And a friend who has been delivering herbal immune boosters and vitamins to people sick with coronavirus in the next little town to mine here in Mexico has more or less traced the beginning of the cases there back to a couple from Seattle who was visiting local friends here. The couple from Seattle got sick while they were here, as did the friends they were staying with. Then it just started spreading. That’s exactly how it gets everywhere in the world in a short period of time.
I’ve deactivated the listing that I had on here and now have someone that is a friend of ours that needed a place to stay, staying with us. We were going to be in a huge bind because of no reservations. Airbnb needs to do something for us hosts. We bring in a lot of money for Airbnb and this is the time to step up.
What exactly as you expecting them to do? - they are one (usually of a number) of marketing channels that hosts use @Mfl62.
Who knows whether and how many of these STR marketing channels will weather the pandemic.
As small business owners we need to put measures in place to cover bad times as well as good but this pandemic is like nothing that any of us have experienced… All small business owners around the world are in the same boat.
Over here in the UK increasingly building societies and banks are offering mortgage breaks. There is also some relief on business rates and the government is putting some measures in place to help small businesses/the self employed.
What measures is your government putting in place to help small businesses?
Glad you have a friend staying that can help with your Airbnb costs.
Аіrbnb hаѕ mаdе а wеаlth сrеаtіоn wоrth оf $4 bіllіоn аѕ оf Маrсh 2020. Тhе hоѕріtаlіtу ѕеrvісе brоkеrаgе соmраnу іn Ѕаn Frаnсіѕо hаѕ ѕіnсе bееn ѕuссеѕѕful аnd mоѕt rесеntlу асquіrеd НоtеlТоnіght fоr оvеr $400 mіllіоn. Вrіаn іѕ undоubtеdlу оnе оf thе со-fоundеrѕ оf Аіrbnb, drаwіng hіѕ ѕаlаrу іn mоrе thаn fіvе-fіgurе dіgіtѕ.
Airbnb has made a lot of money from all of us hosts. They should be stepping up and helping us out.
This isn’t directed only at you, @Mfl62, but many of us have been on this forum for many months or many years. We’ve read hundreds (thousands) of posts about what Airbnb “should” do. You’ve been on this forum for 8 days. There is undoubtedly a wealth of information here that you haven’t yet read.
First of all, Airbnb hosts’ opinions about “should” mean nothing. Nothing at all.
Secondly, I think Airbnb has done what they’ve done to try to preserve the company. If they were bleeding money now on behalf of the hosts, they would rapidly be entirely out of business. Is that what we want?
I suggest you read this forum to see how many times this precise topic has been discussed.
Nothing we say here will change Airbnb.
3 Likes
Here is a compilation of resources to help people who are in a bind. It is a work in progress, as are the various forms of assistance being developed around the world. COVID-19 Aid and Assistance
1 Like
Your use of “on here” makes me think that you believe this forum to be part of Airbnb, but we are not. This forum is completely independent of the Company.
And you haven’t made any money off the back of Airbnb?
Folks keep banging on about how much money Airbnb has made from hosts, but nobody ever mentions how much money they’ve made from Airbnb. They advertise your property, allow guests to book and then deal with the payments. All for 3%.
I curious, in what way do you want them to “step up”? Do you want paid for stays that didn’t happen? Do you want them to just give you money?
I’m not Airbnb’s biggest fan, but during a global pandemic tough decisions have had to be taken. Only time will tell if those decisions taken by Airbnb were correct, or not.
JF
7 Likes
omg did you not watch the news in Jan like at all -
or maybe the idea it was in china you thought it wouldnt reach you
when the first cases appeared outside China ie Tiawan Japan and they shut 23rd Jan
no eurika moment since china makes up 45% of airbnb’s clients
2 Likes
Does it really? Where did you get that figure from?
JF
3 Likes
We blocked out all of April. I wouldn’t be surprised if we have to because the reservations in May and several people have already canceled because the commencement of their children has been canceled. (we live in a college town). It’s hard doing without that income, but since we use it for our own vacationing and we aren’t going to be vacationing soon, well, you see where I’m going here. It’s just not worth the risk.
3 Likes
Yeah, they need to know that there are every day more and more cases of healthy young people with no underlying conditions dying from the virus, especially in the US. And already huge numbers of young people being in critical condition. Some of their selfish little asses rather likely with get one or two very painful life lesson taught.
1 Like
I hate airbnbs extenuating circumstance policy but f#### me this is an extenuating circumstance!
4 Likes
I have gone to great lengths to be very careful and have my properties sanitized and available for those trying to get home. In the last week I have had 5 last minute reservations and all were under 25 yrs old "on their way home or flying into Denver for one night to celebrate a birthday or An example: We coming from Zion National Park to Chattanooga Tenn. by way of Denver??! Booking one night to party-Marijuana with no regard for the Emergency shut down, no restaurants or brewery open. After they arrive they find Denver is not set up for fun Denver and ask for their money back because of the virus and emergency stay at home order after leaving and contaminated your property but we deserve our money back because this is really ruining our fun???
Thankfully Airbnb is assisting with these problems. I spoke to a help specialist, she addressed all of the guest stays with issues. I ask how she was…she hasn’t seen her family in 30 days, they are taking shifts to assist us. These people are giving so much to handle our problems. It is hard on so many in ways we can’t even imagine.
On the bright side;
One of my properties I manage is owned my an actress (not famous or wealthy), now out out of work and all her bookings canceled. As she was wondering how she was going to make ends meet she received an inquiry from a Veteran to rent for three weeks for recuperation after surgery. This was a beautiful exchange for both parties, a safe, clean home to recover and my client has some income!
It will get better.
3 Likes
Thanks for sharing your experiences and your happy story.
Wow I really feel for those poor Airbnb frontline staff who are putting up with endless abuse by hosts and guests for a situation they didn’t create and have no control over. @brendab and probably getting paid peanuts.
It seems like USA is one of the few areas still be allowing STRs. In the UK all hotel, camping, second home, B&B and self catering stays were outlawed last week to help minimise travel of the type you describe to help halt the spread of the disease.
With the US overtaking China in terms of cases it’s pretty shocking you guys aren’t in lock down.
1 Like
My state has shut down non essential travel, but there really is no enforcement that I can see. I have cancelled my remaining upcoming bookings for the next month. I just signed up/agreed to allow my listing for use by first responders and healthcare workers with AirBnb and changed my listing description to this:
Per statewide stay at home order we are only accepting reservations for 1st responders, healthcare workers, essential workers and CV19 self quarantine only right now. PLEASE INQUIRE AND EXPLAIN THE REASON FOR YOUR STAY DO NOT INSTANT BOOK
I left it on IB because it will not get found otherwise. I will cancel any reservations that come in that do not fit the description which is all I am legally allowed to offer right now.
That being said I just searched my town on Air and it seems like business as usual for most hosts. The County supervisor has put out clarification on what is and is not essential (my listing as described above is legit) and the locals on FB are vowing to turn in hosts to the county hotline number. Like they would have any idea if the stay fit the requirements… Our friendly little mountain town does not want visitors right now.
RR
Curiously, we are on a full lock down with all STR and hotels closed by government decree until at least 11th April, and when I did a search locally for next week it was almost like business as usual.
That said, I’ve got three nights open on BDC as it was a No Risk booking. This means even though the guests cancelled, we still get paid if BDC can’t fill it. Hopefully no muppet will try and book a feckin hot-spot for next week!
JF
***3/27/20 Wow, a lot can change in a week. 50 cases nationwide at the start of the month to 85,000 now. Not enough hospital beds, ventilators, PPE for medical staff >>>even with flattening the curve. After learning of COVID infected 20 and 30 yr olds with no underlying conditions requiring hospitalization, we have halted all reservations completely until this is over. Actually cancelled a few ourselves. This is a travesty in the United States. Because we did not stop this virus in its tracks sooner, flatten the curve enough, and prepare our medical equipment, tent triages, extra beds, extra personnel, etc. many people will perish needlessly. I have been blowing up the WH facebook and twitter with demands that they invoke the DPA to manufacture more ventilators and PPE for medical staff on the frontlines. It’s coming and the it’s going to hit the fan in the next three weeks (on the west coast of the US) and then spread across every state. COVID-19 can live on some surfaces from 3hrs, to 3-9 DAYS. O_O Please be safe and shelter in place, and don’t endanger your lives for a bit of money.
Some relief: If you’re in the US and really strapped, self-employed folks like us will [now] be able to collect unemployment benefits (at your same wage) for four months, or acquire small no/low interest business loans, or pull some equity out of your house, whatever it takes. Rent payments can be halted for three months in most states (and paid back later) and mortgages across the country can be suspended for twelve. We will make it through this. Best to everyone and be safe.
Nobody in the travel industry gave full refunds, no questions asked, like Airbnb did. The did that at the cost to the hosts. All major hotels only refund 100% to people going to or from seriously affected areas (then: China, Iran, Italy) a month ago. Airbnb didn’t even allow 25% retained, or a fee (like they keep $50 if we cancel). Any of which could mean food on the table for many Americans, (where 80% of the pop lives paycheck to paycheck).
When you have a multi-billion dollar MNC like Airbnb promoting their brand by refunding money-off the backs of the little guy- then this query seems quite a valid one, IMO. Had Air simply allowed us to handle the cancellations ourselves, or honored anything about our cancellation policies then that could have meant a greta deal to thousands of people. What Airbnb did to their hosts was heartless and wrong. I do not believe for a second that it was for “the greater good.” It was to make them look good.
“Airbnb was a stand-out.” They did this for positive PR, period. Yet we are the ones who paid or it, even though we are not multi-billionaires. Agreement that Airbnb hosts got the shaft has been echoed by business analysts.
Personally, if we ever come back to hosting in the future, it will be with a dedicated booking website and on advertised on multiple platforms. We should have done this sooner, but simply never found the time. We’ve got it now. Who knows how long in the future that will be before this normalizes. 6months? A year? Not sure how long it will take for me to ever want to have strangers in my home again is the more pressing issue. Right now I won’t even touch any delivered packages for at last a day. They sit on the porch or get blasted by bleach and then opened right there.
F*** COVID-19!! You ain’t taking me!