So, apart from the money, what have you gained from hosting on Airbnb?

[Kevin1322]

We have rediscovered the joy of meeting a new generation of people from around the world.

To put it in context we have to do Airbnb to help make ends meet, but when we were first married with young kids we used to host foreign exchange students and our kids (now grown up) benefiited (I think) enormously from meeting people from other cultures.

Now that we are older we ourselves are meeting the international "next generation", and it's an eye-opener.  They are like we were, but instead of fearing  nuclear Armageddon as we were in the 1980s they are worried about climate change and global stuff.

We are meeting the nicest people on Airbnb.  How about you?

[Susan151]

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@Ann72 wrote:

@Susan151 He's left, taken off, skedaddled, made tracks, decamped - in other words, they are no longer married.

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Okay then! Strangely, very few of my friends ever bothered to get married, much less divorced. I had no idea there were so many slang expressions for this "state."

[Helen350]

@Susan151 "legged it" just means "run away" - using  your legs! It can be used in any context, & has nothing to do with divorce.

[Ann72]

@Susan151 I meant to add - that as @Helen350 says, they're not terms only denoting break-ups, but they're used colloquially in that context as well as others.

[Rosalind41]

@Susan151 I needed clarification too.  Thanks for explaining @Helen350 

[Rosalind41]

@Helen350 Back to what you talking about . . . I agree that most Americans are as demanding on their hosts as they are in other avenues of travel.  I'm not rude at all, but rather very engaging when I travel, but have a relative that I would not want to admit is my relative as a result of the demands he/she makes.  It's embarassing to be around that kind of demanding behavior.

[Rosalind41]

@Helen350 Back to what you talking about . . . I agree that most Americans are as demanding on their hosts as they are in other avenues of travel.  I'm not rude at all, but rather very engaging when I travel, but have a relative that I would not want to admit is my relative as a result of the demands he/she makes.  It's embarrassing to be around that kind of demanding behavior.

[Sarah977]

@Helen350  Hmm, it never occurred to me before that maybe I get hassle-free, really nice guests because I'm very clear that it's a 20 minute walk to town and the beach, and almost none of my guests arrive by car- they fly in and take the bus from airport to my town. I always thought the type of guests I got had more to do with it being a quiet countryside location, but maybe it's as much or more to do with them being people who don't mind a healthy walk. Many guests comment on the birds they saw on their walk, the newborn foal they saw in the field, the variety of butterflies, the local children who greeted them as they walked by and who they interacted with over the days they were walking back and forth.  It enriches their experience in an unfamiliar place. Guests who drive seldom notice or experience these things. It's definitely true that outdoorsy folks are used to such things as insects, having to adapt to local conditions, sleeping on a camping foamie instead of always enjoying a luxurious bed, making do with a couple of pots and pans instead of a kitchen containing every appliance and implement you could possibly think of, so they tend not to be the sort of guests who would freak out if they saw a spider or a trail of ants, they aren't complainers, or behave in an entitled way.

[Ann72]

@Kevin1322  I'm a remote host, so I almost never meet my guests, but I love sharing the house I love so much and seeing how much other people enjoy it.  I like being organized and having projects outside of my work and trying to stay one or two steps ahead of guests and what they want or need.  It's stimulating.  And when the money comes in, I say "Thank you [insert guest name here]" to my computer screen.  🙂

[Rosalind41]

@Ann72    I am the same way, remote, but wish I was closer, and thankful for the money.  I love the joy it brings to my guests, especially the ones who don't party and smoke marijuana (which is illegal in my location).  I wish I knew how to filter out these idiot drunken college alums who can't seem to grow up and then return to their alma mater to party and carry on until 3 or 4 in the morning.

[Ann72]

Oh Lord, that's right, Ames is a university town - I feel for you, @Rosalind41!  You already do what I would do - charge a lot and set a 2-night minimum - so I don't know what else to say except aaaarrrrgggghhhh 🙂

[Rosalind41]

Ugh is right @Ann72  .... grown up little children who still need to behave badly.  I've raised my prices and decreased the amount of guests, so searches for more guests will decrease.  Another Airbnb host just down the street stopped their hosting biz for the same reasons and they didn't even offer TV!   I'd rather go without the money than put up with this immaturity and disrespect.  Vomit and peeing outside alongside marijuana until 3 or 4 in the morning is unacceptable .... and I don't care if they were educated veterinarians and/or other educated professionals!  I told Airbnb that I would not accept any of these fools again in my reviews of them.  Hopefully they are blocked somehow from the Airbnb side of things.  I doubt it.  I have a very strong memory of bad behavior and they are not welcome to return in my home that I cherish and take amazing care of.  I can't even imagine what it's like to own or manage a hotel in college towns!  Sadly, in Ames, Iowa, there's nothing else to offer outside of the university events.  My husband may be right:  just sell the place.  

[Rosalind41]

@Ann72    I am the same way, remote, but wish I was closer, but thankful for the money.  It's truly a steal compared to a group staying in individual hotel rooms with minimal amenities.   I love the joy it brings to my guests, especially the ones who don't party and smoke marijuana (which is illegal in my location).  I wish I knew how to filter out these idiot drunken college alums who can't seem to grow up and then return to their alma mater to party and carry on until 3 or 4 in the morning.

[Rosalind41]

@Ann72    I am the same way, remote, but wish I was closer, but thankful for the money.  Our home is truly a steal compared to a group staying in individual hotel rooms with minimal amenities.   I love the joy it brings to my guests, especially the ones who don't party and smoke marijuana (which is illegal in my location).  I wish I knew how to filter out these idiot drunken college alums who can't seem to grow up and then return to their alma mater to party and carry on until 3 or 4 in the morning.

[Susie111]

@Kevin1322  

personally, I really enjoying to meet all different types of people from all different walks of life.

And have the pleasure and convenience of having a part time Airbnb business  just outside my family house. No stress to travel to work from 9 to 5 kind of thing. I love that.

[Cormac0]

@Kevin1322 

Hosting would be an exceptional pastime if we only we didn't have to host people.