Update: COVID-19 State of National Emergency in New Zealand

The New Zealand Government | Te Kāwanatanga o Aotearoa has declared a State of National Emergency in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and moved to Alert Level 4, placing restrictions on essential and non-essential businesses and services. 

Hotels and accommodation are an essential business 

Under the measures adopted as part of the declaration of a State of National Emergency, hosts providing accommodation in a whole property are considered an essential business, so long as it is being provided for essential workers, isolation/quarantine, and emergency housing. 

Private rooms and shared accommodation cannot operate

Under the new measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19, hosts offering a private room or shared accommodation cannot operate. Only hosts providing accommodation in a whole property are considered an essential business. 

New guidelines for accommodation services 

Alert Level 4 introduces new measures which operators will need to adhere to in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19, and the Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment | Hīkina Whakatutuki has issued guidelines for hospitality and accommodation operators providing an essential service. 

These guidelines include the need to:

  • minimise, or eliminate if possible, physical interactions amongst staff and with and between customers,
  • ensure appropriate health, hygiene and safety measures are in place,
  • restrict activity to only what is essential during the Alert Level 4 period.

Because of these Government restrictions, we recommend that hosts remove Instant Book from your listing to enable adequate vetting of future guests to ensure they meet the above criteria. 

During Alert Level 4, to minimise the risk of transmission, guests will need to stay in their accommodation for the duration of the time that they are required to self-isolate.

Guests who are self-isolating in accommodation for 14 days cannot be asked to leave during that period. This may mean longer bookings have to be rejected if the booking overlaps with a guest’s self-isolation period.

Detailed information can be found in the Guidelines for the Hospitality and Accommodation Services during COVID-19 Level 4 restrictions issued by the Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment | Hīkina Whakatutuki. 

Further information

These are challenging times for all Kiwis, and Airbnb is committed to working with the New Zealand Government | Te Kāwanatanga o Aotearoa to help slow the spread of COVID-19. 

During this State of National Emergency, we advise hosts on Airbnb to fully understand what has been asked of them and to adhere to the directions of local government authorities. 

If you have further questions, to learn more, and to stay updated with the latest information, you may wish to contact the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment  | Hīkina Whakatutuki or visit the New Zealand Government | Te Kāwanatanga o Aotearoa COVID-19 resource hub

For more Airbnb resources on COVID-19, please refer to our dedicated COVID-19 Resource Hub

Thanks,
The Airbnb Team