"Very" long term reservation

[Davide654]

Hi there,

I'm planning a 3/4 years tour of Europe booking my stays with Airbnb and I'd like to know the best way to present myself to potential hosts.

My experience with stays of few months (1-3) is very positive, but when trying to book for 6-8 months I "sense" some reluctance by the hosts I've contacted.

Maybe it's only me overthinking, but I'd like to know if there are things to say or to do to reassure the host (to be honest I also don't know what an host could fear).

Usually I say that I work remotely and I simply want to visit other places. I always ask about wifi, heating and hot water (just to understand all costs).

The only thing that, understandably, could annoy the host is that if I'm looking for a stay of 8 months I ask if I can book 4 months immediately and other 4 before starting the first 4 months.. It's just that 8 months in advance can be a bit of a stretch for my wallet.

That been said I book always 4-6 months in advance so the hosts would still have at least 4 months to find another person if I don't book the other 4 months. 

Do you spot something wrong?

What do you look for in a guest?

Thanks! 🙂

[Helen3]

I wouldn't consider your request if you want to book for four months and hold another four months without payment .

Particularly as you will know from having done long stays before you are only charged monthly so don't have to pay it all up front.

i don't know why you'd want to do such long term stays on Airbnb. You pay high commission rates and have no legal protection or tenancy rights if there are problems . 

by the way @Davide654  you say you've had numerous stays with airbnb but have no reviews - very strange 😁

[Davide654]

Hi Helen,

thanks for the response..

Renting is not better. An agency usually charge one month for the service and you almost always have to know the language and take care of the utilities and down payment.

For the reviews, this is not my primary account 🙂

[Huma0]

@Davide654 

I host long stays and, like @Helen3 , I would not consider taking the proposal to split an eight month stay into 2x four month stays. Four months is far too long to have dates blocked with no guarantee that the guest will end up using them. Although in general, it's obviously better for a host that you cancel with as much notice as possible, in that particular scenario, it actually makes it worse because, if you ended up not using the second four months, who knows how many other bookings the host could have lost in the meantime?

Also, @Helen3 is correct that long term stays are charged monthly. I don't see how splitting the stay makes a difference to your wallet, so if a guest asked for this, I would take it as they are not sure they are going to stay the whole eight months are are trying to avoid paying penalties under the long term cancellation policy.

Also, as utilities are included (as opposed to with regular rentals, as you mentioned), it doesn't make sense that you would ask about these to "understand costs".  I would find it strange if a guest wrote this to me. Of course, it is not strange to ask if there is sufficient WiFi, heating and hot water, but these things are normally listed already under the amenities of the listing. If there are any real issues with these, guests would normally mention it in the reviews.

To me, the most important things when a guest approaches me, especially for a very long stay, is that A.) they tell me something about themselves so I can get a sense of their personality and also what their schedule would be like, but I host in a shared home, so that's probably more important to me than a host renting out an entire unit, and B.) that they have read the full listing and house rules. I don't accept any bookings until I feel pretty certain of this.

It also doesn't hurt to say something nice and particular about the listing and why you want to stay there and make sure to address the host by name. This helps the host to know if you'll be a good fit and also that yours is not just a message you are mass mailing to loads of hosts. Unfortunately, there are a lot of guests out there that are time wasters, i.e. can't be bothered to read anything and take up time asking hosts questions that were already answered on the listing.

[Davide654]

Thank you @Huma0 ..

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I host long stays and, like @Helen3 , I would not consider taking the proposal to split an eight month stay into 2x four month stays. Four months is far too long to have dates blocked with no guarantee that the guest will end up using them. Although in general, it's obviously better for a host that you cancel with as much notice as possible, in that particular scenario, it actually makes it worse because, if you ended up not using the second four months, who knows how many other bookings the host could have lost in the meantime?

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The point here is that in some case I'd like to have the ability to extend the period but I get your point..

Regarding the utilities, I always ask because I want to avoid misunderstandings.. One listing I booked before covid listed heating, but when I started using the heating I discovered that I needed to buy the gas cylinders on my own and that increased the overall costs..

Maybe I can ask for some kind of refund but I'd probably end in an hotel with a couple of big bags and a cat.. I simply want to be sure.. Maybe I can try to explain why I'm asking..

To me, the most important things when a guest approaches me, especially for a very long stay, is that A.) they tell me something about themselves so I can get a sense of their personality and also what their schedule would be like, but I host in a shared home, so that's probably more important to me than a host renting out an entire unit, and B.) that they have read the full listing and house rules. I don't accept any bookings until I feel pretty certain of this.

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This is something that I feel a bit weird but only because nobody seems to care 🙂

But If you say they read and consider I'll continue to do so..

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It also doesn't hurt to say something nice and particular about the listing and why you want to stay there and make sure to address the host by name. This helps the host to know if you'll be a good fit and also that yours is not just a message you are mass mailing to loads of hosts. Unfortunately, there are a lot of guests out there that are time wasters, i.e. can't be bothered to read anything and take up time asking hosts questions that were already answered on the listing.

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Thank you!

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Davide654 

What sort of place are you looking for?

It is very unclear (in the UK) when a long stay turns into a tenancy and gives what was a guest  the same rights as a tenant. If you are looking to share a place this isn't relevant but for a whole place some hosts will be concerned.

What is clear, in the UK, if the host is claiming to be a Furnished Holiday Let that confers important tax treatments then stays of over 30 days do not qualify. As such you may be better off moving monthly and seeing more of Europe as a result.

Your biggest issue will be high season places - Hosts will probably bite your hand off low season as long as the utility costs are not too high.

[Davide654]

Thank you @Mike-And-Jane0..

Usually I look for entire places that allow pets, max 800 euros but the lower the better,heating, kitchen,wifi, and near water..

I've tried the couple-of-months affair before covid but it is really impractical on the medium-long term.. I don't exactly travel super light..

But those you mention are taxes that the host have to pay and that are not included in the airbnb price?

Or is something I have to pay? 

Do you think there are ways to reassure hosts about the tenancy problem? The problem would be that they think I would be able to claim some kind of right on the house..Correct?

Thank!

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Davide654 The taxes refer to council tax/business rates in the UK and income tax. Neither would be payable by the guest. Basically unless we achieve 105 days (currently) rented to people who don't stay more than 30 days we qualify for better income tax treatment. To qualify for business rates (which are often zero) the rules are rapidly changing and in Wales it looks like you would need 160+ days!

Yes if you become a tenant then the host can't get rid of you without going to court (unless you are happy to leave of course). This is purely down to trust - Perhaps a strong record of Airbnb stays will help you here.

[Anonymous]

@Davide654  Your concern over upfront payment has already been covered by @Helen3 and @Huma0 , but another thing to consider is that most hosts choose Airbnb over residential lease channels specifically because they don't want to be landlords. That pesky down payment charged by an agency is one thing that is pretty essential for owners, because Airbnb offers no guarantee of payment after the first month, no deposit for damages, and no meaningful support if the guest refuses to vacate after non-payment. Hosts in popular locations are wary of customers who seek housing through Airbnb, as they're often trying to evade the processes that they rely on for security. 

A very small percentage of listings do deliberately target extra-long bookings, so if you happen to find one in your destination I guess you can assume the host has a contingency plan for all that. But if you're flexible about the dates and location, your most cost-effective option would be a fixed-term sublet from a renter who is also planning to be away for a long time. This opens up more options in major European cities, where most housing is renter-occupied, and saves you the thousands of euros you'd otherwise lose to service fees. Each country has a different platform of choice for these arrangements, but it's usually not going to be AIrbnb.

[Davide654]

Thank you @Anonymous 

Just an Idea.. Can I offer a security deposit to the host? I know that Airbnb don't support this feature natively but maybe it could be something that reassure them.. It's a bit of a risk for me, but if I find a place and host.. Bad idea?

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But if you're flexible about the dates and location, your most cost-effective option would be a fixed-term sublet from a renter who is also planning to be away for a long time. This opens up more options in major European cities, where most housing is renter-occupied, and saves you the thousands of euros you'd otherwise lose to service fees. Each country has a different platform of choice for these arrangements, but it's usually not going to be AIrbnb.

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Didn't know this was a thing.. I'll take a look.. Thank you!

[Anonymous]

@Davide654  I can't really recommend offering an off-label security deposit in a context where you're not protected by a full tenancy contract, because you have no recourse if the host doesn't return it. 

And there are other disadvantages that come into play with organizing housing through Airbnb. The host gets very little information about you (just your first name and whatever you wrote in your profile), and you generally don't get to view the home and meet the host before booking. If you prefer having the security of a middleman, a local agency specializing in fixed-term rentals would be far more helpful than Airbnb in getting you set up, and those that regularly work with foreign tenants will almost always speak English.

As for the budget you mentioned above...well, you might want to plan to have some flatmates. 

[Huma0]

@Davide654 

If you are over 25 and can provide good references, you might also consider trying house sitting agencies. There are agencies that look for people to stay in properties that are going to be empty for a few weeks or months. You are just expected to look after the place, e.g. keep it clean, water the plants, that sort of thing, and in exchange, you get cheaper rent.

I have no idea though if these places accept people who are not residents/nationals or pets.