If it wasn't for the money...

[Zacharias0]

If it wasn't for the money I really wouldn't be a host. I give my applause to those who allow couch surfing for free or are doing this out of meeting new people and so forth, but some of these guests can ruin it for the whole lot. I enjoy those guests who arrive after check in time and leave before check out time, I also enjoy those who clean up after themselves and know how to live independently without asking questions which are found in the listing. I really like those guests who after I pre-approve there requests 5 minutes after sending it actually accept it. Those are the guests that make a hosts life easier and I hope that by them staying with me I make their life easier in some way vis a vis money saved.

Then you have those "uninformed" guests who by one form or another teach you just how to be a better host, for lack of a better phrase. They use all 10 towels in the bathroom so now you only leave 2 for them in their room, they stain the white bath mats so you switch over to bamboo mats with a plush backing, they cook curry and fry fish in the kitchen even though you state it time and time again- PLEASE do not cook-so you remove all pots and pans from the kitchen and then there are those that lose the house key so you install a key pad entry. We like to think all guests enjoy a free breakfast, but buying danishes and cured meats in a world of people who are on health kicks and gluten free just seems a waste of money and effort.

I suppose being a successful host is about being nimble, realizing that some things work great in theory, but not so in practice, and focusing on the main reason the guest booked your place- it was cheap, location was great and it was clean. Sticking to those three things and offering little else has become a winning strategy- at least for me.  <End Rant>

[Michelle50]

It is NOT just in Vegas...I am outside DC and I just had the worst guest experience ever- my review of them will start with "having these guests makes me want to quit Airbnb" - I have no idea how people can live with themselves being so "clueless" about basic courtesy and responsibility.  YOU booked, YOU agreed to all the terms, conditions, rules, etc.  YOU need to stay in contact so even if check out is "flexible" you have to answer the host messages to find out when you can check out!  Do you leave a friend's house this messy when you stay over?  No, then why are you leaving mine like this?!  2 years hosting for me and these people were the worst, left the room a stinking disgusting mess, lost the key so left the door unlocked, and would not reply to my, or Airbnb's communication messages- until they wanted something.  Actually had to "kick" them out at checkout.

Boring guests are lovely, I'll take them any day over messy, disrespectful, clueless, guests who take no responsibility.  Give me all the business travelers who just need a place to sleep, shower, and get on wifi to email/skype their family in the evening.  I'll even take all the young backpacking travelers from other countries (or this one) who want to use all daylight hours to tour the fantastic place they are visiting.  You can keep all the people "visiting family in the area" since they have no schedule and sit around doing nothing, or soaking up wifi streaming and run the heat all day and night waiting to "visit family"!

[Monica4]

@Michelle50I do know how you feel. Sometimes we get such terrible guests that we say "This is not worth it. Life is too short. Do I really need the money?"....

I spent a whole day decorating my listing for the Christmas guests. Not many people do that who have entire houses / apts listed on Airbnb. The guests booked through another platform, not Airbnb. There was NO communication. They paid...and I had the arrival date, but that's all got to know. They left a clean house....so that was OK...., but they only left a four star review claiming that they had to clean the oven because there was still oven cleaner in there and there was no decent frying pan so they had to go and buy one. I have three frying pans.....a small, expensive enameled cast iron, a big stainless steel with a lid and a medium sized non-stick "The Rock" type (which is supposed to be healthier). They never called to ask me where the frying pans are (in the cupboard with the pots), and I did look in the oven before I left the house.....

So you see, I thought I would get a great review because I always have for the past three years when renting to Christmas guests. I hung hand made Christmas quilts on the walls, put up a ceiling height Christmas tree with hand made ornaments, put Christmas table runners on all the tables and side boards, put up a complete Christmas village on one wide window sill. Garlands thoughout the house, a big Nutcracker soldier, snow man place mats......even down to the hot plates everything had a Christmas theme.

So I said to myself.....next year I will not decorate!

[Jay77]

Monica, you are right about decorating for Christmas. I put out a plastic wreath on the front door and that is it. I hope you commented on their lack of communication. Your place looks lovely by the way.

[Christiane67]

@Monica0, Hi Monica,

I was just browsing through Airbnb, as I had some trouble with guests and came to read the ratiangs of your place, which sounds lovey, btw and I will try and stay there if I ever happen to come to Canada.
The thing is about the fridge you have. One guest was complaining about it and you said you preferred old electrical wquipment because they used to build sturdier and longer lasting things. EWhich is usually true.
There's a thing about fridges though, every fridge older than 10 years takes up a lot of electricity. I live in Germany and I used to have an old fridge. I have 2 children and the electricity in Germany is quite expensive, I pay 65 Euros a month, which is about the same in dollars. So anyway, I got a new fridge one day and when my yearly bill came in after 6 months (we pay electricity monthly, same rate, and once a year we get the bill and either get money back or pay on top) I was surprised as I got back 270 Euros for 6 months. The next year my electricity costs where only 52 Euros instead of 65!! So you see, when it comes down to fridges, it's really, really worth getting a new one. Unless the electirity is so cheap in Canada that you don't have to bother.
That was all, I hope you have nice and easy going guests (I had a couple who sneaked out after half hour, saying they had brought the wrong suitcase and they never came back. I thought they had the keys but they had left them in the bedroom. I found it after a sleepless night, worrying about them and even asking the police what I should do)
anyway, greetings from Germany,
love, Christiane

[Jay77]

Michelle, i replaced the three thermostats in my house with programmable ones and installed those clear plastic covers you can buy at Home Depot. I have them preprogramed to kick on at 06:00 (68degrees), Off at 09:00 (65degres), Back on at 19:00 (68:dgrees), and back off at 23:00 (65degrees). It does get chilly and there are times I’ve had to put on coat midday, but it does help with managing the natural gas bill.

[Robin4]

@Jay77 Running costs are becoming a big issue for hosts and those guests who waste our resources. 

Jay I am going to in the next hour start another thread on this topic with a screen shot of our last electricity bill! When you see it keep in mind we are a pensioner couple in an a smallish 3 bedroom house with a cottage which we host in....ok!

Well our last 'quarterly' power bill was for $1,927.00....that's right, just under $2,000 for a quarter of the year!!!

How does this happen...there must be a mistake you say? No....this is what happens when governments sell off infrastucture to private enterprise! All of a sudden we have all these incredibly greedy 'middlemen' who will screw as long as there is the capacity to screw!

They come from China, India, Hong Kong....Outer Mongolia!!...everywhere but the people of this state, and we suffer!

I am in the midst of a state of the art conservation system for our energy use which includes solar power, wind power, battery storage and everything throughout the property being as energy efficient as it is possible to make it. Within 6 months I will be totally free of any grid power usage...in fact I will get paid to export power back to the grid!

So Jay, when you think your gas is costing you a bit...wait till you see my power bill!!!!

Cheers....Rob

[Jay77]

Robin, I had read in The Guardian about the use of solar power in your neck of the woods. Here in Atlanta our price per kilowatt about 8.5 cents. Even at that heating a home in winter is way too expensive to go electric. Natural gas is much more economical. But for the summer air conditioning my highest electric bill was $250.00 USD.

[Anna446]

@Jay0

If you start a new posting I will follow you. I will move in with you in Atlanta, [inappropriate content hidden] and we can run a B & B from hell. I can sell my house here, and move in with you. What do you say? Deal? I guarantee you I can deactivate all your troubles with guests. I do not have up to now problems with guests from Airbnb, my problems are with how this country dys-functions!  So I can sell here dear Jay, and move in with you, and fix all these problems...LOL ANNA

[Amy38]

@Michelle50 you might want to fluff up your photos to incentivize  your guests to meet your expectations. Show an immaculate tidy room and even the budget people will be advised of your standards.

[Jay77]

Interesting point Amy. I have been wondering if I should have "seasonal" photos changed out every quarter.  But I agree that in order for one's listing to draw more reservations the photos have to really look exceptional compared to the "competition".

[Pat24]

@Julie-Marie0   I'm sorry to say however it happens everywhere. I have been screwed twice now by both the guest and Airbnb backing the guest when the guest caused me grief and money. I do have a Security Deposit in place but Airbnb (Laura) doesn't realize the hosts plight. Very SAD people are so disrespectful and have no clue.

[Anna446]

Well, I am a new host and hope that this won't happen. I also let them cook in my kitchen, and the things you mentioned , to me are all in a days' stay of a guest. You take the good with the bad. I do not give them towels nor sheets they have to bring their own, and so far it has not being a problem, if they play cute with me, and say they do not have towels nor sheets , I made them buy them. I am not a hotel, so where I am only bed and breakfasts offer towels and sheets, however, i have to let them use all the pots and pans, how else would they cook their meals. In the place I live you have to cook or you have to eat in restaurants.  As for the key losing stuff, that reminds me I need to make an extra copy key, and I will charge them for the key if they lose it. As a matter of fact, i will tell them as they arrive that there is a 5 reais cost for the key if they lose it. There are ways you can counteract all this. Good luck, and thank you for the posting.

[Kevin168]

I talked to another host who no longer allows cooking, but allows storing leftovers from elsewhere. After my last guests monopolized the kitchen night and day, I was ready to ban cooking---but my host pal pointed out that it was only one couple out of many who created the mess. Most of my guests have been very good, some I'm still friends with on FB. Others I'm going to their place in a couple of months! 

I give my guests sheets and towels, I would worry about bedbugs if they brought their own!

[Jay77]

I have a couple now that monopolize the kitchen. She cooks 3 full meals a day and is almost constantly boiling water for tea. I thought about buying them an electric kettle for thier room but am so sick of them after only two weeks I want to ask them to leave,  but they have another month and half on their reservation. They make me feel like a stranger in my own house.

[Ginny0]

Boy do I feel for you.  I only do short-term rentals, and if someone is hogging the kitchen, I can hardly stand it, so I discourage 'cooking' and encourage just warming something in the microwave.  But, if someone is going to be at your place long-term, that is not feasible to request that.  Yes, wishing they could decide they need to leave early, but they will be there cooking the last meal before they go out the door.