Advice on fees and space

[Angel9097]

I have a home in a rural area that is a basically a lodging desert. It is a new listing and so far, as expected, most of the parties are traveling through or visiting friends or family for an event, rather than choosing the location as a destination. The property has sleeping for as many as 9 guests.  I have had several bookings with 5+ guests.  I do the cleaning myself. The house is across the street from my home, so that isn't an inconvenience.  When I have a party of 2 or 3, then I'll have 2 beds to change in the cleaning process , but more guests than that and I will have 4-6 beds to launder and change.   I would love a review of my listing from any of you and also advice on if there is a way to have an upcharged cleaning fee up front for larger parties, or if that is even advisable. 

Newly renovated Country Escape - Houses for Rent in Oneonta, Alabama, United States - Airbnb

Thanks!

[Shelley159]

Hi @Angel9097 

I selected some dates on your calendar and I see that you do charge a cleaning fee. I'm not sure what you mean by "upcharged cleaning fee up front" - it may be that I just don't know the terminology. The cleaning fee is received as part of the total booking payout, just after check-in. It looks like you're already receiving this as part of your fee.

If you would like to earn more for larger groups than for smaller ones, the most straight-forward way to do this would be to add an extra guest charge. When I change the number of guests on your calendar, it looks like you're presently charging for the unit as a whole regardless of the number of guests. If you want to add an extra guest fee, you can set this up in Calendar, Pricing, scroll all the way down to Additional Charges, Extra guest fee. Here in the community center it seems the big problem with extra guest fees is that guests sometimes book for too few people and turn out to be more when they arrive. So keep in mind that you may sometimes be put in a position where you'll have to decide what to do when you discover that they are more people than they paid for. It can be tricky. Hope it helps!

[Angel9097]

Yes, I do charge a cleaning fee and I guess the Extra Guest fee would be the best way to "upcharge" for cleaning, without calling it that. I had considered that route, but assumed that it would likely lead to people not revealing how many guests were actually in their party to avoid the charge. Then, there wouldn't be enough towels for them and they may leave a bad review... all the things to consider! 🙄

Thanks for the input.😊

[Shelley159]

@Angel9097 there are also hosts who rent the house as different rooms at different prices. For example, if the guests need just one room they would book only that , pay a lower rate, and you could lock the other rooms. It means you have to set up multiple listings for the different configurations and link the calendars. It's a more complicated option that the extra guest fee, but also something you could consider. I don't know much about it at a practical level, for example how one manages expectations to make sure guests aren't disappointed when some doors are locked. But there are hosts here in the CC who have experience with it and who could help more.

[Emma-Jane-And-Matt0]

Hi @Angel9097 

why don’t you just lock the doors to the bedrooms that won’t be used and charge the extra guest fee if you get any extra guests.

If you are worried about extra guests arriving without your knowledge, why not advise them in the initial dialogue that you are available to help with anything during their stay as you live opposite. Knowing you are available to help is a great thing but it’s also a deterrent for unwanted guests.

It’s a great property btw! Perfect for family gatherings.

Id move the fire pit photo closer to the front. 

[Angel9097]

@Emma-Jane-And-Matt0 Thanks for the input! I do have it in a welcome message after booking that I live by the property. You may be right about that being a deterrent for faking a guest number. 

And thank you, it is a good gathering place! It came available for purchase and we decided to buy it for extra space for when our grown kids come home with their families. Renting it out the rest of the time is helping to pay for it.

[Emma-Jane-And-Matt0]

@Angel9097 You are incredibly lucky to have it so close, it really makes a big difference when managing your Airbnb.

If you really want to increase your listings you could consider adding an outdoor movie screen near the firepit.

Unique amenities with a point of difference are what bring in the guests!