Cancellation fee charged for covid

[Julia4309]

Hi, I recently started as a host and the experience has been good up until now. I tested positive for Covid this weekend and so did the right thing (in my opinion) and informed by up coming guest. I asked her what she wanted to do about the booking and she asked me to cancel. My guest has a 100 year old grandmother and said she didn’t want to make her ill.

Due to the proximity of the booking date, I am being charged £40! Apparently being ill with Covid is NOT considered an extenuating circumstance to avoid a cancellation fee. This means that in future, rather than being responsible and honest, I should keep my mouth shut and let the guest arrive  (potentially becoming infected) to avoid being charged.

It has occurred to me that as an air b and b guest also, this is actually worrying!  How many hosts are going to not declare infectious illnesses in future because of being charged a fee? 

Does this worry anyone else? 

[Helen3]

No it doesn't mean you should deliberately put your guests at risk of becoming infected with Covid .

you are correct guest or host illness is not covered under Airbnb's EC policy. 

So sad to hear going forward you would prefer to put your guests at risk - rather then pay a cancellation fee. @Julia4309 

As an STR business owner you can take out business disruption insurance which should cover you for cancellation because of illness . 

as a long standing homeshare  host I would absolutely declare any infectious condition and cancel upcoming bookings 

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Julia4309 In this case I can't agree with @Helen3 .

If you google Airbnb host cancellations you will find the host CAN cancel for valid reasons such as a serious personal illness. Link here.

Now Either Covid does count as this and Airbnb should allow a cancellation free of penalty or it doesn't and Airbnb should expect the guest to turn up.

I would go back to Airbnb and ask them to look at their own policies and change the cancellation to a no fault cancellation.

[Julia4309]

They have indeed excluded Covid as an illness.

and here was me thinking that I should be honest and inform my guest to give her the option to cancel. And that honesty has just cost me £40 

Note: As of 31 May 2022, we have updated COVID-19 coverage under our extenuating circumstances policy:

• For reservations made on or after 31 May 2022, the below COVID-19-related circumstances are no longer covered. Instead, the Host’s cancellation policy will apply as usual.

• For reservations made before 31 May 2022, the below COVID-19-related circumstances will continue to be covered.

[Helen3]

Of course you should be honest @Julia4309 

At the end of the day £40 is nothing compared to the utter devastation for your guest and her family if you were to pass on Covid to her and she passed it on to her elderly relative.

I'm a home share host and would absolutely take the hit rather than put a guest at risk. 

[Julia4309]

I can’t afford it. I think it’s wrong when I was asked by my guest to cancel. I don’t see why I should take a large financial hit. I will leave air b and b after this. There is simply no point in making an effort. This life only rewards dishonest people 

[Helen3]

Sorry I should have clarified I was referring to Covid. By personal serious illness I think they are referring to illnesses such as cancer or a brain tumour. @Mike-And-Jane0 

obviously you can't expect a guest to put themselves and others at risk by turning up if a host has Covid .  

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Helen3 Not sure I agree with Airbnb's logic though. If Covid doesn't count as a serious illness then the guest should expect to turn up even if warned about it. If Airbnb doesn't think a guest should expose themselves to covid then the host should be allowed a free cancellation.

[Julia4309]

I agree. I understand that at some point this Covid stuff should stop but the da t is that many people still are worried about catching it and passing it onto loved ones. I asked my guest and she said please cancel. So I get charged £40 which is 50% of what I would have made from the booking. I get penalised by being honest. I think I shall leave air b and b now. It’s been short and sweet but I think their charges are unfair and costly for me.