Safety

What to do in an emergency situation?

If you find yourself in an emergency situation during a hospitality experience (e.g. you feel threatened or harassed or a crime has been committed), please do everything to get out of the situation as quickly as possible and contact the local police or a hospital. As a top priority, make sure that you are safe. Do not remain in your host’s place if you feel unsafe there and do not let guests stay at your place if they make you feel unsafe in your own home.

Once you are safely out of that situation, please make sure to warn other members by writing a negative comment and contact us to report what happened. We will need a link to the profile of the other member involved, a description of what happened, and any documentation you can provide – including a copy of the police report in case you made a complaint to the police. We will review your report and take action as soon as possible but a comment is an instant warning that can prevent others from having a similar experience with this member.

We can also speak to the police directly; please let them know that they can contact us any time at safety [at] bewelcome [dot] org.

What to do in an uncomfortable situation?

Sometimes a hospitality experience can become uncomfortable: You feel uneasy or something does not seem right? Maybe your host or guest communicates or acts in a way which irritates you?

We recommend that you immediately address the situation politely. Try to find a resolution by communicating clearly and openly. If the situation remains uncomfortable and is stressing you, remove yourself. As a guest, leave your host’s place and stay somewhere else (always have a backup!). As a host, ask your guest to leave your place. You are by no means obliged to stick to previous plans if the hospitality experience is becoming oppressive. Do not let an uncomfortable situation escalate to a real emergency.