How do you define "Dedicated workspace" ?

[Mary1211]

I have a bar top in my kitchen with seat/stools, and have indicated my place has a "Dedicated workspace," as it has lots of outlets, and is totally cleared for ease of use, plus the stools.   

I always ask guests before booking to confirm they've read everything, make sure it's the right fit, my place is weird, do they have questions, etc. 

A couple rented my place recently for 9 days, they got there, and we have a different understanding of "Dedicated workspace." 

I've had a lot of work from home couples before and no complaints, also I emphasize my place is quirky / weird and see again, you really need to review the place to make sure it's for you. I've "lost" a lot of bookings by emphasizing my places quirks, which is good! I don't want people to have a bad fit. 

Anyway, current guests now want a near total refund (refunded for 8 out of 9 nights) because we disagree on what constitutes a "Dedicated workspace," even though I have a strict cancel policy. 

I had said I could possibly meet them part way with a refund for nights that get rebooked, and they just ignored that and said I should refund everything - she has back problems so can't work at a not-desk.") 

I guess my sentiment is dedicated workspace is definitely not synonymous with "desk" and my pictures indicated my place clearly had no desk. 

That said I'd love to see what other people think, how they define workspace / what they may do in this situation.

-Mary

[Alexandra316]

@Tzivia0 Pretty much yeah. Like people who say their places are on the beach but they're actually 5 kms away 😫. So annoying.

The best safeguard is to check pictures and if there isn't one of the specific amenity that's important to you, ask questions to make sure it will fit your needs. 

[Alistair78]

As a tenant/renter, I'd expect a dedicated desk and chair.  A bar or countertop with a stool is definitely NOT what I'd consider dedicated workspace.  A kitchen table, though perfectly serviceable, is definitely not "dedicated" - it's the kitchen table!  I don't expect a dedicated room, just a table in a corner with a chair, where I could set up my laptop and leave it for the duration of the stay.  If I have to move it to dine, the space isn't dedicated.  If the space isn't at designed for work (counter top/bar), it isn't workspace.

[Bill154]

I was looking to understand the question "Is your dedicated workspace in a shared space?" 

This is a question Airbnb asks for each property.   I answered "yes" because I am not sure what they mean by "shared space."  I don't know if they mean shared with other guests/units, or the room is shared in the unit.   In both cases where this comes up I have a dedicated workspace but it is in a corner of the 2nd bedroom.  I answered yes...but I may be wrong depending on what Airbnb is trying to ask.   :shrug:

[John6220]

It should be a desk or work surface and a chair in a common area that isn’t used or designed to be used for other things at any other time and can be accessed/utilised without compromising the use of the area it’s located within or disturbing others.

A dedicated workspace doesn’t have to be big. Large enough to sit and work at a laptop is enough, but for example the following should not really be described as dedicated workspaces because they are compromised workspaces and/or they compromise the use of other areas:-

- A desk and chair in a bedroom 

- A stool at breakfast bar

- A dining table

[Huma0]

@John6220 

I agree that in order to be a dedicated workspace, the set up must be for work only, not for dining, prepping food etc. The clue is in the word 'dedicated'. 

However, I disagree with you RE the desk and chair in the bedroom. I have these in all my guest rooms and I do classify them as dedicated workspaces, because that is exactly what they are for. I've never had any complaints about this. 

The fact that those desks and chairs are in bedrooms makes no difference. There is a different option for dedicated work space in a separate room. If you can have a dedicated workspace in a shared space, then why not in a guest's bedroom where they won't be disrupted by others?

[John6220]

Yes I see your point, but unless your bedrooms all have a dedicated workspace and are all single occupancy these are still not dedicated workspaces as it’s unreasonable to expect another occupant in the bedroom to be able to sleep while someone works.

You know what it’s like if you have to work a little on vacation. You get up and get it done before everyone else is awake or after they go to bed so it doesn’t interfere with valuable vacation time in the waking hours.

Thats what I do anyway.

[Zheng49]

Kind of an old topic, but still relevant I guess.

For me:

-Fast WiFi. Fast enough to video conference, so that's about 100/10 mbit (down/up) at least.

-Desk and chair in a private room. Privacy is important. For a space to be a dedicated workspace, it must be in its own room with a lock to ensure that no one can suddenly walk behind them and enter their webcam. 

-No clutter in the immediate vicinity. This is so that, you can safely video conference without using a filter. 

-Library quiet. This should be obvious. If it's too loud, then you can't do any kind of video conferencing effectively. No one can hear you properly. 

Basically, if someone can work remotely in the room for 8 hours, then it's a dedicated workspace. Otherwise it's not.