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

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

Responders.jpeg

 

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.

132 Replies 132
Ed-and-Tom0
Level 2
Rochester, NY

Good morning, We need your @Airbnb help in rochester NY on the guest side of the COVID-19 Airbnb Program. I'm attempting to help one of our current guests extend her stay with us. So far we've  designated 2 of our 8 self-contatinedapartments as available for COVID-19 health workers, and we have a guest who is a nurse working at a local hospital close by, who is part of a Travelling Nurse program, who extended her University of Rochester Medical Center/Strong Hospital  assignment and would like to extend her stay with us for 3 months, until July. We would all like to continue our @Airbnb relationship but can't figure out how to advise our guest how to  extend her reservation while qualifying for our COVID-19 discount that we set up and having @Airbnb  fees waived.  Any advice from @Airbnb , @Lizzie , or other staff and Airbnb Community. Thank you, ~Ed

Debra300
Level 10
Gros Islet, Saint Lucia

While reviewing the hosting requirements, I saw a statement that said if the guest gets COVID-19, that the host agrees to let the guest stay for the remainder of their reservation or for the duration of the guest's self-isolation period.  I contacted Airbnb Customer Service, and asked will the guest be responsible to pay for additional costs if their self-isolation period goes beyond the original reservation period.  The representative couldn't answer the question, and said that he would forward it to a department called Open Home.  I also submitted the question via a message to Airbnb, and have not received a response for either of my inquiries.  I ask this question, because although most people are honest, I could see some people scamming a longer stay if they are not required to pay for self-isolation days that run beyond the original reservation.  I really want to sign up, and will offer a discount, but I can't afford for someone to stay in my apartment all day, running electricity, using water and my internet bandwidth for free.

Debra300
Level 10
Gros Islet, Saint Lucia

These are some other considerations that I have regarding renting to COVID-19 responders:

- The reservation can be for only one person.  More than one substantially multiplies the opportunities to catch/spread the virus. 

- Although much of the US and many countries have shelter in place restrictions, and limits for group gatherings other than for those who live in the same household, I still would require that my guest cannot have any visitors inside of the apartment, especially co-workers or others that are in contact with people who may have or do have COVID-19.  

- A discount will be offered for the room rate, but the cleaning fee will be double or triple the normal rate.  First, we will not be able to clean the apartment on a weekly basis, and I have yet to see a guest clean to the level that we do (Airbnb's cleaning guidelines weren't necessary).  It will required extra effort to clean a space after a few weeks of use.  Secondly, we will have to wait the 72 hours before we can start cleaning.  This waiting period is to allow any possible coronavirus sediment to somewhat dissipate.

- Guests will have to pay a security deposit (and not that bogus Airbnb deposit, real money).  The longer a person stays the more likely something will get broken, lost, stained, torn, scratched, etc.

-  The guests will be responsible for their own toiletries, paper towels, toilet paper, laundry soap, toilet bowl cleaner, dishwasher detergent, dishwashing liquid, household cleaner, garbage bags, etc.

- Due to local rental laws, the reservation cannot be longer than 28 days (the guest will be allowed to make consecutive reservations for longer stays). Guests will have to agree to pay for any period of self-isolation that goes beyond the original reservation.

- The guest will have to double bag their garbage, and dispose of it in a bin separate from ours.

- I want to provide a discount, but need to consider that the guest will likely use more electricity and water than normal guest stays due to frequent washing, and with hot water.  The guest will also likely be streaming a lot since we don't offer cable.  This may impact the internet service while I am working from home.

- Lastly, the guest will have to agree to pay three times the amount of the entire reservation if they check-in while waiting for results of a coronavirus test, or have been informed that the test is positive.  They should already be in self-isolation, and not coming to our place to quarantine.

- This last one is harsh, but it must be done.  Should the guest catch the virus or develop COVID-19, and has to quarantine in our apartment, the guest will have to assume sole responsibility for seeking appropriate medical care, and that we will not be performing any in-person welfare checks or driving them to the hospital.

- If the guest catches the virus, the guest's co-worker, acquaintances or medical caregiver may not quarantine in the apartment.

this is great. Thank you for taking this positive step!!

Lawrence172
Level 2
Detroit, MI

The only thing stopping me from pulling the trigger on this Covid-19 relief program is the fact that AirBnb doesn't say whether the first responder guest is responsible for additional costs if they contract the virus & the self-isolation period extends past the reservation. They need to be more clear & transparent about this.

Debra300
Level 10
Gros Islet, Saint Lucia

Unfortunately, I still haven't received a response from Airbnb regarding my question about payment for self-isolation periods that run beyond the reservation period.  Airbnb's Frontline Stays policy needs to clearly state how unplanned stay extensions will be handled, including compensation to hosts, assistance with disease control, disposal of hazardous waste and cleaning, and insuring that guest's checkout as required. 

 

I am immensely grateful to those people who are caring for COVID-19 patients, and want to provide assistance within my means, but I cannot afford to house someone for free from an undefined time period.  Like many people, our household income has been dramatically reduced, and we're helping out family members who now have no income.  

 

 

The following is from the Frontline Satys FAQ:

 

Is there a limit to how long the responders can stay even if they’re confirmed to have COVID-19?
An initial booking is limited to 30 days or $1,800 USD, whichever comes first. As a reminder, by signing up for the Frontline Stays program, hosts agree to allow guests to finish their reservation and/or stay for the length of time they need to heal or self-isolate. In the event that someone needs to extend their stay, we’ll work with hosts to find a solution.

 

Given that the isolation and recuperation period can span from a couple of weeks to several weeks.  This includes the isolation period while waiting for test results, and getting medical clearance after the guest has recuperated for the virus infection.  The guest's trash should be considered hazardous waste. During the isolation period, the guest will not be able to dispose of it themselves.  If the cost is not included in the rate, this special garbage service can become an additional expense to the host.

 

I have other concerns about stays that need to be extended. Stays longer than 30 days in my area can change the status of  guests to tenants, even if they are not paying or providing services for their stay.  The process for evicting tenants from a property can be drawn out and have legal expenses.  Airbnb's Frontline Stays policy must state how they will prevent a guest from trying to exercise tenant's rights if the guest's stay needs to be extended.

 

 

You are absolutely right about tenant rights!!!  I'm in California and tenant rights are crazy, now with tenants being told they don't have to pay 3 months rent.  It's vital that we keep our vacation rentals in short-term contracts to avoid these tenant protection laws.  I received a request from a man last week who wanted to "stay and shelter" in one of my properties with his extended family.  It sounded like a great opportunity considering all my cancellations.  We negotiated a monthly rate (20% of my normal rate) and then things started to get weird.  He said he needed a "written contract" and would pay monthly.  I told him I just did short-term rentals and would need to renew his stay with another short-term rental "guest agreement" after 29 days and it needed to be paid in full.  He said that was fine but again he would pay "monthly with a rental contract."  As soon as I told him I couldn't do that because of the California tenant laws, he went away.  I'm convinced that he was trying to get into my multi million dollar home and pay for a month and stay for a year.  I think there are a lot of opportunists out there trying to figure out how to take advantage of panicked home owners who need cash. @Debra300 

Rebecca860
Level 2
Rancho Santa Fe, CA

I put 3 of my smaller homes on this program at a 20% discount for first responders, but I have been flooded with requests for ALL of my properties for $0.00!!  I have had to deny them and I'm worried that it was now effect my ranking metrics.  I kindly asked one woman to removed her request so I wouldn't get hit with another denial, she refused to and said I had to offer it.  I let it lapse and now airbnb has blocked the 8 months she requested.  I have removed all my properties from the program, but the requests keep coming in!  HELP!!!  There also seems to be no screening with first responders!  My properties are in San Diego and I had a woman in Texas request my largest home (10 bedrooms and 12 baths) for herself for 6 months for $0.00.  the home rents for $3500 nightly.  I responded that it was a lot of home for one person, and then she changed her tune and said it was for her family to isolate away from her.  Another guest requested the same home for the 6 month period for 2 for $0.00 and said, "thanks so much for your generosity.  My girlfriend will go crazy over the master bathtub which will fit both of us!"  I was curious and asked how he was a first responder and he said he was a nursing student.  I have not had a real request from someone who is actually on the front lines and needs housing for the intended purpose.  Only those who wanted free vacations or long-term housing in free luxury.  I wanted to connect with first responders and offer a place for them to isolate at a rate they could afford, but instead I have been flooded with requests for $0.00 from entitled opportunists who I'm sure are the same ones who bought all the toilet paper at Target.  Without exception, every request has been for the maximum amount of days the calendar will allow and only my biggest most expensive properties.  My calendars are wide open thanks to all the cancellations so the requests for $0.00 are always months long.  This is not a good side of humanity.  I have tried over and over to remove my properties from this program but the requests keep coming in no matter how many times I press the save button to "opt out." @Airbnb 

Debra300
Level 10
Gros Islet, Saint Lucia

@Rebecca860,

 

I am from the Bay Area, and am very familiar with the strong tenants rights that are available in CA.  I just reviewed the FAQ for the Frontline Hosts, and it was updated on April 10, 2020.  They have removed the statement that said stays would be not longer than 30 days.  I think this is to support their business initiative to promote longer stays.  It appears that Airbnb has very little regard that for hosts long-term stays in many locations equate to rentals and tenants. 

 

I also noticed that this question and answer on the FAQ: 

 

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.

 

If you were offering the discount through the Frontline Hosts program, your calendar shouldn't be blocked if the requester couldn't be properly vetted.  For the time being, I recommend that you adjust your availability settings.  I am going to change my listings to minimum 7 nights and maximum 28 nights, and the advanced booking period to 30 days.  This is to limit the blocking of my calendar and reduce: cancellations, the amount of turnover (cleanings) and the number of different guests.  At this time, with stay-in-place orders and flight cancellation, people really can't book too far into the future, anyway.

 

Rebecca860
Level 2
Rancho Santa Fe, CA

Does anyone know what levels 1,2 and 3 next to our profile means? @Airbnb @Debra300 

@Rebecca860  The levels don't really mean anything- it's just a reflection of how active you are on the forum- how often you post, how many thumbs up your posts get. Just a social media thing. Has nothing to do with hosting experience or expertise, and isn't connected to your listing account in any way.

Debra300
Level 10
Gros Islet, Saint Lucia

The Governor of Georgia signed an executive order for the entire state through April 30, 2020, that has restricted short-term rentals (stays not longer than 30 days) that are  facilitated through a third-party like Airbnb.  Any paid reservations do not have to be canceled, and current guests do not need to leave.  However, new stays aren't allowed until May 1, 2020.  Violators will be heavily fined.   Please check with your state's short-term rental policy in relation to COVID-19 to ensure that you are allowed to rent out your spaces: https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/2780/travel-restrictions-and-advisories-in-north-america.

Audrey455
Level 4
Colorado Springs, CO

Since Airbnb has done NOTHING so far to actually start sending out help to hosts, I can't support this.  I will find other ways to support the people actually helping.  That's definitely NOT Airbnb.

Bryan93
Level 4
Surrey, Canada

Unfortunately I've had to drop out of this program as AirBnB gives me no ability to screen those people who say they need it free because they are working in a hospital.  we had 2 different groups looking for this, but I'm completely blocked at being able to qualify them properly. AirBnB needs them to have some hospital ID. It is so easy for people to abuse this.

I have a doctor coming. I asked for a copy of her drivers license and hospital ID badge. No problem!