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Nope. Not good enough, not enough time for any virus to deteriorate before cleaning, nor after cleaning. I would never pay extra for a host to follow the minimum recommended downtime. When I reopen, I will take those empty days into account when setting my rates.
Like @KKC, I would strike you off my possible host list. From your posts, you don’t seem to understand your liability in that situation. This is not the flu! I hope that you have really good insurance, and that you won’t find out that someone (including yourself) got sick, either cleaning, or while staying there.
You are joking, right? I have reduced my rates by 50% because there is no demand. Do you think ANYONE is going to book if I increase my rates?
As for standards, I have been through the checklists and standards set out by the government and by The Professional Association of Self-Caterers UK, which has a very long document covering Short Term lets in the Context of Covid 19.
It is clear that (i) the property has to be aired whilst cleaning - I have 7 hours for airing (ii) the cleaner has to wear PPE (iii) every single thing is washed (iv) everything is disinfected with the correct products on all surfaces that get touched.
That’s the guidelines. I am following them to the letter. That’s it. I cannot be sued for following official government guidelines.
If you, personally, want something safer than the government and professional bodies and Airbnb have recommended, then you can pay for it.
If you are having your cleaner go in less than, at bare minimum, 3 hours after guests leave, regardless of her mask, you are putting her at risk. Doctors and nurses use PPE and plenty of them have contracted the virus and many have died.
I couldn’t stay with you. I don’t know what the recommended cleaning protocols in your area are. In the USA the Center for Disease Control recommends 24 hours between check out /check in so germs can fall out of the air & on to surfaces. Supposedly the risk from surface contamination is low; inhaled germs risk is high.
If it’s the UK then it is likely to be ventilate for three hours, as per most national and trade association recommendations.
Here in Spain, we leave it twenty four hours and part of the check out instructions are to leave all windows and internal doors open.
Having see the spikes in infection rates here, and knowing where our guests have been from so far, I think we’ll stick with the twenty four hours. It’s not worth it, just for a few extra euros.
Agreed. We are blocking a day before and after every guest. It actually allows us to wait a full 24 hours before we go in to clean and that feels safer. Honestly, I would never have allowed myself that extra time between guests before Covid, but it’s a lot less stressful overall. I wish I had done it sooner. That and only having one listing (we put tenants in the other 2) is really a gift. I’ve never been a happier host!
We are not doing a questionnaire. However, our state still requires a 14-day quarantine if you’re coming from states with a high positivity rate. That has helped me deter some guests that I would consider higher risk.
I would be concerned that refusing a guest because of an answer on the questionnaire might be considered discrimination. Also, I don’t think it would be particularly useful with this particular virus (because of the length of being asymptomatic). I believe most people are going to be conscientious about traveling after a known exposure. If nothing else, people will want to be at home if they think they’re going to get sick. The weirdos and aholes that aren’t going to be conscientious, will just lie anyway.
I am going for prevention. We put that masks are required in the common areas (hallways, etc) in our House Rules. And I’ve been pointing it out to people when they inquire/request/book. I think I lost a couple of bookings because of it, so far, and that is absolutely fine with me. The masks house rule is it’s own little filter
Properly worn PPE will do its job. The hard part is properly wearing it then getting out of it. During a 12-13 hour shift, we can’t put on PPE and not remove it and put it back on 3 or more times. Each time it is removed, presents an opportunity to accidentally self-contaminate by touching a germ-y surface. Even with immediate hand washing an accident can occur. When medical staff were having to reuse PPE the opportunities for accidental germ spread increased.
People who are trained to use PPE correctly are only human and can make a mistake.
The average untrained person will make a mistake at some point.
The average untrained person, from my observation, has zero idea of how not to contaminate themselves when using PPE. I see people pull a grubby mask out of their pocket or bag, put it on, fuss with it using their fingers on the inside and outside of the mask, then when they take it off, wad it up and stick it back in their pocket, only to pull it out and repeat when they need to put it back on again. It’s shocking how little common sense people have.
I’m so tired of extra guests. The extra supplies, the additional utilities & cost of the wear & tear have pushed my last button. If someone is honest and says, “ your maximum is 2 guests. Is it possible for us to bring 3…”. I thank them for their honesty and explain the condo is too small or not equipped or some other real reason so 2 is the maximum.
