I take you are not a host yourself and don’t understand the impact this has on an actual business with an array of multiple properties. Their are so many things to pay our income should not be taken away because of extenuating circumstances because when the smoke clears as you said there will be no mercy from creditors, banks and the government itself to help save a lot of these business like my own and the host relaying there story. Like this host I hope to go to VRBO where I can take into account and as a business owner and not an employee.

Did an attorney tell you this? Wouldn’t the case be in federal court?

I think talking to an attorney would be a good idea.

I am impressed, however, that in the last few days air B and B promised to pay back hosts 1/4 of what they lost and will offer super hosts $5000 in a couple months if they meet certain criteria. Air B and B have to be respected for doing what is right
Even if it’s not 100%. This is what wealthy companies should do and they made history by making the attempt. Thanks Air B and B. It will cost $500 million.

We are a super host with 30 listings we lost over $200.000 in 2 weeks. We have a strict cancelation Policy because we are not in the situation to gamble. We are ready to fight back.
Do you know attornies who study the Extenuating Circumstances policy that overrides the Strict Cancellation policy?

Technically the accounts payable (invoice from the host to Airbnb) is still Airbnb’s responsibility to still pay regardless if they received the funding from their guests.

When Airbnb did this, they in essence declared that they are the employer of the host, because they are requiring the host to follower their rules.

The host is no longer a “sub contractor” and is now an employee.

In the State of Illinois this will hold up through unemployment insurance. And now, if the State of Illinois finds that any host has not paid their unemployment insurance to the State, the State of Illinois can and will audit Airbnb and collect it from them.

I understand that this does not put money in the hosts pocket right now. As responsible hosts, we need to notify the Federal Trade Commission what has happened collectively so that they can conduct an investigation into this and sue Airbnb for violating the law. The phone number to call is 1-877-FTC-HELP.

The website to file a complaint is:

https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/GettingStarted?NextQID=192&Url=%23%26panel1-6&SubCategoryID=0#crnt

Taking advantage of small businesses during a Pandemic is just morally wrong.

Hosts need to communicate with each other and claim against Airbnb.

One of the first notices given by Airbnb on March 14, 2020, they wrote:

“We will be working in the days and weeks ahead to identify tools and initiatives to support our hosts during these very challenging times.”

Hopefully this means they will still honor their accounts payable to the hosts.

Airbnb announced last fall that they are planning on going public on the NYSE in May of this year. If the outrage from the hosts is loud and clear – their IPO will not do very well.

We have video recorded our phone calls we made to Airbnb since March 14 whele we as hosts have tried to gain answers directly from a human. Each phone call was mysteriously disconnected at the same time into the call 4:52. This will be more evidence used, along with copies of our original agreement with Airbnb that did not include the famous “Extenuating Circumstances Policy”.

Airbnb did not go back on your agreement. They’ve always had an Extenuating Circumstances policy that overrides the Strict Cancellation policy and hosts have always complained about it. BTW, travel insurance doesn’t cover pandemics. Look it up.

So, what you’re saying is that the angry VRBO guests that didn’t get their money back from VRBO hosts are going to switch to Airbnb. And the angry Airbnb hosts that didn’t get their 50% strict cancellation money from Airbnb are going to switch to VRBO. When the smoke clears, do you want to be on the platform with more guests and less hosts or more hosts and less guests?