiasm for the new Frontline Stays program! We know you still have questions about how it works, so we wanted to take a moment to answer some of them here.

What kinds of guests can I expect to host as part of the Frontline Stays program?

Tens of thousands of COVID-19 responders around the world are looking for temporary housing right now. Many are nurses and doctors traveling to impacted areas to support local hospital staff, medical staff burdened by long commutes and back-to-back shifts, and relief workers who are exposed to patients every day and are concerned for the health of their families—especially those with elderly parents or infants at home. 

I’ve blocked off my calendar but want to help. How long should I leave my calendar open to participate in the program? 

We recommend opening up your calendar through July 31, 2020. Keep in mind that there’s only one calendar associated with your listing. Dates you make available can potentially be reserved by any guest, whether or not they’re a COVID-19 responder. If you only want to host COVID-19 responders at this time, you’ll need to turn off Instant Book so you have more control over who can reserve your space. The normal penalties associated with declining bookings don’t apply to requests from responders, so you don’t have to worry about that. 

Who can book through this program?

Healthcare staff and first responders must be either affiliated with partner organizations or reviewed by Airbnb prior to check-in. This process helps ensure responders have a COVID-19 work assignment and are familiar with safety protocols. If Airbnb is unable to confirm a guest's COVID-related work prior to check-in, the reservation will be canceled.  

How will I know if a guest is a COVID-19 responder? 

These guests will have a special COVID-19 designation on their booking requests and confirmations. So whether you have Instant Book turned on or not, you’ll be able to identify COVID-19 responders right away.

How should I price my space?

Many COVID-19 responders who are signing up through our program are in need of free or deeply discounted listings because they’re paying out of pocket for their stays. If you can offer COVID-19 responders a space for free, please consider doing so. 

If you’re not currently hosting on Airbnb but want to provide free stays for COVID-19 responders, sign up for the program here. 

If you’re already a host on Airbnb, sign up to host COVID-19 responders here—you’ll be able to set the price at your full rate, at a discount, or for free.

How do I set a discounted rate for COVID-19 responders?

If you’re a host with an active listing on Airbnb, you can set a discount for COVID-19 responders when you sign up to host healthcare staff and first responders. If you don’t have a listing yet but you’d like to help, create a new Airbnb listing first and then sign up to set a discounted rate for responders.

Once you set a discount, we’ll automatically apply it to reservations made by COVID-19 responders only, and you’ll get the price breakdown when you receive the booking request or Instant Book reservation. Please keep in mind that your calendar won’t reflect the discounted price for COVID-19 responders.

I’m trying to opt in with a discounted rate, and it’s not letting me. Why is that?

Thanks for your feedback on this issue. There was a technical issue with the opt-in experience for some regions, but that should be fixed now. If you’re still having trouble with this, please let us know in the comments.

We want to remind you that we’ve answered even more questions in our Resource Center article, so please check that out for additional information about the program.

[Sarah977]

@Jennifer1897  It isn't safe for you or guests to host in a home-share right now.  It's right for it not to be allowed.

[Jennifer1897]

Trust me, as someone working in a hospital I understand that. I was just commenting, I wasn't trying to say it was unfair or whatnot = )😃

[Sarah977]

@Jennifer1897  Yes, it seemed odd that you wouldn't understand, being a health care worker- it was the way you stated it that gave me pause- "unfortunately this program does not allow people to participate if they are in shared spaces. =("

[Kenneth12]

@Sarah977 :  with respect,   I have a UV-C clean room at the entrance and full PPE.    I know providers who are not on the front lines who are coming home,  sanitizing and staying outside of 6' to family and friends.

 It's not ideal,  but if people with equal relative risks and sufficient knowledge and distance are together,  it's not unreasonable to use shared accommodations.   They're probably far better off than people who aren't observing good hygienic protocols.

On that note, the idea that the US is calling retired health care workers into the mix,  without enough PPE... different topic perhaps,  but that sounds like a nightmare.

[Sarah977]

@Kenneth12  Yes, I'm sure there are ways to do it responsibly. It would sort of depend on the house set-up. My guest room has a separate entrance to the guest room/bathroom, but guests share my kitchen, and it wouldn't be practical to not allow kitchen use, as I'm a 20 minute walk from stores and restaurants and almost none of my guests arrive by car. But a friend in Canada has a separate suite in her home and also a room/bath with kitchentte that has a private entrance as well, so she wouldn't have to come in contact with guests at all. (Even so, she's closed it down- she's a nurse and just too busy right now to deal with guests at all.)

[Helen350]

@Kenneth12  I'm not sure WE need PPE....... Doctors & nurses do, because they have to work in very close proximity to the sick. As accommodation providers, it should be possible to stand far enough away from people, so as not to inhale their exhaled air? 

[Helen350]

@Sarah977  I've been home sharing this week & will be next week. (- Not Airbnb.) Me downstairs, guest upstairs. Only essential conversation & from 2 metres plus. Shared bathroom, but of course we're never in it together, so OK! I can disinfect taps & door handles on way in/out. 

- Just been watching Q & A with doctor & virologist on telly. They say no need to be wiping down surfaces so long as your washing hands all the time, & before touching face. And that the folk who come in & shower & wash clothes are over the top if not medical workers.

- Funny, when this chap first stayed, I was miffed by his unfriendliness & unwillingness to communicate........ The third time he stayed I had to tell him to stay 2 metres back & not come any closer.... This time I want zero contact!

[Sarah977]

@Helen350 " Shared bathroom, but of course we're never in it together, so OK! I can disinfect taps & door handles on way in/out. "

No, actually it's not OK. The virus droplets are found to remain in the air for up to 3 hours, and I'd be even more concerned about a room the size of a bathroom. 

I wouldn't base my attitude on one show I watched with a doctor and virologist. There's a great deal of scientific evidence to the the contrary. Don't be one of those people who believes the reports they want to believe because it's more convenient. At this point, being over-the-top safe is way better than sorry. 

[Helen350]

@Sarah977 Info is on British TV 24/7 - Says 2m distancing/handwashing does the trick. (Transmission from standing less than 2m distant, or touching eyes, nose,mouth after touching virus-y surface.)  They'd said masks are not necessary for those observing 2m rule because the virus does NOT hang around in the air.... I'll do some googling...... & use the bathroom 3 hours after carer goes out to work. I'm not complacent - I'll remain FARTHER from him than from other shoppers in the supermarket.

[Trevor243]

The NHS in the UK is organising accommodation for essential key NHS workers and for vulnerable people to be moved out of hospitals to free up beds ....

[Helen350]

@Trevor243 That's true, but there are STILL hosting opportunities for other key workers who are NOT NHS front line staff. (For those of us with super cheap options!) Only yesterday I said 'Goodbye' to a nuclear safety worker for the last time. On Tuesday I'm hosting a carer for 6 nights , - not on Airbnb - (who has stayed 3 times in the last 4 weeks.) - he's not treating Virus patients, but his work looking after a severely disabled young man can not just be dispensed with. I shall be reading the riot act re 2 metre distancing!

[Kate1630]

I have a gorgeous place right near Cedars Sinai Hospital! 

[Sally221]

I wrote a post elsewhere about converting to longer term tenants- before you take this step- educate yourselves about local rental laws- tenants have rights that guests do not and you need to know how this might impact you before you make the switch. Berkeley has a plethora of stand alone/granny  units that people put on the airbnb platform because the owners are nervous about  falling  under our strict rent control ordinances. Making your space available to essential workers is a great idea but do your own due diligence- property management companies do background checks & hold security deposits & are familiar with local laws before handing over keys.  They know how to properly institute an eviction if it comes to that. Any host can figure out how to do this themselves with a bit of motivated research.There was some funky stuff that went down during the dislocations during the fires/hurricanes, remember? Be kind and wise.

[Chris773]

I second everything @Sally221 has written.

Missouri is a fairly landlord-friendly state, but after one disastrous (OK, not as bad as some, I'm sure :P) experience with a long-term guest, I resolved never to allow another guest more than 27 nights. Of course, then COVID-19 hit and my properties are lucky to get booked on weekends, if at all...so I'm considering reversing course and looking to fill with long-term tenants but have resolved to do it right (conduct a background check, hold a one-month's-rent security deposit, have a signed contract, etc.).

Laws are very different by state, so be sure to educate yourself--especially if you're in a traditionally tenant-friendly state (CA, NY, etc.).

[Chris773]

@Airbnb, I'm a software-integrated partner (OwnerRez). I've approved first-responder stays as mentioned in the article, but I'm curious how the 72-hour block between guests is supposed to work. I see other commenters saying their calendars automatically update to add 3 days of blocking after each guest, but I'm not seeing that on my end, perhaps because of my OwnerRez integration. So, questions:

1) Am I going to need to manually block 3 nights after each booking, or is your system going to take care of it and prevent me from getting conflicting bookings?

2) What about bookings I receive through non-Airbnb channels?

3) Will I be notified when a COVID-19 first responder stays so that I know to take extra precautions?

4) Do I need to follow the required procedures (72 hours between guests, no entry during stay, full disinfecting cleanings, etc.) for all guests or only during/after COVID-19 first responder guests?

Happy to help do my part--just want to make sure I'm doing it right.