Extra charges for water and electricity

[Mireille9]

Hi

As a host, how does one go about charging extra for water and electricity when it is applicable?

Thanks

Mireille 

[Marcus0]

Hi @Mireille9 in Airbnb you basically have to factor it into your rental price.

If guests are staying long term then i can recommend preparing a separate rental agreement which include terms of utility use and charges for over use.

[Mireille9]

Thank you for your reply Marcus.

Kind regards

Mireille 

[Karin86]

Are you allowed to sign a separate rental agreement? I didnt know that. I guess you have to state it in your posting? Thanks I am thinking of becoming a hist but here utilities are extremely high if left on all day and night the heating especially can easily cost 3000 us dollars a month for a 2 bedroom apartment 😞 so i would be funding the vacation for others! Lol

[Ann44]

Thats my problem too. We just had a guest who used AC for about 70 dollar per day!!?? Three people... They even left the house for one day and night, and kept them all on. Normally it is around 10-15 dollar  per day. We have five AC and they must have had them on all week with even some doors open. I think it is very unresponseble and I am not only thinking of the bill coming to us. Also obout how the situaton is today around the world, that everyone have to be careful and take respons of just wasting energy like that. I would love to have seperate bills for electricity. Why should the smart guests have to pay for the guest who just waste like they really want to use as much as they can every day, beacause they think they paid for it?? Now we have to make the daily rate higer because of that, instead of just keep the same rate so that we could have more guests enjoy the house and location. With budgets maybe not that high, but most of the times a lot smarter people.

[Donna15]

@Ann44, one option might be to require a hefty Security Deposit (which you should do in any case), and state in your House Rules that if AC is used to an amount exceeding $XXX per day, a claim for the extra cost will be made against the Security Deposit.

Perhaps that will motivate guests to turn off the AC before they go out.

UPDATE: I've noted that your House Rules are not firm enough. I recommend that you be very specific about what is expected of guests. They need to know the clear boundaries, such as not leaving the AC on when they go out. 

[Ann44]

Hi Donna

Thats a very good idea:) I will really take a look on that one.
A bit more complicated then that the guest just pay for the electricity
they use.
But your idea combined with some educational reading about how much energy
AC really use.
In a pleasant way of course. It could work...
If airbnb cannot make anything to fill in somewhere. Combined from us with
some more information to the guests, how to save, what I believe should be the
simplest and most honest way.
But, lets make that a try:) And wait and see for the future:)
Thanks a lot.

Ann:)

[Kay63]

I think Airbnb wants to get the commision on the extra volume of money an all inclusive price brings in.

[Jes11]

I live in rural Alaska.  Heating fuel and electricity are very expensive.  I am trying to be open minded and know that my guests aren't used to our bitter cold.  I asked in the house rules if they'd be so kind as to NOT put the heat up high and keep it below 80.  I provide slippers and comfy fluffy socks, gloves and plenty of blankets.  (The slippers are for the house, so they don't wear their soiled shoes in the house and so their feet aren't cold if they tend to get cold feet when ont shoed.)  The other stuff is just incase they forget gloves and need them.  I have a pellet stove to offer heat and also some ambiance, some use it and some dont. 

During my last guests visit we had a snow storm so I messaged them to let them know I'd be over in the afternoon to plow and clean off the porches and walkway.  I had to go in the house to get something to fix the plow and noticed the heat at 78 (which is below 80) and every light and the TV on.  (They were all gone for the afternoon).  That being said I looked in the pricing area for a spot where you could maybe take this into account depending on the climate your B&B is in.  I was hoping to see if we could set something for the different seasons.  In hot climates take AC into account.  In cold climates take heat into consideration.   I am new to this B&B thing and I want to do my best but this last group of people have me second guessing my decision.  This same group parked on my front lawn even though my house directions and rules state clearly where to park and it's one of the first things.  The driveway, walkway and porches were cleaned and plowed so there would be no question where you should park and walk.  This same guest said it would only be 1 and there were actually 4 of them.    Would really like the pricing area to take that into account.  I guess you should price your place accordingly which I do compared to others but the heat is killing me.  It's a pickle. 

[Marci7]

As I'm reading your post I'm thinking I wonder if you can include that in the security deposit. Stating somewhere in additional information about the home, if utilities go over a certain amount and of course they would that dollar amount is., then guess will be charged the overage?

[Sandra26]

I would like airbnb to add a payment preference for 28 days or longer and give us the option to charge for the use of electricity, gas and water.  My home is in San Diego, and the use of our utilities are expensive. My house is 3 stories and sometimes the guest leave the AC or Heat on they have left dashing to the airport.  It is extremely difficult to collect 24 hours after they have left; because we do not the usage till later in the month.  Do we have them sign a separate addendum on the usage of the utilities?

Please respond this is extremly important.

[Debi1]

An option might be to use a remote home system such as Nest where you can check use and control temps through your phone or computer.

[Jens30]

There is an option for additional fees like cleaning, why not electricity per Kwh ?

Its the most honest option,  pay was you use and not more.

[Jennifer336]

Hi Jens

thankyou for your suggestions.

It seems that these guests were unusual and all other guests since have used amenities in a 'normal' fashion.

We don't have an easy way of measuring usage such a you describe and hopefully if the problem arises again I will communicate with guests about appropriate use of water and air conditioners successfully.

Wish me luck!

[SaiJai0]

I mention in the content from our Airbnb page that I charge seperate electric and water due this option is not available at Airbnb.
I have a huge Villa with 4 bedrooms ( 9 guests ) and 6 aircons