New to this. How do you feel leaving a stranger alone in your home

[Tina8658]

Hi.

Am very new to this and have my first guest at the moment who is lovely.  My question is do you get nervous having a stranger in your home?  I have a very trusting nature and hope things would not go missing.  I do not have anything too precious anywhere but just wondered what the general feeling was.  

[Anonymous]

@Tina8658 It's totally normal for homestay hosts to have apprehensions about leaving a stranger alone in their home, and not necessarily the ones you might think. I've never had issues with things going missing; the far more common transgression is for the guests to bring in unregistered visitors, creating situations that range from awkward to downright dangerous. I can't believe I've had to tell a whole grownup that it's not OK to bring their weed dealer in from the street to use my shower, or bring an underage-looking girl home from a nightclub and try to sneak her into the guestroom...and those are just the incidents that happened when I was actually home. I've learned of some worse things that happened while I was away, in one case because there was a video of it going around online.

And then you'll have the times when the guests make you feel ill at ease because they lack a sense of boundaries. Perhaps they snoop around in your off-limits areas, make inappropriate remarks, walk around in a bath towel or nude (for me, this is welcome with some guests but not so much others) or neglect to tidy up after themselves in the bathroom and kitchen. These are common complaints, but they're mostly avoidable if you communicate your boundaries clearly and demonstrate your firmness on them. And as long as you don't use Instant Book (which I absolutely don't recommend with kids in the house), you can vet your guests by how respectfully they communicate in the request process.

Another important thing to keep in mind is that homestay guests also have apprehensions about staying in a stranger's house. They worry about hosts going through their stuff, secretly filming them with hidden cameras (it's happened), accusing them of damage or theft to get money, or just not getting along with them. Personally, I enjoy homestays like yours, but I would not consider booking it because your profile is empty. If you want to earn guests' trust and convince them that they'll be comfortable in your home, your profile should a clear picture of your own face - not an obscure political message - and ideally a bit about your passions and interests. And the text should describe in greater detail who guests will encounter in the home and how much interactivity to expect during the stay, especially if common areas may be used at the same time. 

[Tina8658]

Hi and thank you for the advice.  I am gobsmacked those things have happened to you.  I will get my profile filled in and add a picture, I have not found those options yet so will have a search and complete them.  Really helpful.  

[Helen3]

Normally I don't as I vet my guests carefully before agreeing the booking

1. I have a lock on my bedroom and leave valuables there

2. You can set your listing so you only accept guests with previous positive reviews and photo ID

@Tina8658 

[Robin4]

@Tina8658 

Tina, I love hosting but, I could not do it in my own personal space . My guests are out there in the back yard in a cottage where I don't have to have anything to do with them other than give them access.

Now having said that almost all my guests have been lovely and many of them we have welcomed into our house for a drink or two or a meal.

My feeling is, if you are going to rent in your personal space you need to keep your radar well and truly turned on. Analyze the way the guest comes to you in the booking process!

It has been my experience that potential guests fall into two categories.

A/........Passive/complimentary!

"I have seen your lovely cottage, Darren and I want a weekend away from the kids and we can't wait to stay"......What does that tell you Tina? They don't want to hassle about anything, they have read the listing description, they have identified themselves by name, they have given a reason for their stay, they just want to pull out their credit card and stay.....bring it on!

B/.......Aggressive/Demanding"We are coming for a wedding at a local winery, how early can we check-in, my husband fusses about his car do you have secure parking, can I have a couple of friends over for a pre wedding drink, how far is it to the local shops...........?"  Now hang on, you haven't booked but you have bombarded me with a heap of questions. Tina, this enquiry is not going to be a good fit, this guest is a haggler! She/he has gone through their life trying to extract something extra at someone else's expense. Hagglers do not make good guests, with each question they ask they strengthen their ground while weakening yours.

Now Tina, who are you going to accept as a guest out of those two?

Tina my hosting has been great but, I can see a train wreck coming  and I know to avoid getting involved in a disaster.........well, most of the time! 

Cheers..........Rob  

[Tina8658]

Brilliant comments thank you and yes, I will definitely read those who put in a request.