Questions to Ask Your Vacation Rental Host During a Pandemic

In addition to reading up on Covid-19 updates, closures, quarantine requirements, these were some questions I asked in order to make my stay more enjoyable.

How fast are your internet speeds? This is crucial because both of us are working M-F as we travel across the country, and we both need continuous connectivity for meetings and phone calls. That's quite a change from being on vacation or even being a digital nomad, where most of the day is spent sightseeing and filming and it's only really critical to have internet for a few hours a day. A few tips:

• For the two of us to work, 10mbps is totally fine. 
• If your host isn't tech savvy enough to know his/her exact internet speeds, ask if other guests have tele-worked from the space without problems, or at the very least make sure guests have been able to watch streaming high def video without issues.
• A lot of hosts have had guests work from their vacation homes this year, so I found that most were ready with an answer when asked about internet.

Does your rental have separate work spaces available? This was a question that didn't even occur to me until we reached our first Airbnb. Luckily, the host had a small desk in the living room as well as a dining table with chairs. We moved the desk into the bedroom when we realized it would be tough for us to both be on calls in the same open space. It was an okay solution, but now I make sure to look for homes with two separate rooms (with a door), each with a table or desk. Sidenote: the need for discrete work spaces is a key reason we didn't opt for RV/camper life. My desire to not deal with emptying any gray water or toilet tanks was another.

Are there safe places nearby to go for a walk? Since most of our days are work days, I knew I wouldn't be able to rely on sightseeing to get my steps in. So I really tried to find homes that are in safe and/or interesting neighborhoods. Some examples: 

• Downtown: city streets were made for exploring, so don't be afraid to get a little lost. Take in the architecture, explore the main plazas and side streets, see if the city visitor's center has published a walking guide that features landmark, public art, or local history. Most older cities are built near water, which usually means a river trail or boardwalk or waterfront park. 
• Rural: ask your host where he/she takes walks. They may point you to a forest trail or path through some pastures. Stay on designated paths and wear insect repellant. Keep an eye out for interesting plants and wild animals. You might see some rabbits or deer, or a flock of butterflies. 
• Suburban: again, this is where advice from your host comes in handy. Ask where the safe areas are to walk. Some suburbs have historic neighborhoods with interesting homes. I like to chart my path to end at a bakery or coffee shop so I can combine exercise with food exploration. If you're not in a pedestrian-friendly location and need to get some exercise, ask if there's a local botanical garden, high school with a public track, or public park that's worth taking a few laps around. 

What is the restaurant takeout and delivery situation in your area? Unless you're planning to grocery shop and cook, make sure you know whether you'll be able to have food delivered to your vacation home 

When do you plan to finish cleaning the unit before I arrive? I usually message my host the day I'm arriving or the day before just to say hi and establish contact, but this year I'm also asking when they cleaned the unit (in other words, how much time has it been since the last human was in the space). Most hosts understand why I'm asking and are helpful with establishing clear timing, asking if I want windows open or AC on/off, etc. In addition to asking when the cleaners were in, I like to leave several hours between official check in and when I arrive--just to have a few extra hours where I know no one has been in the unit.  

Does the property have any shared spaces I should be aware of? Out of extra courtesy to the host, I have started asking which shared spaces I can use and which ones they'd like me to avoid. Patios, yards, play areas for kids, gyms, pools, bbq grills, are a few examples that come to mind. 

Once we knew what questions to ask to make us feel comfortable, staying in Airbnbs was not as stressful as I worried it might be. Staying in one location for longer stretches also gave us time to settle in, feel at home, and not worry about potential exposure every few days. It's a different way to travel, but a few easy changes makes it very doable.