Asking inbound guests about their vaccination status

[Steve1]

Greetings fellow Airbnb Hosts! Since the onset of the pandemic last March, we incorporated a quick Covid-screening questionnaire in to our pre-check-in  email. It looks something like this;

Hello [first name]. We look forward to welcoming you here tomorrow. We apologize to have to ask these questions, but considering the new reality of pandemic travel and for everyone's safety - would you mind letting us know if the answer to any of the following questions is YES?

In the past THREE (3) days, have you experienced 1. fever or chills, 2. a new cough, 3. unusual shortness of breath, 4. a sore throat, 5. a loss in smell or taste. In the past 17 days, have you been exposed to anyone who has tested positive for the Novel Corona-virus (Covid-19)?

We appreciate your understanding as we strive to provide clean, sanitized and comfortable accommodations for your upcoming visit!

My question is this...  For those hosts who are doing something similar, has anyone inquired about vaccination status?  If so, would you mind responding with your verbiage?  I've heard differing opinions on the legality of asking about this due to HIPAA laws in the US. 

Thank you in advance for any help here.

Steve in Walnut Creek, CA  (SF Bay Area)

[Anonymous]

@Steve1  What do you plan to do if a guest answers yes to any of these questions?  

Your listings appear to be Entire Home properties with self-check-in, so as long as they are vacant for a sufficient period after check in, I'm not really clear on what your safety concerns are.

[Steve1]

Great question, @Anonymous !  We've had ~128 arrivals/check-ins since the original lockdown (3/16/20) here in California without a single guest answering in the affirmative. Should someone answer yes, our plan is to outsource a local disinfection service as an added level of protection over and above our existing cleaning protocols.

I've read several hospitality articles about the 'perception' of cleanliness. Have you noticed there is almost always someone from the housekeeping staff in a hotel lobby (or other public areas) busy wiping surfaces or emptying trash, etc?  That is not by accident. During the pandemic, many larger operators who remained open doubled up on this effort in order to instill a sense of comfort that the property cares about cleanliness and that presumably would carry over to the cleanliness of the room.  Likewise, with asking these questions, our guests are reminded that we take cleanliness, and their safety, very seriously. 

Many guests will comment on the request. Here is a recent response  "Hi glad to see you are taking care.  neither one of us has any symptoms. We are very careful and also why we prefer a clean airbnb at this time. Thanks"  

[Helen3]

What do you do with guests who don't complete your questionnaire? Do you cancel their bookings @Steve1 

[Steve1]

Hi @Helen3. No, we do not. 

[Sarah977]

@Steve1  I take Covid very seriously and have therefore had my homeshare listing closed to bookings since March 2020.

But I don't really see the point in asking guests those questions. People who take Covid seriously and wouldn't go spreading it around, would cancel their reservation if they were experiencing symptoms or had knowingly been exposed, and those who don't care are likely to lie.

As long as you leave at least one night between bookings, so neither you nor the cleaner if you use one, nor the next guests are exposed to droplets that could be in the air, I'm not sure what the concern is in an entire house listing.

[Katherine17]

We have just reopened our Airbnb in Toronto and have been asking incoming potential guests if they have been fully vaccinated and if they have received negative results 72 hours prior to arrival. To date only one potential guest has refused to provide details. She was a self-proclaimed “anti vaxxer”,  Canadian and refused to share information of her status. This is a voluntary platform: I suggested she may be more comfortable staying elsewhere, wished her well and chose not to read her response.   Not having the automatic booking activated also increases the level of choice and therefore conscious decision making on both sides.  

[Clinton58]

I would like to see Airbnb provide us with an optional badge we can put on our listings to request Vaccinated guests only. This would look more official and less personal for us to ask.