Travel worldwide has slowed and many Airbnb hosts have lost up to 80% of their bookings due to cancellations. COVID-19 has placed half the world in a virtual lockdown. If we need to still cover mortgages and costs, while we ‘wait out’ the pandemic, what can we do as a host to keep afloat? Well, hosting emergency workers is an option to keep your Airbnb calendar filled. Read on to find out if this is right for you and what to
How to Fill an Empty Calendar.
Most people are bunkering down but there have been reports of a spike in bookings from emergency workers and travel nurses. To encourage these bookings you can directly reach out to them listing tile and offer a discount. Here are some helpful tips directly from the Airbnb website:
Add monthly and weekly discounts. Due to travel restrictions, many guests may be considering longer stays that are closer to home.
DO: Revise your listing title to mention that your space is great for a staycation, as a work-from-home alternative, or for families.
DON’T: Promote your space as “COVID-free” or “quarantine-friendly.” In fact, we’re requiring that hosts remove any mention of “COVID-19,” “the coronavirus,” or “quarantine” in their listing title.
DO: Highlight your enhanced cleaning routine in your listing description. While we won’t allow you to claim that your listing is coronavirus-free, you can share details about your cleaning methods. (Example: “Due to the coronavirus, we’re taking extra care to disinfect frequently touched surfaces between reservations.”)
DON’T: Use shortages of hand sanitizer, toilet paper, and other essentials as a way to entice guests. (Example: “Escape the coronavirus! Plenty of toilet paper here!”) Although the word toilet paper would totally make me book st this point!
DO: Incorporate screening questions for guests in your House Rules or listing description. (Example: “Do you currently have any travel restrictions in your area due to the coronavirus?”)
DON’T: Encourage guests to ignore local travel advisories, and please don’t share health, safety, or travel advisory information from sources other than Airbnb.com/COVID.
Airbnb COVID-19 Housing Program
Airbnb has started a new program for hosts to provide healthcare professionals, relief workers, and first responders a place to stay near the medical facilities where they work as they fight against the coronavirus in their community. Airbnb is waiving its service fees and you can donate your housing or not. You can find more information here.
What you Need to Know.
When hosting Emergency Workers & COVID responders there are certain criteria to follow. To protect the community and themselves, COVID-19 responders need entire listings with no people present. You will need to commit to Airbnb’s enhanced cleaning protocol and everything in the checklist before making your space available to them.
Enhanced Cleaning Protocols.
Airbnb has released more stringent cleaning protocols and they are important to read (if you are hosting anyone during this time) According to the CDC, it’s possible for someone to contract COVID-19 by touching a contaminated surface—like a doorknob or light switch—and the virus may live on some surfaces for several hours or even days. That’s why it’s essential to clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces often, especially between reservations. Here you can Download Airbnb’s COVID-19 Cleaning checklist
Hosting Emergency Workers.
I had the opportunity to interview Richie from Richland Rentals in San Antonio, Texas. He is hosting emergency and travel nurses. Offering them a safe, clean place to stay. Maybe it can help inspire other hosts to take that step and offer their Airbnb’s to e
Do you need a clean and safe place to stay while you’re off duty at the hospital? If you’re local to the San Antonio area OR if you’ve traveled here to help, we’ve got your back! We have fully furnished AND sterilized apartments for you to stay in. We’re offering a discounted rate to ALL emergency workers that need it. Head to our website or send us a DM and we’ll get you set up. And a HUGE thank you to everything that you’re doing. Your hard work and long hours don’t go unnoticed!
Richland Rentals Interview:
- Are there prerequisites for hosting emergency workers with more stringent sanitizing practices?
There is a set of enhanced cleaning protocols established by Airbnb for the hosts. And then there’s also recommended best practices for guests as well.
2. What has drawn you to offer your Airbnb to Emergency workers during the Covid-19 outbreak?
We know they need some place reliable to recharge during these crazy times!
3. What type of emergency workers
We are getting mainly traveling nurses at the moment. Their terms typically last 13 weeks or more.
4. Are you offering says in suite, apartments or single residences?
We offer apartment units and single family homes.
4. Emergency workers probably are more cautious about sanitizing and limiting exposure to themselves once they return to the Airbnb, what do you offer them to self-clean
Check out my guide for Hosts during COVID-19 here.
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