Best Streaming Service...or, it is really necessary?

[Candi259]

Hello!  We currently rent our home as a 90+ day rental, for 5 years now.  Recently, cable bills have become so expensive, and I try to keep our rental at a reasonable rate due to the long rental period.  I will be keeping our internet service at ~$80/month.  But the cable side of the bill is $150 for basic cable.  So, I'm looking at ideas on whether to drop cable TV in favor of streaming. I am also thinking about having guests bring their own service, as every TV is equipped with with a Roku device.

I appreciate your input!

[Pat271 · Accepted solution]

We don’t pay anything for streaming service at our properties. We have Smart TVs (2 Rokus and one big LG). We have the icons for the streaming services there on the screen, and the guests can click on them and log in under their own accounts. They don’t have to “bring their own service”.

I wouldn’t forego your cable service. Twice lately, our cable has gone out, and I got calls from guests saying that they wanted to access “regular TV” and couldn’t. A lot of them like to watch the local news to get a feel for life in the area. Major sporting events also tend to be broadcast on “regular TV”. I can’t for the life of me figure out why someone would want to come to Hawaii and watch TV, but there you have it.

Some hosts don’t have any TVs, and advertise the fact as part of the “getting away from it all” experience. That works for those hosts who set the expectations and “spin it” correctly.

Without any pre-warning, though, I expect that a fair number of guests expect regular TV, and these days expect some way to log into their streaming accounts.

[Kia272]

@Candi259  Since I opened on AirBnB, all I have supplied is a smart TV, with the expectation that guests have their own streaming services and can access them if they want to. I have never had a complaint. 

I DO include in my check-in/welcome message that there is "only" a smart TV, so they should have their login credentials available. That makes it very clear and is also a reminder (since they may have booked months ago) of how things work at my property. 

This set-up makes sense for any number of reasons, mostly that people have their own watch-lists, etc. so why do they need my guest account or anyone else's account? Save your money and just be sure to make it clear to guests. 

Cheers, Kia

[Sybe]

@Candi259 If you have the option to stream, for example Netflix on a smart TV, a guest could log in to their own account if you don't wish to have an account yourself. On the other hand, cable TV does allow guests to experience local media culture which also differs a lot in each country. I personally love seeing what kind of TV shows there are in other countries!

[Ana2038]

@Candi259 , we cut cable service years ago (prior to joining Airbnb) and have never offered “free access” to either Netflix or Amazon Prime. Our listing clearly states that guest can log on (using their own account credentials ) to Netflix or Amazon. We provide basic cable (local channels) which come in clearly with the help of an antenna we installed years ago. With Smart TV, guest can access just about anything from their own devices and then “mirror” the content on the TV screen.  High speed internet/Wifi seems more important to guest than 150 channels.

You can also try looking  at different TV channel packages offered by your local cable provider and get the “basic” (no premium channels i.e.  HBO, ESPN, Showtime etc…). Google cable TV alternatives or cutting the cord and you’ll find a wealth of information on how to save $$$ by using other services (so long as you have internet).

[Lorna170]

@Candi259   If you install a smart TV (I have Vizio) or have added a Roku, Apple or other streaming device there are enough free stations that people should be able to get the local news and weather.  We added a window mounted antenna and are able to get the "regular" stations as well.  We tell people that it is a smart TV and to bring their own streaming service codes.  

This cut our cable bill by 2/3.  

[Mark116]

@Candi259  Right now we offer basic cable and access to our Netflix.  The plan is to buy a Roku TV and then that will be all that is available.  There are tons of movies, access to local news, etc. available via free streaming and then if guests want to log into their own accounts they can.  We've just been too lazy to shop for a new TV, but we'll do it in the next couple of months probably in time for the Summer.