Airbnb survey finds many guests fearful of rentals

PROVIDENCE – A new survey reveals that Airbnb Inc. guests and hosts alike are hesitant to make new bookings on the travel-related platform due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The survey by IPX 1301 found 47% of hosts didn’t feel safe renting to guests, while 70% of guests felt the same way.

Almost two-thirds of guests have either canceled, or plan to cancel, their bookings, according to the survey.

The hosts, meanwhile, have reported financial losses. On average, hosts have lost $4,036 compared with a year ago since the virus began spreading in the U.S., the company reported.

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The platform is the dominant short-term host site in Rhode Island and had 267 available locations advertised this week for the upcoming weekend. Of those listings, primarily in Providence and Newport, several had lowered their rates and promised to provide extra cleaning information relating to virus prevention.

In response to the pandemic, the company has created more flexible cancellation policies, which are described on its main website.

Airbnb reported that hosts in Rhode Island in 2019 collected $39.8 million. The collections were based on 217,800 guest arrivals that year.

Mary MacDonald is a staff writer for the PBN. Contact her at MacDonald@PBN.com.