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Just read this: https://www.airbnb.com/resources/hosting-homes/a/removing-covid-19-as-an-extenuating-circumstance-523
It will be great to get that removed. I have to provide refunds to so many scammers who claimed covid-19 as an excuse to cancel and Airbnb CS agreed with them.
Now at least they can’t play the covid card.
I have 3 friends in the NYC area who’ve just come down with Covid and have canceled their plans. They’re vaccinated, boosted, and getting ready for their 2nd booster yet got Covid with “bad cold symptoms and a dry cough.”
At this point, even the scientists who can’t agree on anything agree that Covid is endemic, not pandemic, and that about 90%+ of the world population have either been exposed, had it, and/or are vaccinated (and still got it).
I’ve had it, am vaccinated, and still careful and clean like crazy.
In this case it is legitimate covid.
But we know that Airbnb doesn’t verify any claims regarding whether a guest had covid. So scammers have been using the covid card to get refunds.
I’ll be so happy to tell them that covid doesn’t qualify for any refunds. If they have more questions they can call Airbnb.
If they want refund, they can file a claim with their travel insurance provider.
And what if a guest decides to travel to your house with Covid, since they can’t get an EC refund?
I see how this could be an issue for home share hosts or hosts who are not vaccinated or in poor health. But for me this is not an issue. They can show up with covid. I’m triple vaccinated and about to get my second booster. I’m not worried. I’m more worried about providing refunds the scammers than about covid. YMMV.
It’s an issue for anyone they come into contact with travelling to get to your place, and for your community if they go out and about to public venues.
This is a known risk about covid In general. Not just about Airbnb guests.
If people choose not to get vaccinated, what can I do about that ? Get vaccinated and your risk will be lower.
I will do my best not to refund anyone who claims to have covid.
I wasn’t suggesting that hosts refund because a guest claims they are Covid positive, just that them coming in spite of it affects more than the host.
Yes. But lots of other things do as well. Anybody who wants to be protected by those things should get a vaccine or stay home rather than encroach on the livelihood of others.
Let’s see how Airbnb implements it in practice. They might very well intentionally decide not to train the CSRs and they will still provide covid refunds.
This. I’d rather believe them and give them a refund if I can rebook, but I don’t want them here, traveling and infecting people.
You should be worried. Even vaccinated people get Covid and can be hospitalized. The vaccine isn’t a cure, it’s a line of immunity defense.
As the last 2 years has shown, this is not a policy that’s worked particularly well. I believe you’re being deliberately blithe about the disease, unrealistic about the efficacy of vaccines and lock downs, and more worried about guests potentially lying than the safety of the hundreds of people they could come in contact with on the way to your place.
It’s not a perfect world, and you’re apparently arguing for all best case scenarios (except the refund bit).
Even if I had a stand-alone listing, I’d work with the guest to cancel and get them money if I rebook.
I’d rather believe people. My (former) step-daughter just flew from NZ to South Africa to see her daughter and was clear of Covid (NZ’s lockdowns have worked well, but tiny country) before she took off and Day 2 tested positive. This strain moves quickly with a quick incubation. She and her other daughters (all positive) are now in lockdown in Jo-burgh. Fun times.
This strain is moving quickly and appears to have a short incubation period.
We have to do what is in our comfort zone. Hosts can always provide a refund. I don’t plan to provide a refund. If the guest decides to travel, they chose to infect hundreds of others, not me.
I’m just glad that Airbnb has made this change.
Wow @house_plants just because you have had the Covid vaccine doesn’t mean you won’t get Covid or you won’t pass it onto a vulnerable, friend, relative or a random stranger.
It feels pretty selfish to not be concerned about bringing guests with Covid into your community.
And no if you knowingly accept a guest with Covid you are helping putting those in your community at risk.
They keep defending indefensible behavior and a laissez faire attitude that puts everyone else at risk. And they don’t seem to understand that a vaccine in this case isn’t a cure.
Notice how dark they’ve gone?
from me for now (or should that be 
) as other members have addressed the issue in a far politer fashion than I would.
JF
Some people in the community refuse to take the vaccine. They are putting themselves at risk. Not me.
If anyone is worried about the covid risk, they should take precautions, or stay home (like me).
That’s like saying that if a woman wants to make sure she never gets raped, it’s her responsiblity to never leave the house unless her husband or brother accompanies her.
I use the request for vaccination info from prospective guests as an ‘intelligence test’ - thinking that not getting a vaccine is in any way a good idea tells me to beware. Being ok with leaving everyone around you with the task of caring for you also is my ‘empathy test’…
Exactly… I can’t worry about the odd behavior of these people who don’t want to get vaccinated.
Guests can and will travel with covid without informing the host. The issue is guests were using the covid card to get refunds when their plans changed.
Airbnb probably picked up on that and realized all the service fees they lost and decided to clamp down. If they actually clamp down in reality remains to be seen.
I don’t mean that.
If you want to be safe while driving, you should put on a seat belt. You can’t expect others to drive slower just because you want to drive without a seat belt and still be safe in an accident.
There is an inherent risk in driving that is not going away. Same way with covid. Take precautions but don’t force others to shut down their businesses and starve others of their livelihood.
Bad analogy full of contradiction.
There are laws that dictate that not wearing a seatbelt and speeding are illegal.
Sure, some drivers still speed but they risk legal consequences for doing so. If someone gets hit by a speeding driver, the victim isn’t told, “Well, you know there are drivers who speed, so it was your responsibility to protect yourself by not being out on the road.”
What you are putting forth re Covid is the equivalent of saying there shouldn’t be any laws against speeding or requirements to wear a seatbelt, and that if one chooses to go out on the road knowing that and gets hit, it’s their responsibility.