(TAN): Global home-sharing platform Airbnb is launching a new “Enhanced Cleaning Initiative” in May which will require hosts to keep a 24-hour wait period between two bookings.
The protocol, that will come with guidelines, and a learning and certification programme, will be available to all hosts. Listings that sign up for the procedure will be open to guests for booking and accessible for immediate stay after the cleaning is complete.
The initiative, which includes “the first overarching standardized protocol for cleaning and sanitization in the home sharing industry”, has been developed with guidance from former United States Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy, and Ecolab, a United States-based global provider of water, hygiene and infection prevention solutions and services.
“As a society, we need to observe the physical distancing recommendations made by public health officials while finding ways to preserve and strengthen human connection. I’m looking forward to helping the Airbnb community as it develops a health and science-based approach for safe travel lodging and experiences. These approaches will continue to evolve as our knowledge and understanding of COVID-19 grows,” Dr. Murthy said.
The protocol will also comprise information on preventive measures, such as the use of personal protective equipment – masks and gloves for hosts or their cleaners, and disinfectants that are permitted by regulatory authorities.
Hosts that cannot register for the protocol can select another new feature, Booking Buffer, to keep their homes vacant between two stays. Bookings will be stalled for the period – which is now 72 hours, during which only cleaning will be allowed. It will consist of the same 24-hour wait period before a stay can commence.
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“Homes have become a place of shelter, and the future of travel will also rely on a new comfort zone, with the privacy and benefits of a home away from home, without crowds or high turnovers. We are working with leading experts in health and hygiene so that our community’s trademark hospitality can incorporate official guidance and fulfill new personal preferences, with hosts and guests uniting to offer, manage and enjoy cleaner accommodations,” Greg Greeley, President of Homes at Airbnb, said.
Earlier this month, Airbnb raised a funding of total USD 2 billion — one from private equity firms Silver Lake and Sixth Street Partners, and the other from institutional investors, after its business was hit by the pandemic.
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