Pricing

[Mike2209]

Are other hosts experiencing increased demand for extra discounts beyond the ones being offered?

[Pat271]

I think some guests are thinking that hosts are desperate after a long, barren pandemic year.  They might not be aware that things have changed, and people are now getting vaccinated and booking vacations like crazy. Your guests will be lucky to get your place at your current prices. Hold steady, the tide is turning.

[Ann783]

I don't offer discounts unless it's more than a 7 day stay or a repeat, trustworthy guest. If asked, I tell people to check in with me after Memorial day. Usually, no dates are left by then but sometimes it pays to be flexible. I agree with @Pat271 , people are getting vaccinated and booking again. I had someone message me about booking and inquiring about the wifi. I responded but in 30 minutes someone else booked the week they were inquiring about.

[M199]

@Pat271 

I have never had discount requests.  That being said, in Ontario, Canada, Covid has created a very large stay local mentality (within 200km) and vacation rentals are in very short supply and therefore supply and demand is working overtime.  Guests are willing to to pay exorbitant rates just to get away from the city.  Money that would have been spent on "Southern/Warm" March Break destinations are now being spent locally due to the pandemic.

[Pat271]

@M199Yes, the “stay local” mentality prevailed in 2020. This year, though, traveling thousands of miles is picking up speed as well. We own and host a place in Wailea, HI, so virtually all of our guests have come great distances to stay with us, and the bookings are rolling in. Such a great turnaround after 2020, when hardly anyone was traveling, and people had to quarantine in Hawaii when they did.

[Sarah977]

@Mike2209  There are online blogs now with guests advising other guests to always ask for a discount. I suspect that's part of what's driving this trend.

[Mike2209]

Thanks Sarah. 

[M199]

@Sarah977 , @Pat271 

Thanks for the info Sarah.

[Sarah977]

@M199  If you want an infuriating example of the type of advice some people are posting online to urge other guests to try to get discounts, look on page 7 of this thread

https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Help/Can-we-negotiate-with-a-host-on-the-price/td-p/698/page/7

for the link "Sam" posted to his blog. I won't copy the link here because I don't want to give it traction, but it reads like Entitlement 101.

[Fred13]

I do not like haggling, at all. I assume that the price being asked is a fair one and ~if~ it is not the market place will correct it since I (and few) would go for it. 

[Alexandra316]

@Mike2209 I am, yeah. I've only been hosting longer stays this year, and my pricing is very competitive: I have a full apartment, and it's not much more expensive than a conventional apartment (unfurnished, no utilites included, and usually a year lease). It's about a 20% premium on market rent, which I think is very fair, and I've stayed extremely busy.

But every week or so, I get an email from someone saying they would like to book a longer stay and what kind of a discount would I be willing to give. I explain that my discounts are already built in, as I have them set up through the site already. I never hear back from any of these people again. 

I agree that some guests seem to believe hosts are desperate for business due to Corona. That has definitely not been the case for me: I've followed the hosting rules and still managed to stay busy throughout the pandemic. 

[Mike2209]

Sounds like our experience, nearly full bookings for the year with very little negotiating of price and this is in New York where everything is negotiable. We have reduced the listed discounts in order to have room to move on the request, unfortunately, people that are not inclined to haggle see the higher prices and we risk losing them. 

[Fred13]

Enlightening post. Just took off the 10% week discount out, just not to have anywhere in my listing the word 'discount'.

[Elaine701]

We get the ones who print their phone number vertically to avoid Airbnb's phone number filters, asking me to contact them by WhatsApp. I don't even respond. Instant decline. 

And yes, we get the ones asking for a, discount. In that case I'll answer them, but nicely tell them no before declining. 

As I said on the other thread, it's not only about the money. The discount lot ("price pirates") have a bad history of being messy, ignoring house rules, and leaving unsavoury reviews.