Do you provide....?‌‌

Laura2592
Level 10
Frederick, MD

Do you provide....?‌‌

What sorts of things have you been asked if you provide by guests?  Have you thought "oh great idea!" and purchased them? Or been confused that anyone would expect a host to have this for guest use?

 

Here are some from our experiences.

 

-Fishing gear. Nope, we don't.

-Camping gear. Again, no. 

-Bicycles. No, but I have thought about getting some old bikes. Not really a great place to cycle near us though.

-High chair. No, we don't host infants at this point.

-Breakfast. No. Though we do leave snacks for guests. 

-A laptop for guests to use. No. 

- Sheets and towels. Of course. 

-Firewood. We provide a duraflame for indoors and do not provide wood for the firepit. We did at one point but it was impossible to keep up with how much got burned by some guests. 

-Pet beds. No but I have thought about getting one as we are pet-friendly. Will likely provide one in the future.

-Entertainment. No, not sure what type of entertainment the potential guests in this case wanted, but we are not on site. I guess I could sing to them over the phone?

-A steamer for clothing. Not at this time.

-A flat iron. Not at this time.

 

 

What about you my fellow hosts?

61 Replies 61

for the same reason I don't supply ketchup and mustard

Nick
Former Community Manager
Former Community Manager
London, United Kingdom

Berghain guest list would have done it for me if I'm honest @Anonymous 

@Nick  Whenever it opens up again, let's go!

Nick
Former Community Manager
Former Community Manager
London, United Kingdom

Please and thank you! @Anonymous 

PS casually listening to a 9hour playlist I've created with personal favourites from Berghain, since I read your comment earlier today - so ready for the weekend without the goods though 😩

 

IMG_1A2E4D686796-1.jpeg

Pat271
Level 10
Greenville, SC

Things I’ve been asked for that I don’t intend to provide:

- Gas Barbeque Grill (but there are several in the condo complex)

- Baby equipment (high chair, playpen, etc. These can be rented for a nominal amount. The baby furniture rental stores will deliver before and pick up after a stay as well)

- Snorkel masks (for sanitation reasons)

 

Things I was asked for that I ended up going out and buying for them and future guests:

- Rice cooker

- French coffee press

- Children’s plastic dinnerware

- Pineapple slicer

 

 

 

Sarah977
Level 10
Sayulita, Mexico

@Laura2592 I've never been asked to provide anything, just was questioned as to whether I had something. Which was a hairdryer.  (Clear that I don't if they'd read the amenities list)

 

And no, I didn't buy one and won't. It's almost always warm where I live- hair drys easily and quickly. If they need it to acheive their favored hairstyle, they can bring their own. 

@Sarah977  That's funny - I also didn't provide a hair dryer at first. I just didn't think about it as a thing, since I've been keeping my head shaved for 20 years. But eventually a guest from Korea very politely reminded me that the plugs and voltages in each continent are different, so traveling with small electronics can be impractical. I love hosting overseas guests who travel lightly, so I decided I'd throw in a hair dryer and some universal plug converters and a USB strip to make the place more comfortable for that kind of traveler. This makes me much happier than the tiny women who appear with a suitcase twice their size and want me to be their Sherpa - please, everyone, pack light!

 

What I'll never understand is that of all the guests who used the hair dryer, the one who was audibly using it for the longest was a dude who was totally bald. Fortunately he wasn't the same guest who asked for a tampon.

@Anonymous  Sitting around with some friends one night, all in a pretty hilarious mood, somehow on the subject of hair, and one guy with rapidly thinning hair commented that "I may be bald, but you should see my pubic hair- I can do a helluva comb-over".

@Sarah977  I guess he wears a MAGA cap on his crotch.

Omg, laughing so hard right now ! 😂

Louise0
Level 10
New South Wales, Australia

Perhaps the bald guy was suffering from tinea or jock itch and using it to get super dry after showering?  Just a thought, and not a particularly alluring one ...

@Louise0  Maybe so! I wouldn't dare ask, so I'll never know for sure. But I figured thick body hair must have been involved. 

Debra300
Top Contributor
Gros Islet, Saint Lucia

@Sarah977,

I also have had guests inquire about a hair dryer.  I don't provide one, because it's a very poor use of expensive electricity in a tropical climate.  I tell them that it's always warm here, and their hair will air dry very quickly.

 

@Laura2592,

I get this inquiry mostly from locals, "Do you provide breakfast?".  The answer is no, you can make your own meals in the fully equipped kitchen, or make arrangements to get food.

Don't just believe what I say, check the Airbnb Help Center

@Debra300 Hair dryers suck a lot of electricity, too. As do all small appliances which heat up really hot really quickly. Irons, electric kettles, curling irons, etc.

 

I just have a stovetop kettle but my neighbor next door loves his electric kettle. Each of us live alone, and although I have a couple of things which use electricity which he doesn't have, like a water pump and a washing machine, his electric bills are higher than mine. I'm sure it's that electric kettle.

Branka-and-Silvia0
Level 10
Zagreb, Croatia

we provided an iron and ironing board but now I will remove it from the list. Why? The cord is burned in at least 3 places ( when they are done with ironing they just wrap the cord around the hot iron) and, the fresh one from today - guests didn't find the ironing board and obviously used the bed cover instead and burned it.

 

Oven? No, sorry, I don't have time to scrub it between guests.

 

I also removed most decorations, leaflets, city guides and books etc... to speed up the cleaning process.

 

Less items = less damage = less  danger = less cleaning = less problem