Am I the only one who doesn't want to host during Coronavirus pandemic ???

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

I am very surprised to see so many angry hosts who worry about the money more than about their health and life. Do you really want to host during a pandemic? You would risk your health for a few bucks? Are you so desperate? Money means nothing if you will die or live with damaged lungs for the rest of your life. Think about it.

I really don't want to risk mine and my daughter's life and clean after potentially sick guests. I don't want us to be infected because we touched their towels and sheets and inhaled the air in the room where infected guests spent a few days. We can't protect ourselves by wearing just a pair of rubber gloves, without even a proper mask not to mention the whole protective suit. Do you?

And, no matter how much we try, we just can't sanitise and disinfect the entire apartment from top to bottom. It is not a hospital room with just a metal bed and a metal nightstand on the vinyl floor. We have carpets, upholstered furniture, curtains,  full kitchen with cutlery and plates for 12 people.... We can't wash every single item in 70% alcohol after each guest and this virus will stay on surfaces for days .

We closed our calendar for all future bookings a few weeks ago. We offered our guests a mutual cancelation and most of them already canceled. Others contacted Airbnb and we are still waiting for their answer for days. I am happy for each cancelation and I hope the rest of my bookings will be canceled as well. Maybe we will rent long term. Maybe we will keep our property empty until everything is over. We don't know yet but we plan to survive 🙂

I am happy Airbnb allows penalty-free cancelations and my opinion is - it should be free for all bookings until September so hosts can rent their places long term if they want to until this pandemic is over.

We all need money but for us, our health is the most valuable thing we have.

Be reasonable, this is not the flu, THIS IS VERY CONTAGIOUS and it can easily kill you so take care.

[Sandra126]

Feel free to tell people what to do. Cancel them! At the end of the month things will have escalated further.  Stay safe, all the best .

[Jessica-and-Henry0]

@Sarah327 

Just as guests have the option of choosing to cancel for a full refund due to covid-19, hosts also have the option of cancelling bookings with no penalty if they are uncomfortable hosting any guest due to covid-19. 

You not wanting to host has nothing at all to do with telling them what to do or not do. 

It is a decision you make to keep yourself safe - the decision is about you. 

You gave guests first dibs: defer or cancel. Now it's time for you to choose.

The guest being pregnant, having a young child, all of that doesn't really matter right now. 

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Sarah327 

This is exactly the situation why I am happy that Airbnb allows free cancelations !!!

You can also cancel penalty-free all reservations up to April 14th.

If this guest booked for a later date just wait until Airbnb extends this EC policy and then you can cancel.

Stay safe.

[Sarah977]

Just got a return message from my guest who due to arrive April 5, in response to me messaging her to say I think it's best for all for her not to travel right now (she was coming from Calif, which is now on lockdown, so kind of a moot point anyway). She was in full agreement and will proceed to cancel and her booking falls within the full refund period. I hope she doesn't have a problem with it glitching out on her, but I told her I'd refund in full no matter what. No more reservations on the books and I'm relieved.

[Sarah977 · Accepted solution]

@Sarah327  "I am astounded she hasn't chosen to cancel herself when pregnant women fall into the high risk category."

A lot of people, especially young people , seem to be walking around oblivious, or seeming to feel they're invulnerable. Governments are having to use police and military to enforce lockdowns because people are too stupid or clueless or arrogant to comply.

As Sandra said, just go ahead and cancel if they won't or aren't amenable to a deferment to a future date.

[Sarah327]

Thank you all for your sound advice. I will be cancelling my guest without question. I feel I cannot think straight at the moment to make the decision when I know it is the right thing to do.

I did not mean to jump on this thread, apologies! But I was up at 2 am worrying about this reservation, the situation, the world etc. Being very unlike my usual rational self. It is simply incomprehensible that we are all in this boat. I have no words, and all the scaremongering is beginning to affect even me, even when the logical side of my brain knows it shouldn't.

Many people say the world has gone mad. I think finally it has become true.

Stay safe everyone, and I hope we all return to some kind of normal soon!