Listing Critique for a Newbie in the Adirondacks, NY

[Rose2552]

Hi community!!

I am so excited to have listed my cabin on Airbnb and have had two wonderful experiences and two bookings that have caused concern (extra guests, overusing amenities, not cleaning up dishes etc.). I'd love it if I could get some feedback on where to tighten up my listing to try and prevent the breaking of house rules. Looking forward to whatever feedback I receive.

With smiles, Rose

🌟Listing link: Cabin in Woodgate · ★New · Studio · 1 bed · 1 bath

[Content modified by OCM]

[Arman736]

Hi Rose,

First off, I haven’t read other comments, so if anything here overlaps, it just reinforces its importance.

1. Your pictures are good, but the space looks a bit busy. I recommend removing the carpets, except for those under tables where people will be sitting. This will allow the beauty of the hardwood floors to shine through, making the space feel more inviting and open. It also reduces the hassle of cleaning the carpets after each booking. Overall, less is more—especially in photos, which are crucial for selling the listing.
   
   

2. To avoid unwanted guests, make sure you’re not using the Instant Book feature. Instead, have guests reach out to book. This gives you a chance to welcome them and ask questions about the nature of their stay (e.g., family trip), whether they will have pets, and confirm the total number of guests. Once they provide this information, you have it on record, and if they arrive with more people or pets than agreed upon, you can refuse entry since they weren’t truthful. I’ve done this before. Also, consider adding a note to your listing like, “This is a quiet, relaxing space perfect for unwinding. Absolutely no parties or events allowed.”
   
   

3. Read guests' past reviews. If you see any warning signs, discuss them with the guest, letting them know you’ve noticed these comments and want to ensure nothing similar happens during their stay. Once guests realize you’re aware, they’re less likely to take advantage, or they’ll move on to another listing.
   
   

4. Set a maximum number of pets allowed, and consider adding a pet fee per pet per night in your listing settings.

I hope you find these tips helpful. Let me know if I can assist further.

Cheers,
Arman

[Rose2552]

Hi Arman,

Thanks so much for your feedback. Your tips are very helpful. You are the second person to say the place looks busy so I need to think more about that. Unfortunately, some of my decor choices are to hide imperfections because I didn't want to invest too much money into the cabin before knowing I had a viable business. The floors are just plywood - I plan to float a new floor but for now, they are in rough shape. Lol. I honestly did not expect to get so many bookings. I thought I would get a booking, get feedback, and make tweaks. I am booked pretty solid through the end of October when I'll close up for the winter. I really appreciate your comments and take them seriously. With smiles, Rose

[Bettina290]

Hi @Rose2552 , your accommodation is very attractive, and the idea of warming up in front of the fire very romantic for couples. Unfortunately, this idea may have been yours alone. I share the opinions of all the people who have written so far. I only check in and check out in person, and also I don't accept animals, I don't accept direct booking, and I try to have a chat before accepting someone. I also check if they are verified identities or ask who they are travelling with. Here in Italy you go to the police and evict the person who has broken the rules. I advise you not to go alone to check out tomorrow but to call the police and I hope you solve this nightmare as best you can. I hope you will be more careful in the future. Best regards and let us know how you resolve it.

[Rose2552]

Thank you, Bettina. I am definitely getting that Instant Booking is not in a Host's favor and I have changed that. Unfortunately, the police here will not evict a person so it's even more important for me to tighten up my listing. As an update, my husband came with me in the event this guest did not leave and fortunately, they left at check out with no problem. They obviously left the cabin in disarray because it is small and meant for 2, not 10. But lesson learned!! I appreciate your taking the time to share your thoughts!!! With smilesm, Rose

[Carolina2186 · Accepted solution]

Dear Rose,

lovely and exciting listing!
Some guests will not follow rules regardless of how hard the host works to create transparency and a good experience.

from my end this is what I have done on my listing to help me with the concerns you listed. 
- minimum age is 25 

- add a  fee for anybody after your maximum number of guest.
- list house rules on various locations (welcome email, checkin message, behind main door and refrigerator door)

- after somebody books, send them a message confirming, no parties, those listed will be the only ones at the property at all times..)  

- don’t leave all amenities out. Leave only what you think is reasonable for them to use and all other amenities place them on a locked closet. 

Unfortunately I get few guests that are cleared on the rules but want to pretend they don’t know them to proceed with what they want to do. On my end, guests want to rent my house during weeding to stay and also host parties for their families. When I have to confront them they act as if they didn’t know and that they will follow rules but as soon as review time comes, they will retaliate against the host and property. When this happens some of the Airbnb customers service members do not take the time to help you to review the retaliation matters so who ends up hurting is your listing. 
Guests are provided with all information to decide if they want to stay at a listing. Some may complain as retaliation for not letting them use the property for parties and others will complain to see if you send them money back. Hosts need the support from Airbnb to be able to stand up to guests that do not want to follow the rules without fear of retaliation. 

[Rose2552]

Hi Carolina!! You are spot on when you say Airbnb doesn't provide proper support in these scenarios. The messages I am receiving from them are confusing and disjointed. I am very disappointed in how Airbnb is handling a situation like this particularly because this guest left a fire burning in the fire pit requiring the local fire department's help. The fact that this guest will be able to leave a negative review when they have violated virtually every house rule is disappointing. The fact that this guest can continue to take advantage of other hosts in the area is outrageous and dangerous given their carelessness about the firepit. Thank you for confirming for me that I'm not crazy...Airbnb does not have Host's best interests in mind. With smiles, Rose

[Carolina2186]

Yes!  Very frustrating. If Airbnb doesn’t want any negative action for the guests they should also want the same level of care for hosts. But they don’t. You almost have to keep calling until you get a caring customer service member that wants to take the extra minute to do a real review of the issue. 
muy almost feels like we have to beg to Airbnb to help us for something that we should get 100% support for. If something gets damaged we are the ones impacted. 

I read on one of your replies that you have rugs to cover imperfections. I actually do the same but for the opposite purpose. My house is relatively new and I don’t want my hardwood floors to get damaged. Unfortunately it creates more work for the cleaning people but if the floors get scratched the homes will not look as nice. given that the floors along your cabin are not too cute lol I think you can put larger rugs same style same color like that it doesn’t look too busy. I don’t think it does and seems to fit the look and feel of a cabin, but if you are hearing that from other hosts maybe something to look into. 
I cannot imagine the anxiety and stress that you must of had when you saw on your ring the unwanted fire left unattended. 

[Rose2552]

Thanks, Carolina.

I have to chuckle about those rugs. They came with the cabin (,or 'camp' as folks refer to these lodgings in my area of the Adirondacks). Most cabins in this area are on pilings so the floors can get cold so I'll always need rugs down. I'm the cleaner so I'm not paying extra for that cleanup. Lol. Eventually, I'll put in radiant flooring, especially because the cabin is smaller so not cost-prohibitive and will allow me to go four seasons rather than three, but I wasn't taking that route without knowing the cabin would rent.

I guess the positive outcome of the unattended fire is that I got to interact with emergency services and speak with the local Fire Chief who gave me great advice on how to make the fire pit safer and how to upgrade our house number visibility so emergency personnel can find us. 

Thanks again for your help!! It means the world to me.

Well wishes and smiles,

Rose

[Cedrick19]

Very nice and cozy! This property looks so peaceful, tranquil, and serene. I love it.

[Rose2552]

Thanks, Cedrick. Your comments made me smile!!! WIth smiles, Rose

[Barbara3482]

Hi,  Beautiful place! 

I experience many of the same issues and concerns.  I have found most guests do not read the house rules during the booking process. So, I ask them to send confirmation that all parties in the group agree to the house rules in a welcome message they receive immediately after booking.  I think this extra confirmation from the guest's helps.  You may want to add to your house rules (HR) that you will charge an extra cleaning fee (of course if they leave a mess).... , lock up extra supplies, equipment, etc., you do not want used. Also, you may add to your HR your max capacity is two and that you do not allow unregistered guests/visitors. 

Most important to me......Video the condition of your cabin just before the guest(s) arrives that includes the current date, names of guest(s) arriving and the dates of their stay.....to include video of the inside the oven, stove top, top of sofa, etc This will document your claim for damages against the guest, if needed.  

Finally, hold the guest(s) responsible.  Hopefully, pointing out bad behavior in a review, as nicely as you can will encourage the guests to behave better next time.  Report all house rule violations to Airbnb support.   I hope I have offered some help.  🙂

[Rose2552]

Hi Barbara, Thank you for your feedback. I agree about video taping but it had not occurred to me until I video taped arriving at the cabin after this nightmare guest checked out. It is definitely going to happen for all guests moving forward. And, I also appreciate the idea of asking them to agree to the house rules through messages. That is going to happen as well. You have definitely helped me rethink some logistics!! WIth smiles, Rose

[Bulent11]

Hi Rose!,

Congratulations on your first two positive experiences with Airbnb!

To help avoid negative experiences in the future, here are a few suggestions:

1. **Clarify House Rules:** Make sure your house rules are clearly outlined in your listing. For example, specify the maximum number of guests allowed, cleanliness expectations, and which amenities can be used. You can also send these rules to your guests before they confirm their booking.

2. **Update Check-In Instructions:** Clearly state how many guests are allowed to stay, mention that extra guests will incur additional fees, or won’t be permitted.

3. **Additional Fees:** Consider setting up additional fees for extra guests or excessive use of resources in your listing. This can encourage guests to follow the rules.

4. **Evaluate Guest Feedback:** Review feedback from previous guests to understand which rules were violated and how you can improve your listing.

5. **Communicate with Guests:** Reach out to your guests before and during their stay to inform them about your rules. This can help prevent future issues.

Tightening up your listing might lead to a better experience for both you and your guests. I hope these tips are helpful!

Best regards,
Bulent

[Rose2552]

Thank you, Bulent!!

I appreciate your thoughtful feedback. What you are sharing seems to be the consensus so changes are being implemented!! Thank you for taking the time to provide suggestions. I know there are going to be hiccups, but hopefully by taking action now, I can at least minimize potential problems for the future.

With smiles, 

Rose

[Paula]

Hello @Rose2552, It’s wonderful to see so many of our Hosts coming together to share their suggestions. We’d love to hear your thoughts on their ideas.

Please keep us posted when you’ve had a chance to review them 😊