Clients unhappy despite potential issues being clear listing

[Amelia461]

I have an old mobile home which i have listed. I have accurate photos and a description which states clearly that it is old and because of this priced at hostel rates. That it is suitable for people wanting to hiking etc as the location is spectacular. 

however o am getting familys booking it and then leaving me bad reviews. Saying it’s old, dirty, basic, stained. 

not sure how to avoid these types booking. Or how to be clearer than i have been. 

im not advertising it as a luxury 5* holiday home 

also just had a review saying it was dirty and dusty. Despite cleaning it thoroughly every time. Not sure how one gets it cleaner than clean 🤷‍♀️

[Shelley159 · Accepted solution]

Hi @Amelia461 

My interpretation of Airbnb is that you can list any accommodation, as long as guests know exactly what to expect. From your side you should just be confident that you make the issues clear in your listing description and in your photos, and that the price seems reasonable for what they get (otherwise expectations can still be too high).

If guests still do not seem to take this information in before they book, it places the issue in the same category as any other information that you specifically want to bring to their attention. Some hosts have to highlight issues regarding parking, air-conditioning, open pools, or whatever. Your point to highlight is that the caravan is not new and luxurious.

My suggestion would be to come up with an appropriate one-liner to draw guests' attention to it, and then add it in your house rules under "additional rules" and/or insert the one-liner in your first message after receiving an enquiry or booking.

You can find lots of suggestions on how to highlight issues to guests in this recent discussion:

How do you encourage guests to read your house rul... - Airbnb Community (withairbnb.com)

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Amelia461 sadly you seem to not be using your hosting account so we can't read the reviews and look at your listing. Could you perhaps limit the guest count to 2 or would that crater your revenues? By doing so you would not get bookings from families.

Another idea is to send a message as soon as you get booked explaining the price point and what people should expect. Be honest and say you would rather they cancel free of penalty than mark you down in their review.