Guests wanting more for free

[Iona2]

I have a two bed both en-suite cottage with fitted kitchen, open plan dining area and sitting area.  I also provide dishwasher tablets, washing up liquid, kitchen towel, 3 bin bags, 4 loo rolls, tea, coffee, sugar, bottle of water, bottle of wine, butter, bread, pate, bisuits, soap for the bathrooms, bedding and towels.    Water and electricity in the cottage is free.

It is a self catering cottage yet my recent guests tried to pressure me into giving them unlimited bin bags and loo rolls and were not happy when I told then it is self catering after arrival.  

Heating is an added cost but they dont want to pay and complained that they are cold.  I have put the heating on a little, for free.  It is clearly marked that it is not included and the reason I don't do winter lets.

What do you do?  

My price is very reasonable, the local hotels with the most basic rooms charge €12 more than me just for the bedrooms and mine is a whole cottage.

[Maria-Lurdes0]

I provide the guests with a message called "What's Included" in advance of their stay.   Just take everything you've written here, put it into a "saved message" on airbnb inbox and a week before the guests arrival, send them the info.   I bet that once people know in advance that they'll get 2 rolls of paper and three bin bags, you'll stop getting requests for endless supplies.

Guests show up at your lovely place, see the bags, see the tablets and think oh! it's endless!   But now you are telling them before they arrive what they'll expect and it sets the expectations.  So now when they run out of two rolls, they'll think , oh, tha'ts what is provided so I'd better go to the store.

Try this and see if it works!

[Iona2]

Great idea, will put this into place! Thanks

[Andrew90]

This is a great suggestion. I send a welcome guide to every guest and I dont' live near my vacation rental.   I like to use automated messages that I can schedule and setup at the time of booking with some well crafted emails that I can personalize and queue up.  

There are a variety of services - one good one if you use gmail is boomerang. 

[Andrea9]

@Iona2

@Maria-Lurdes0 's idea is ideal. I'd add that you make it sound as if all these goodies were your freebie gift to them to **bleep** in the bud any  idea of further supply entitlement, something to the extent of:

"Although the cottage is self catering as described, I will supply a 'starter kit' for you to get you over the first couple of days."

Same thing with heating. Formulate a sentence with the summer aspect of the cottage, thus heating not included as described. But should they really want heating, then for a small fee to cover the extra electricity there's a heater. (How do you control who uses it?)

[Iona2]

Really?  I don't agree, that list was for the people on here to see what is provided,  what I didn't mention was that they insisted I go shopping for more wine and beers (8) the evening they were arriving as a freebie also - however they did eventually pay.

I'm turning to this site for advice to stop this happening.  

I have on airbnb, a list of what is included so that people don't have to worry about shopping when they arrive, in this part of France shops and not 24/7 as in the UK. This message is sent to the guests before arrival.   Also I have information in the gite regarding this.

It is also in my listing regarding wood for the woodburner, for a small fee.

I have put on central heating for them a bit in the evening, but in s/w france it is not cold and the heating system (controlled in the main house) is for around 20 oil filled radiators, they don't work properly if individually turned off.

[Andrea9]

@Iona2

I'm not sure which of us you are reacting to with this last post...

We're all  just hosts trying to give ideas and tips from our perspective to how we understood your problem. They are not written in stone, and seeing that you obviously know your situation best, it's up to you to decide how much or little of all this you can use.

Good luck!

[Iona2]

I meant re your comment of the' freebie' gift to stop them asking for more.

I'm asking on here as I am trying to understand what to do, it isn't nice to have 4 people become hostile and insist on more and each time I get a call from them I am expecting something else wanted.  They tried to pressure me to leave the heating on all evening but I am being firm.  The cottage feels very warm inside. 

[David126]

The bit about heat is somewhat lost in your description, I would make it more prominant. I have had someone stay who wanted heat on in September.

You inevitably will have some people who expect the moon.

[Sara2]

@Iona2have you worked out the sums re all night heating if they offer to pay in full?

do they arrive by car?

if so they could stock up on their way in before a super market closes .

[Iona2]

Hi Sarah

They have made it plain that they don't want to pay for anything extra.  I dont want a bad review so trying to be very helpful.

They have hired cars, they wanted provisions in for them, not a problem if I have notice but it was last minute just before they arrived in the evening when all shops are shut and wanted it as part of their right.

I have been putting the heating on low all night for them but now it is far too warm for it.

[Sara2]

I think loo rolls are a necessity and have seen this written about so often most hosts supply one a day per person

I like the idea you have , but surely wine and beer is a Treat" a little welcome package

every time I have given wine or beer it's been the wrong one

like you central heating is too expensive 24/7 so I keep control of the thermostat and give two hours 6 to 8 am and 2 hours 6 to 8 evening I also tell them to leave their doors closed to have cosy rooms and then presume in the day they will be out and about I have only provided tea coffee and a kettle for drinks

i do realise that a cottage in France is different to London but same problems

[Kim238]

I agree that guest demands can be discouraging.  Back when people were using Craigslist,  I was starting to see more and more people under "housing wanted" who would provide a list of their needs and must-haves,  but offer NO information about themselves or why they'd be a good tenant. 

My house is a 3 bdr., 1.5 baths and they have access to the living room, den, and outside deck, as well as driveway parking.  The amenities are listed clearly.   I live in the house, so I have no access to anything more than they get while here, with the exception of wifi, which is a very limited plan.  For less than half the price of a hotel room, or a 1 bdr. apartment, they get their own room, a full kitchen with dishes, pots, and pans, and I provide a brand new mattress, sheets, pillows, a closet and dresser, shelves, towels, soap, shampoo, and toilet paper.  And those things are endless, since i live here and don't want to sequester the shampoo and soap in my bedroom. 

However, I'm starting to see that I'm losing money, not making it. And people still want more. 

I personally am considering an age limit (if it's possible) because I'm tired of 20's-somethings contacting me saying they want to pay less, or ignoring that I don't provide them with cable tv or wifi and don't have a washer/dryer. Then they arrive and are frustrated that I don't have those things.  When they're used to living with Mom and Dad, they had those things at home.  And sometimes, they didn't even have to use the washer/dryer because Mom did it for them.