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I see there are quite a few people who have had bad experiences with discounts for other situations. One approach could be to offer a refund after the fact in case the guests take liberties the host didn’t anticipate.
And no host should feel obligated to help strangers just because they have a sick child.
Didn’t know that and went and looked it up to fully understand. Thanks for the info.
Ever since Covid started people have been throwing HIPAA (or worse HIPPA) around and confusing people and starting all kinds of rumors and it’s driving me nuts. It’s almost as bad as all of those rumors about the 1st amendment 
Haha, a pet peeve??? mmmm. Maybe it’s working because it does seem like all health information SHOULD be protected no matter who you talk to.
I don’t understand. If you want information protected then don’t talk to anyone about it. Of course you have to talk to your doctor about it so that’s why HIPAA protects that information that you give your doctor.
Are you suggesting that a gossip-y neighbor who tells another neighbor about your gallstones should be punished somehow? How would that even work? I just don’t tell anyone any of my health information (or financial information or deep dark thoughts) that I want to be kept private.
This. We do not want discounted guests using Air, with all that “review power” and the possibility they may end up being demanding/entitled, not appreciative and considerate.
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They have many options to pick from in San Francisco around half of your rate.
I have had almost to the letter what you said above on 3 different sittings over the years. And that 3rd strike was a already more than couple years ago. Never again discounting, for any reason, ever, ever, ever. Once they even so much as ask, it’s trouble.
By just the way you’re portraying those guests, I’d bet there was exactly nothing legitimately happening to even request the discount in the first place. But I’m so jaded, I guess. . .
If you could have done it all over again, the “Wow. Just wow” moment would have been when you just withdrawal the preapproval outright. I admire you hanging in there. . . But no, they had to keep poking at you all the way until the end. 
@Jefferson that’s a good point. SF is not short of Short Term Rental options for this date, most of which are cheaper than mine, and I’m not especially close to the hospital.
That’s right! And for them “End” = “ 
”. I admit, it was a tad brutal on my part but my peeps would say,”You brought that 
on yourself!”
Right. I’m the bitch here. I cannot say to the mortgage people that I haven’t been able to make the monthly payments because I heavily discounted a stay because of a sick child. The property tax people won’t wear it either.
None of the utility companies will and neither will the HOA when I can’t pay the monthly dues.
There are charities to help families in such tragic circumstances but I’m not one of them. I am more often than not this forum’s Pollyanna, trusting people and having the highest regard for the human race. But in this case, no.
Sorry, I did say that I’m the local bitch…
Welllll, I said the same thing as you early in this thread but with different words. When I am being of service housing people who’ve lost everything in flooding, I have to cover my expenses.
I’m not in a financial position to gift stays at this time.
If you are a B for covering expenses, I’m in good company. 
This feels like your generosity pendulum is swinging
Early on I suggested:
There may be a reason your rental is appealing. Closer to other family? Private kitchen? Calm location?
We are giving a wide range of opinions here.
Do yourself a favor and find out more about the guest’s situation. That and your personal moral compass combined with your STR experience will give you the answer.
It’s your rental. You can decline the whole thing if you want to.
I don’t see why anyone should think less of you or of themselves because they don’t choose to use their Airbnb for charity giving. I do, in fact my Airbnb funds almost all my annual charity giving. Giving directly to a family instead of paying an agency that pays a staff is right in my wheelhouse. I don’t make enough to deduct my charity giving from my taxes so that’s not a concern for me either. I don’t expect that most people can run my airbnb the way I do.
Just saying depending on the neighbors’s career & the effect on the patient.
So if Nurse Anne is involved in the care Ms Smith and Shares with Ms Jones that Ms Smith is scheduled for knee replacement surgery in 3 weeks AND Ms Jones tells her husband, the CFO of the small company, about it, there is a problem.
If Ms Smith finds herself laid-off next week because CFO told COO & they illegally collude to avoid honoring FMLA, hiring a temporary employee, &have the expenses hit the company insurance, Nurse Anne could be sued.
If Ms Smith announces an upcoming surgery from the main stage of a music festival, that is her news to share.
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Exactly, which means - as we already know that your place is GORGEOUS and they want it for the same price as a budget “entire place” or nice “just a room”.
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If you were like 1-2 blocks from the hospital that is “some explanation”.
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Don’t worry about it - they sent out 10-20 of those messages. Just make sure you REPLY to the inquiry to keep your response rate up. There are plenty of beggars in SF - this one has a smart phone.
I know. That is my whole point. But I suspected someone else was talking about the very non-medical procedure of vaccines 
Yes, I’m quite sure that was the unspoken subtext there. As I recall, the antivax sentiment was expressed some time ago by that poster.
Exactly! People loooove playing on folks sympathies. They are likely very much telling the truth about the ill child AND using it to get what they want. Happens all the time. Seen it firsthand (talking family members++) over and over again.
But…I’m still a gut person…and everyone still needs to do what they want with their own place & situations. No judgement. My husband would say if you want to do it, do it because you want to, expecting X (ie they won’t pay you back, they are taking advantage, etc). And if that’s not the case, great. If it is, no matter because you gave it freely, as you would a gift.
We’ve given discounts even without a sad story.
VRBO guests don’t seem to ask as much as Air guests for some odd reason. But we’re sappy big hearted people, so we will discount if asked.