Guesthouse would charge for other guests' cancelled rooms if I prove covid-19 positive

PeterMarsh

Hi

About to stay in a guesthouse. The manager sent a useful list of COVID-19 rules. But one of these is: “Should guests have to remain at our guest house [if confirmed to have Covid-19 during stay] they will be liable to pay for all affected bookings as a result of their extended stay. (That covers other cancellations where other guests leave because of the presence of a COVID sufferer on-site)”. They recommend insurance to cover this but struggling to find any travel insurance policy with covid-19 contingencies which would cover this. Is this not likely?

bradders1983

Surely with a term like this people would skulk off home rather than having to pay for 5 rooms for 14 days or whatever.

Utterly ridiculous. 

[Deleted User]

How bizarre!  How long is your intended stay?  Is it likely anyone will get a test while they are in a b n b?   I would think most people would just want to get home rather than stay on longer at someone else’s home!  

PeterMarsh

"Surely with a term like this people would skulk off home rather than having to pay for 5 rooms for 14 days or whatever."
....And there's the public health danger, if someone does get symptoms whilst staying they are more likely to keep quiet about it to avoid the penalties!? Only there for 2 nights, will make sure I have no symptoms before embarking on trip, otherwise will cancel, just not worth it. 

bradders1983

Personally I would much rather skulk off home than the owner of the house attempt to bill me for 60 nights stay, and most people on here will be exactly the same (even though they wont admit it).

silvercar

Skulk off home and then let the track and trace people be in touch with the guest house, apparently they don't reveal who has corona.

bradders1983

silvercar said:

Skulk off home and then let the track and trace people be in touch with the guest house, apparently they don't reveal who has corona.

Bloody hell, we agree on something!

There you go then, problem solved.  Also i doubt this contract revision would stand up to scrutiny in a court of law.

PeterMarsh

Thanks silvercar &bradders1983!  

Thrugelmir

Extended stay suggests that they become bedridden and are unable to vacate. Odds of it happening must be very low. 

bradders1983

Thrugelmir said:

Extended stay suggests that they become bedridden and are unable to vacate. Odds of it happening must be very low. 

I think the guest house is assuming 2 things....

1) that someone who gets a positive test then has to stay put in the guest house for 14 days, which is likely to be beyond their original stay. The person with the positive test has to pay to stay there for the 14 days.
2) the fact there is an "unclean" person in Room 1 means that they cant honour existing bookings in Room 2, Room 3 etc. and therefore the infected person has to pay the home owner for these.

2  is ridiculous and will never happen because 1 is equally as fanciful.

Mickey666

I suppose a guest house can impose whatever rules it wishes but on that basis I can't see it getting many bookings.

Perhaps the OP could help the guest house out by giving it some free publicity on here