I think feeling weird is preferable to getting sick, passing the virus to others or dying.
I had one reservation still on the books, had been expecting her to cancel, then when 2 weeks before check-in, she still hadn’t, even though her state locked down the previous day, I messaged her saying that under the present circumstances I felt it was best that she cancel, she agreed, and that was that.
Last night I declined a request for 19 days from a couple from NYC:
Hi! Hope you’re doing well. My partner and I are looking to get away for a few weeks and love the look of your place. However, we’re only looking to spend around $2500 for the 3 weeks. Is there any room for flexibility in your pricing?
I assume that they were looking to escape all that is going on. And while I do have empathy:
- I’ve never had someone stay for more than 12 days, so sorting out cleaning, linens for long stays (during quarantine) brings new aspects to consider
- most restaurants and places to go are closed or just proving takeout / delivery
- the fact that NY state is advising people stay put and/or quarantine raises more red flags
- significantly discounted, even below my summer rate
- currently still have guests scheduled to arrive (for a wedding) the day after they would be leaving. While I expect that to be cancelled, on the event it doesn’t it wouldn’t give me enough recommended buffer between guests.
Still I felt bad for them and thought about it for a long time before declining.
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I wouldn’t feel bad for them, myself. They are being totally irresponsible and self-centered in planning on leaving NYC to travel to another community when everyone is being told to stay put, shelter in place, and only go out for essential trips. The kind of thing they are doing is exactly what will prolong the pandemic.
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Muddy is right. I understand but you did the right thing. I started getting a bunch of inquiries and requests from NY around a week ago (I’m much closer than you are) - both on Airbnb and Craigslist. In the middle of it, I rented the 2br to a local MD who needed it but our studio was still available. I finally just blocked out the dates and told people it was filled. It really is irresponsible and actually illegal at this point for them to travel to another community. It felt really bad to me too but I’m confident I did the right thing. I’m also grateful that I didn’t rent to any fleeing NYers because a few days later, our governor started sending National Guard door to door to look for them. (Eeek!).
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Not no, but hell, no. Sometimes I wonder about people.
Strike that. I wonder about people all the time.
I hate for them they are in a situation that is extremely difficult. I’m sure it was difficult for you to say no. Making those hard but meaningful decisions often causes personal conflict.
I just accepted a 60 day rental from a RN going to work on a Covid-19 unit. She’s distancing from health-fragile relatives & she’s fighting the good fight. Bless her.
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Thank you for supporting healthcare workers.
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Of course.
I’m one of the tribe 
I’m not working currently (cause Airbnb) but our governor is asking for reinforcements, so I am considering heading back in, but not sure yet.
My last guests left Thursday, they were here for 13 days. Normally I would do a mid-stay cleaning, but we discussed it and I opted not to do it this time. Told them where the extra sheets were in case they wanted to change them out themselves.
It just wasn’t worth the risk to any of us.
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I must be missing something because I usually agree with most of your posts. So what am I missing? This is a couple with spare money (quite a bit… it sounds like maybe each of them decided to chip in their stimulus money and split the gas and take off) and it sounds like pure vacay type inquiry. They have been asked to stay in place and some states like RI or FL are literally turning people away.
These aren’t Jews fleeing the Nazis, or immigrants seeking asylum from central American dictators. So I don’t see the moral dilemma. But I’m certainly willing to consider all viewpoints.
My NZ friend says the US will have to impose martial law before it’s over and couples like this are one data point on why she thinks that. Also, this is why cities are starting to outlaw Airbnb rental during Covid: to remove the dilemma from hosts and guests hands.
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And aside from Airbnb, I’m looking around at the news today and still see crowded beaches in FL, hundreds attending church in LA and more.
Today the names of the famous dead or soon to be dead are on my newsfeed, soon it will be unknown in my town followed by the known in my town. And most of it could have been avoided.
I’m not suggesting that what they are looking to do might jeopardize others but I can’t say that if I were in their situation that I wouldn’t want to find a better place to be in lockdown.
- I don’t know their living conditions but being shut into an apartment without any significant outdoor space, possibly with roommates, maybe not even sharing an apartment with her partner.
- Projections for hospital space to be overrun in NYC
I honestly can’t say that if I were in their city, that I wouldn’t be looking to do the same.
I can’t help but have empathy for them and what will probably be more horrible stories over the next few weeks / months.
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Yes I get that. But OTOH these typhoid mary types are part of the problem. Oh well, the mule is out of the barn now. All I can do is stay home with my 3 months of supplies, plug my ears and sing la-la-la very loudly. LOL.
Just as we can look on posts 2 weeks ago and say “what were we thinking,” we may look back 2 weeks from now and say “what were we thinking.” Maybe by then martial law will be in place in the hots spots. Then two weeks more it will be nationwide.
I hope I’m wrong and two weeks from now people will be making fun of me and my sky is falling posts.
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We don’t know their back story. Perhaps one or both are at risk due to medical history. Also if I were in an area with my “in poor health” 86 year old dad or a dear friend in fragile health (cancer) that was crowded and at this early stage already has healthcare resources stretched to the limit, I would be trying to get out too.
You comment about the stimulus baffles me. The $1700 (or is it $1200) won’t make a dent in the bills of hairdressers, massage therapist, retail clerks, wait staff, uber drivers, Airbnb hosts (lost revenue) etc who have lost earnings.
In NC if you qualify for unemployment there is a 2 week wait for a whopping $185 a week. That isn’t enough to feed a family and certainly not pay much towards bills. Oh and self employed people don’t qualify for it
While many bills like power, natural gas, etc won’t cut you off, now people will be in debt and most live check to check. They don’t have back up savings.
I’m quite sure there are many thousands, tens of thousands of people in this position. Just because it’s a stressful situation doesn’t give them the right to ignore shelter-in-place directives. Almost everyone is in stressful situation on some level right now.
And if the hospital space is overrrun in NYC, that means they should possibly overload the medical facilities in some small town they might go to?
Hey, I get it- when something like this happens, people’s survival instinct kicks in. And when one lives in a capitalist society, with a cult of the individual, and freedom to choose, people aren’t really accustomed to behaving or thinking in a way that leads to the common good. And this lack of tribalist thinking is what will lead to more infections and deaths than necessary.
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Ok. Well we just see this completely differently. I’m bowing out now.
But then you’re just stretching the healthcare resources of another place. My little city is expecting “10s of 1000s” and it will be what does us in. No one can plan for that 
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John Prine 
Everyone is turning to self protection mode. I hope as time passes and the situation evolves rational minds prevail.