Online home booking service Airbnb has temporarily restricted bookings in the UK to keyworkers and "essential stays" amidst the coronavirus pandemic.
Airbnb announced that it will be temporarily restricting UK bookings to keyworkers until at least April 18 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Keyworkers, including National Health Service (NHS) and social care workers, as well as transport and food retail employees, will be able to make their bookings through Airbnb's Frontline Stays program.
The company's decision follows the UK government's criticism of opportunistic hosts. A BBC report revealed that some hosts were allowing customers to use the “instant book” function in their listings without requiring them to undergo vetting.
Some listing owners have also described their properties as being "Covid-19 retreats" and "perfect for isolating with family" on the Airbnb site. Tourism Minister Nigel Huddleston called this "irresponsible and dangerous".
In a tweet, Hiddleston wrote: It's incredibly irresponsible & dangerous for property owners to be marketing themselves as "isolation retreats" on online booking sites during the #coronavirus outbreak & I've written to companies to remind them of their responsibilities at this time."
An investigation conducted by BBC London revealed that hundreds of properties, some of which were within shared accommodation, were being marketed to tourists for the upcoming Easter bank holiday weekend.
BBC used a regular Airbnb account to inquire about the availability of the properties. One landlord responded: "Yes, it's a shared accommodation with me and my two daughters, you can have the room."
Another replied: "You will have your private room but with shared bathroom. Toilet and shower is shared with seven other rooms on the same floor."
In both instances, neither of the listing owners asked whether the booking was for a keyworker. Airbnb pledged to take action in response to the findings.
Frontline Stays Program
Airbnb's Frontline Stays program was established to provide up to 100,000 healthcare staff and first-responders with places to stay which are close to their patients and a safe distance away from their own families.
Under government guidelines, tourism-related accommodation should only be provided to keyworkers who need to self-isolate during the pandemic.
It has partnered with several nonprofit organizations for the Frontline Stays initiative, including the International Rescue Committee, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, and International Medical Corps.
Last week, Airbnb blocked private room bookings and it has now disabled its instant-booking function for entire properties.
The firm also pledged to donate $250 million to hosts who had lost income as a result of the pandemic. Airbnb chief executive officer (CEO) Brian Chesky sent a message to hosts on March 31 saying: "When your business suffers, our business suffers."
It has also reported that it was able to raise $1 billion from investors to help it survive the coronavirus crisis.
According to news site Techcrunch, Airbnb is redesigning its business model to cater more to longer-term stays. The news report indicated that the firm had changed its front page to promote such listings and had contacted hosts about the benefits of longer bookings.
