Is there less activity in the community center?

[Inna22]

I remember coming to the hosting page and seeing lots of new discussions. If I missed a week, there was a lot of catching up. Lately all I see are really old posts from multiple years ago resurrected by one reply. Today there was literally nothing new to read or respond.  Is that everyone else's experience?

[Inna22]

@Mike-And-Jane0 @Amanda660 we do not have business rates in the US. Or at least I have not been offered them. Is that something you apply for?

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Inna22 Its just a bizarre UK thing.

Council tax (which pays for roads, rubbish collection etc) is paid on every house and would add up to about £6000 per year on our 3 apartments. By registering them for business rates instead then the rates would be about £8000 per year EXCEPT there is a thing called small business rates relief that reduces, in our case, the business rates to zero.

Now some 2nd homeowners pretend to rent their places out in order to qualify for business rates. These are often the stupidly expensive properties you see on Airbnb which are 'available to rent' but never actually do. As a result councils are starting to clamp down on this by requiring a certain number of nights actually rented.

[Inna22]

@Mike-And-Jane0 very interesting, thank you for the explanation. I thought this was some Airbnb discount

[Huma0]

@Mike-And-Jane0 

It doesn't apply to me, but that's very interesting to know and an easy to digest explanation! 

[Laura2592]

@Inna22 well I sold my ABB and therefore have no more crazy guest stories.

Sarah was banned. Ute was banned. There are a few others. Many people aren't hosting in their homes since the pandemic or just got tired of the lack of support and went to other platforms or got a regular old tenant.

I check in occasionally and I agree-- there just isn't a lot going on.

[Laura2592]

I will share because now I feel guilty I don't have any good stories...working hard on this new place we bought. Painting and staging and making it cute to get it online for rental. Right now the plan is to try and get it rented long term, furnished, just because I have so much furniture from the ABB. Lots of cool colors. Painted the front door from black to this sort of periwinkle. Vermillion rockers and side tables just got done. TONS of furniture painting, new light fixtures, curtain hanging, new plumbing fixtures, backsplash going up, fixing an AC to the tune of several thousand dollars....but here are a few projects.front door-- rug is re-purposed from Firefly Cottagestairs in progress. Painted the walls and rail white too!

[Huma0]

@Laura2592 

Good to see you pop in here again. It looks like the house renovations are going really well.

I think you got out of hosting on Airbnb at exactly the right time with all the headaches that have been going on here for the last few weeks.

Good luck with your LTR!

[Laura2592]

@Huma0 yeeeaaahh...if we do end up with STR I think we might list mainly on other platforms and see how it goes. This whole "OMG!" summer release category bot fiasco is not something I want to depend on for income. 

We are having a party in a few weeks after we have had potential tenants tour and everything is all finished. I will post pics. The property is very cute. Its a regular old farmhouse, very typical for this region, so I don't know if its special enough for ABB these days anyhow....

[Huma0]

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@Laura2592 wrote:

he property is very cute. Its a regular old farmhouse, very typical for this region, so I don't know if its special enough for ABB these days anyhow....

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No, probably not. Unless they introduce a category called 'really cute and something you might actually be able to afford'. 

Still, I'm glad things are going well for you so far. Yes, do keep us updated. Miss your stories about crazy guests. Not much craziness going on here (for which I should be grateful), but then a new guest arrives on Monday, so let's see...

[Laura2592]

@Huma0 lol. "Something you might be able to afford" is not a market share ABB seems interested in capturing. 

My neighbor at my condo in New Orleans does ABB. Our building is an old bona fide mansion (its 4 condos now but it is truly a monster of a place.) Her unit is about 750 square feet (right around 70 square meters) so modestly sized. The house was showing up in "mansions" which is accurate-- she was excited she got a category. But the last guest complained to her that he expected the entire place and not her 1 bedroom condo. Because guess what-- you got it! Guests. Do. Not. Read. He asked for a refund for "not as described." And do you think ABB granted it? Better believe they did. 

[Huma0]

@Laura2592 

Oh dear. Yes, I can see how the new categories could cause a lot of further confusion amongst the non-reading guests. My listings are private rooms in a townhouse. If they showed up in searches just as 'townhouse', that could create all sorts of issues...

If I was your friend and the listing was clear, I would have fought this decision, but I can see how that might be futile.

[Lorna170]

@Laura2592   Don’t forget to add a Cinderella (bouncy) castle so your new project qualifies under the new rental criteria!  I miss your posts, just as I miss Sarah, Ute and a few others.  We are still holding on, but the dearth of rentals for our fall leaf season and holidays at Biltmore is making it hard to support our staff without dipping into the repair/upgrades fund.  Paying our staff a living wage comes before a new roof.

[Jenny]

Thanks for sharing some of your progress photos @Laura2592 - they're awesome!  I really love the colour you chose for the door.

Would love to see more, as and when you have them.

Jenny

[Suzanne302]

@Inna22 

I saw a bunch of hosts new to the CC post in regards to the Summer Release and that seems to have dominated the activity. I agree though, the rest of the new conversations have seemed to dry up.

I was not very active since Covid, and just before, and around that time things seemed to get political as well as nasty on here. I did it to protect my peace.

Back when I first started visiting the CC, it truly seemed to be all about hosts helping other hosts and lifting each other up. Now, people make irrelevant comments on posts and I also see newer hosts giving not so good "advice" or flat out making statements that are wrong. Thankfully recently, I haven't seen anything turn political, but it was bad for awhile. Although some recent comments here have made me question how frequently I want to visit anymore.

I miss the CC of the 2018-2019 era!!! I loved hearing about your crazy guests and I really miss Sarah's great insight and advice on things. @Robin4 doesn't even post as often and I always enjoy his insight on things.