Welcome to the Sydney section!

[Lizzie]

Hello,

Welcome to the Sydney specific section where you can connect with other hosts in your area and post local discussions, for example, topics on booking trends, general local recommendations, meetups and events.

As always, please remember to keep the Community Center Guidelines in mind also when you interact on this board.

[Stephen3]

I had a reservation request yesterday to which I replied, within 24 hours, with a message saying I needed time to check if my family wanted the house at that time, but I didn't click Accept or Decline or Pre-Approve. Next thing I get the following message from Airbnb:

"Because you didn't accept or decline Jilly’s reservation request within 24 hours, it has expired. Travellers need hosts to make booking decisions quickly, so if you consistently don’t respond within 24 hours your listing’s search placement may be negatively impacted and we may temporarily turn off your listing."

I object to the implied threat to temporarily turn off my listing, because I did respond within 24 hours, and because my response rate over the four years since joining is near 100% within 24 hours.

However, you can't respond to their email, and when you go online Airbnb offers help with everything except lodging a complaint with them.

Does anyone know how to do this?

Stephen FitzGerald

[Qian0]

Hi, I am hosting in Brisbane, but I think ATO rules are the same nation wide, I wonder how do I claim tax this year, simply add the Air b&b income onto my other taxable wage? And can I claim some expenses as tax return? Thanks!

[Fran2]

ATO have a section on their web site re ABNB. You can claim deductions for power etc, 

[Scott1]

Lizzie,

AirBNB have buggered the whole group thing. The reason there is very little traction in the Sydney group is that it's all too clumsy and hard to find. It's a pity, because the Sydney group was pretty active and many hosts were willing and able to help eachother.

Scott

[Neil14]

Are there any plans to start a local services board? I am part of a startup company that would likely be of interest to hosts to recommend to guests but don't want to breach any guidelines to do so. On the subject of guidelines, if I were to host a meetup with reps of other interested companies willing to share the cost of some drinks and nibbles for other hosts while we present to them could we do that as a host meetup too or would that also breach guidelines?

Thanks,

Neil.

[Dheera0]

Hi. It's Dheera in Mondrook near Taree and Wingham which is half way from Sydney to Brisbane. I would be interested in having more referrals of my target market which is budget travellers for one to two nights. We have a beautiful space and so enjoy getting those who have already been with you in Sydney. There is room to park the camper van they hired and many places to explore. Please send them on...Cheers from Dheera and Raj...Green Room in the Country and The California Room ..both in Mondrook near Wingham or Taree. 

[Norman16]

Hi all,

i am hosting in Sydney and just got notified by a guest that the tv died on her. Great that the guest message me straight away. Did any host had hay experience with claiming compensation from hosts or air bnb if something went broke during a stay? What could I do in this case. I’m interested to get some kind of compensation from either the guest or air bnb?

[Wendy599]

Good luck with that. I'm interested to know the outcome and the red tape involved in this one.

[Scott1]

TVs sometimes 'die'. So do dishwashers, ovens and goodness knows what else. This is not the guests fault.

[Christine1]

@Norman16,  @Wendy599, hosts  invite guests to stay, and the tariff is based on a range of things including the amenities which are in working order, promised and provided during the stay

Thank the guests for updating you. This means you have a chance to rectify the faulty item, thus preventing further guest inconvenience. 

Apologise to the guest and take action to demonstrate your sincere desire to deliver what you promised.

Just because a guest is in the same room as an appliance, may have used it, switched it on or off, does not mean they are responsible for fixing or replacing it. 

It's wrong to expect it. 

Declare all your hosting income and claim all your legitimate expenses in generating that income. That's a better way to handle this type of incidents.

Best regards Christine Bruin from Wombats Studio at Glenbrook