This forum is dedicated to connecting hosts with other hosts. Sign up to get the latest updates and news just for AirBnb hosts! Note that we are not affiliated with Airbnb - we are just passionate hosts!
I just got an instant book starting March 29 for 9 days. I exchanged a few messages with the guest and it seems legit. He runs a land-leveling/grading company in southwest Arizona and is working on a public works project here. The reservation is for only 2 people which is odd for a 4-bedroom house, but he is trying to avoid contact with people as much as possible so he chose a whole-home listing with self-check-in instead of a hotel.
I really hope he doesnât cancel now because a 9-day booking covers all of the expenses for my listing (except for the mortgage principle) for 2 months. Combine that with my previous guestâs 4-day reservation that was in the COVID EC window but didnât get cancelled and Iâm breaking even until July 1 in spite of COVID-19. And July 1 happens to also be the day the mortgage will be paid off.
Difficult one It might be in line with Airbnbâs policy but it goes against all international health best practice and evidence in helping contain the spread of the virus. I
In the UK hosts can no longer take an STR bookings (legislation introduced last week) UNLESS it is for an essential key worker as our emphasis is on containing and reducing the spread of the virus - and travel/contact is one of the major factors in spreading it. @Brian_R170
We like the US, are only a few weeks behind Italy in terms of cases and mortalities and have to put stringent restrictions in place, so our health services arenât overwhelmed and we donât see the sort of levels of deaths, we are seeing in Italy which still estimates it has another two weeks to go before it hits its peak.
We all need to be part of the solution, rather than part of the problem.
Good luck; Iâm glad that there is some positive revenue coming your way.
I think while business will be slow there will be some opportunity as youâve described. AZ hasnât completely shut down, and I think reasons like yours and family situations will drive some business. And I agree that there is something about staying in a home rather than a hotel that seems safer to some.
Iâve had a couple of requests this week:
the first one I wasnât comfortable with: 2 young âbusiness travelersâ arriving on Thursday leaving on Sunday, with no reviews
The second was someone looking for a place for his parents who had left Mexico before the boarder closed. I told him I was refraining from hosting but leaving open for health / family / emergency situations. I declined but told him that if he wasnât able to find somewhere else to reconnect and Iâd reconsider.
Public works projects are considered essential (for now). I donât know what the construction is specifically for, though.
My thought is that since itâs a government-sponsored construction project and the government wants it to continue, then these two people are going to stay somewhere. I hope my listing isnât somehow worse than anywhere else they could stay.
I am surprised at how often our 3 BR 2 full bath, 2000 sq ft place rents to just a couple. And no, I donât charge rock bottom prices.
On VRBO, I get this cool âcongrats! (with virtual confetti) you won a bookingâ feature that shows what other properties a guest shopped before booking. I am always near or at the top price the guest considered. In one case, a guest that was just a couple, no pets, shopped 25 other places and I was either the most expensive or the 2nd most of all of them.
I second guessed the bed setup in the house a hundred times before committing to it, but ultimately decided to set it up just how we wanted to live and host guests in it ourselves, and sell the ânot a bunkhouseâ feature. It naturally deters large parties and I am glad I want with my gut and decided to offer and market something unique (âdog friendliest VR in the countyâ) and we are getting the kind of groups we like, i.e are comfortable hosting.
Key workers are those essential to the running of the country and for our health and care ie doctors, nurses, care workers, those working for our transport systems, , supermarket workers, post office etc.
I am not sure that construction workers are on that list whether for a government project or not?
I think you are from the US. Sadly that is a government with its head in the sand who are talking about America getting back to normal at Easter so I am not sure whether your government wanting the construction project to continue is a good indicator for you to decide whether to take this booking.
Is there somewhere you can check in the US to see who is covered as a key worker.
To me my guide for booking is not if I donât do it someone will take them. Itâs I need to be part of the solution and if the person is not providing care or is not a locally based key worker then they arenât staying.
âTheyâ donât - I just gave a few random examples. Of course farmers are key workers.
I am not sure all factory workers would be defined as key workers but rather those involved in the production of the food chain.
This article includes a list of what the UK defines as key workers.
I havenât heard anywhere that EVERYONE who works in the primary and secondary industries are considered as key workers in the context of this virus - any authoratative links showing this in the context of the virus would be good. @Chris
Even if he were to cancel, it the EC automatic refund no long applies. (for now) .
Our response to the COVID-19 pandemic
We are now offering Guests full refunds and Hosts no charge cancellations for reservations booked on or before March 14th with a check in date of April 14th or earlier. Please note this policy will not cover any new bookings.
Congratulations to you. The lesson many, (including Chesky), are learning is that hogs get slaughtered. I feel very fortunate that I was able to do so many things with my Airbnb money including adding to the home. No matter what happens I have that equity, I have the ability to turn to a roomie or other kinds of rental if I need the money. If not for Airbnb I never would have done it.
If you are directing this comment to Brian I think itâs misdirected.
Yes he is.
No there isnât.
I donât know if you have traveled to the US or not. And even if you have itâs a big country with a great deal of diversity. I think you have a general idea of how our federal system works. But let me add some details for anyone reading who doesnât. Roads are built under state contracts. The national government provides funds but not the nuts and bolts of the work. The national government is supreme in matters involving interstate commerce but state governments are supreme within their borders. So until and unless Trump orders a nationwide shutdown (which he seems unlikely to do but that could change) using emergency powers, road construction could go on for weeks in various states. Arizona has a Republican dominated state government as do many other states. Many of those states are continuing a business as usual model.
If I were Brian I would take the booking. Better me than someone even less responsible.
I know you mean well but your understanding of American culture seems to be lacking. Have you seen the polling that half of Americans think Trump is doing a good job? That should tell you what you need to know about what is going on here.
All that said, @Brian_R170, Iâd not expect anything until the stay is complete.
My point about us all being part of the solution was just that. Definitely not aimed directly at @Brian_R170 - thatâs why I said all, not you
I have lived in the US (Boston) and travelled a bit -, Wisconsin, Florida, Chicago, San Fran, Los Angeles, New York as I have lots of family that live there, but wouldnât say I know it well. My family constantly remind me how different US is to Europe
I have seen the US polling - itâs difficult as I think I mentioned in another post. Itâs very hard for the US public you have your president saying one thing (that changes quite often) and different states saying something else.
I think a lock down in the US will be difficult because culturally there is a different mindset than in Europe and the Far East and you will have certain elements that will rail against it.
I was talking to my New Zealand resident friend yesterday. She was born and raised in the US and has lived in AK, TN, NY state and central TX. She has lived in Switzerland, Israel, Brazil, China and NZ. She has traveled extensively. She is the smartest person I know. She thinks the US needs to impose martial law to force the needed conformity to best practices.
I just canât see that happening. The pile of bodies in the corner that Bill Gates is imagining would have to become reality. We already had one civil war due to people refusing to do whatâs right and many of their descendants donât even realize they lost that war. I believe widespread civil unrest by armed citizens who think they have a god given and Constitutional right to take up arms against the government isnât outside the realm of possibility. (to be clear, I donât agree with them, just saying they exist. In most of the world they would be considered insane and criminal)
So all this is to say that even someone who has lived in the US a lot might not quite understand the culture here. I hope Iâm the one misjudging it but Iâm not seeing the evidence yet that Iâm wrong.
That is quite a list. I called to see about getting a new window installed and the company I called who did installs for me previously is closed. I donât know if itâs due to their choice or if they thought they had to. If my city has a similar list I would still be able to have a contractor get a window at Home Depot and install it for me.
Well, yes, that goes without saying. I own a gun for two reasons 1) it was my dadâs and one of my few fond memories of him is the two of us rabbit hunting when I was about 4. 2) to protect myself from gun nuts.
I keep my guns in my bedroom closet, locked with a cable but the key is where I can find it in the dark. There are 3 shotgun shells right there. I load them rock salt-buckshot-slug. But I suspect that when I pump the gun loudly (CLACK-CLACK!) and yell âWhoâs there?â whoever is there will start running.
Ha, yeah, if itâs a single criminal or maybe a pair. Mine is a 20 ga. breech loader so not so intimidating sound wise. But as long as I have dogs that can hear they are going to get someone running much faster than this old lady can.
As an aside, my bachelorâs degree is in Criminal Justice and so I learned lot about crime fighting in my youth. We we taught that having an escape route and plan was much more effective than gun owning (and this was from a quite gun loving cohort.) So when I remodeled my home 20 years ago I put an exit out my bedroom to the backyard. And of course now we have our portable phones. So if I hear something suspicous Iâll be grabbing my phone and heading out the back. That will be much better and safer than trying to load a gun and going to confront someone. And god help me if I ever have to kill someone as that clearly would ruin my life.
Hi Helsi - Iâm in construction in Ontario, Canada and we are currently deemed an essential business. Just last Friday we were issued letters to have in our vehicles incase we were stopped by police outlining our position within our company and government listing us as essential. My company has been very generous in that the have told us to work from home for 30 days and only under approval go to a field site but it must be business critical - so far none of us have left home. I honestly think the Ontario government will end up shutting down construction in the next week or so but right now itâs listed as essential.
