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.

[Susie0]

I would happily host, if I knew the guest didn't have the ability to cancel at any time. I even welcome travel nurses who I'm guessing would be very subject to the virus. But I'd rather not have the stress of Airbnb guests booking knowing they could cancel at any time.

[Kevin1322]

We have just 10 tested positive cases in the whole of Cornwall. Pop about 550,000 people.

Now we are hearing that a lot tourists are coming anyway, and second home owners and holiday renters, a lot of whom will be escaping from London, which has the most cases of any UK region.

Many hotels and holiday parks have closed for the duration, 

UK Govt have strongly recommended no non essential travel.  Is a holiday essential?

These people are not going to be popular locally. Nor are the people renting accommodation to them if I have anything of a handle on what people are saying.

We cancel all our bookings to help protect our community, and companies that own most of the holiday homes take their money anyway.

🤷‍♂️

[Sandra126]

So today I read in  the Guardian that it's not too late for Australia, according to an expert who was the one who called the alarm on the Ebola situation. He had been working on epidemics for 25 years, and if there is anyone I am prepared to take advice from it's him. He said that if we all do just one thing, we don't have to go the route of Europe. What's the one thing? STOP. Just stop. It's the only way. I hope, oh how I hope, that we can take that advice on board. So please, anyone reading this, consider your choices. It doesn't have to be so bad. It can, however, be worse. Thank you.

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

 

 ------ STORY FROM ITALY ----

 

You have no idea what's coming to get you. I know because 2 weeks ago I was the one who had no idea and though it wasn't bad. But it is.

 

As I think everybody knows, Italy is on quarantine because of the coronavirus outbreak. This situation is bad, but what's worse is seeing the rest of the world behaving as if it isn't going to happen to them. We know what you're thinking because we were in your place too.

 

Mar 15 Yano@JasonYanowitz·

STAGE 1:

You know that coronavirus exists, and the first cases begin to appear in your country. Well, nothing to worry about, it's just a bad flu! I'm not 75+yo so what could possibly happen to me? Let's see how things developed.. - (this i spoke to one american woman in january?)

I'm safe, everybody is overreacting, what's the need to go out with masks and stock toilet paper? I'm going to live my life as usual, there's no need to freak out.

STAGE 2.

The number of cases begins to be significant.

They declare "red zone" and quarantine one or two small cities where they found the first cases and a lot of people were infected (Feb 22nd). Well that's sad and somewhat worrisome but they're taking care of it so nothing to panic about.

There are some deaths but they're all old people so the media is just creating panic for views, how shameful. People lead their life as usual.. I'm not going to stop going out and meeting my friends am I? It's not going to get me. Everybody's fine here.

STAGE 3:

The number of cases is rapidly going up. They almost doubled in one day. There's more deaths. They declare red zones and quarantine the 4 regions where the majority of cases are registered (March 7). In Italy 25% of the county is under quarantine.

Schools and universities are closed in these areas but bars, work places, restaurants and so on are still open. The decree gets released by some newspaper before it should...

...so around 10k people from the red zone escape from the area that same night to return to their homes in the rest of Italy (this will be important later). Most of the population of the remaining 75% of Italy still does what it always does.

They still don't realize the seriousness of the situation. Everywhere you turn people advise to wash your hands and limit going out, large groups are forbidden, every 5 minutes on TV they remind you of these rules. But it still hasn't settled in people's mind.

STAGE 4:

The number of cases is heavily increasing. Schools and universities are closed everywhere for at least a month. It's a national health emergency. Hospitals are at capacity, entire units are cleared to make space for coronavirus patients.

There aren't enough doctors and nurses. They're calling retired ones and those in their last 2 years of university. There's no shifts any more, just work as much as you can. Of course doctors and nurses are getting infected, spreading it to their families.

There's too many cases of pneumonia, too many people who need ICU and not enough places for everyone. At this point is like being at war: doctors have to choose who to treat based on their survival chance.

That means that the elderly and trauma/stroke patients can't get treated because corona cases have priority. There's not enough resources for everybody so they have to be distributed for best outcome. I wish I was joking but it's literally what has happened.

People have died because there wasn't any more space. I have a doctor friend who called me devastated because he had to let 3 people die that day. Nurses crying because they see people dying and can't do anything aside from offering some oxygen.

A friend's relative died yesterday of corona because they couldn't treat him. It's chaos, the system is collapsing. Coronavirus and the crisis it's provoking is all you hear about everywhere.

STAGE 5:

Remember the 10k idiot who ran from the red zone to the rest of Italy? Well, the entire country has to be declared under quarantine (March 9). The goal is to delay the spreading of the virus as much as possible.

People can go to work, do grocery shopping, go to the pharmacy, and all businesses are still open because otherwise the economy would collapse (it already is), but you can't move from your commune unless you have a valid reason.

Now there's fear, you see a lot of people with masks and gloves around but there are still are people who think that they're invincible, who go to restaurants in large groups, hang out with friends to drink and so on. Next step.

STAGE 6:

2 days later, it's announced that all (most) businesses are closed: Bars, restaurants, shopping centers, all kinds of shops etc. Everything except supermarkets and pharmacies. You can move around only if you have certification with you.

The certification is an official document where you declare your name, where you're coming from, where you're going and what for. There are a lot of police check points. If you're found outside without a valid reason you risk a fine up to €206.

If you're a known positive patient you risk from 1 to 12 years of jail for homicide.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

That's what the situation is like now today as of the March 12th. Keep in mind that it all happened in around 2 weeks... 5 DAYS FROM STAGE 3 TO TODAY

The rest of the world apart from Italy, China and Korea is just now beginning to reach other stages, so let me tell you this: You have no idea what's coming to get you. I know because 2 weeks ago I was the one who had no idea and though it wasn't bad.

But it is. And not because the virus alone is particularly dangerous or deadly, but for all the consequences it brings.

It's hard to see all these countries act like it's not coming and not taking the precautions that are necessary for the well-being of its citizens while they still can. Please if you're reading this try to act in your best interest.

This problem isn't going to solve itself by ignoring it. Just wondering how many undiscovered cases there might be in America alone is scary, and they're in for a big, big trouble because of how their country is run.

Our government for once did a good job I must say. The actions taken were drastic but necessary, and this may be the only way to limit the spreading.

It's working in China so we hope it will work here too (it's already working in some of the first red zones which were quarantined before everybody else).

(wrote several times that in the end people will recognize china do great job - btw it's not china virus. It's start spreading from Wuhan by known data.)

They're taking measures to protect us citizens such as probably suspending mortgage payments for next months, help for shop owners who were obligated to close and so on.

I realize that these takes are really difficult, if not impossible, to take in some countries, and it's really worrying to think about what it could mean in global scale. I wonder if this pandemic will be a turning point in our society.

[Pilar1]

Many thanks for publishing this @Branka-and-Silvia0 , it’s a bit long but I really hope enough people reads it and change their minds about keeping their listings open and carrying on as if we were just dealing with the common flu (which by the way also kills thousands every year). For me it’s like dealing with an invisible enemy, the explanation is below, in case it helps those that just like facts and data:

Incubation Period (how long it takes for symptoms to appear)

Symptoms of COVID-19 may appear in as few as 2 days or as long as 14 (estimated ranges vary from 2-10 days, 2-14 days, and 10-14 days, see details), during which the virus is contagious but the patient does not display any symptom (asymptomatic transmission).

See full details: COVID-19 Coronavirus Incubation Period

[Pilar1]

@Jolene53  When and where is your booking? If it falls under the current extended extenuating circumstances due to Covid we are forced to comply and agree with the cancellation waving all fees. If not, you will need to request via Customer Services, you’ll find how to reach them clicking on Help. I’d try calling although there will likely be a long wait, but you can also email.
Patience will be key but I’m pretty sure you’ll get there, I got my first notification of a cancellation citing it as the cause on 1st March when the situation in Europe was very different, only a few cases in Italy and France, but still I had to abide by an unilateral decision I didn’t agree with. It turns out I would have cancelled it myself a week later when I saw what was happening worldwide and how fast the virus was spreading. In almost 3 weeks our understanding has changed dramatically and I firmly believe travelling for anything other than essential reasons has to stop. 

[Jolene53]

My reservation isn't until May 7th. So it doesn't fall under the current extended extenuating by 3 weeks. 

I was trying to cancel early so she could have a better chance to have it rented out.  They have already canceled school here for the remainder of the year and my job said if we leave the state we will be required to do a 2 week quarantine.  So maybe I wait to see if they extend the extenuating circumstances due to Covid ..... IDK. =( 

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Jolene53  I am sure they will extend it around mid April

[Jolene53]

I hope so. I still want to take this vacation with the kids once it is all safe to do so. 

[Sandra126]

@Jolene53 , This is going to get a lot worse before it gets better. The e c policy will get extended, I'm entirely convinced. My guess is by may, nobody's going anywhere. Stay safe .

[Steve2538]

How can u not understand? Hosts are furious because AIrBnB overruled their cancellation policies. That is outrageous, and will certainly result in a) a class action against AIrBnB, b) an exodus of hosts to other platforms, and c) permanent reputational damage to the AIrBnB brand. They have made a terrible mistake doing this, and they will pay dearly for it.

[Rosanna51]

I have snoozed my two listings for now. It’s not worth the health risk for me as the host/cleaner. Also, even if I wanted to rent long term the Government here is hinting on the idea that landlords will have to Carry some of the load. It’s been a very unexpected event. Yes, I’ll lose money but that’s not the end of my world. A positive is the time off can be spent with meaningful projects whilst at the same time living a simpler life. 

[Irene879]

@Steve2538 

How can you not understand that your AirBnB business should be the last thing on your mind at this point in time?

There is a Pandemic enveloping the word that may fundamentally change life as we know it.

[Mark116]

@Irene879  Indeed.  And people are going to need money to help them survive it, which means that airbnb pulling the financial rug out from hosts and causing people to lose thousands or tens of thousands they have depended on is a big deal for exactly that reason, they will need the $$ to weather this storm.  

[Steve2538]

Coronavirus and it’s health consequences are NOT the issue I’m discussing. Your comments, and rather insolent unsolicited advice, is not  relevant to the issue I’m addressing. Please try and focus on the issue I’ve raised, which is that AIrBnB have screwed us hosts. They’ve used us as an unwilling insurance provider for guest cancellations. They’ve unilaterally rescinded our cancellation policies. They have dumped the entire cost, 100% on the shoulders of us hosts. I can survive this (luckily), but many, many hosts will lose their rental businesses, and some their rental properties. Try engaging with that!