Snow removal: what's your policy?

[Sepand0]

First winter I'll be having guests over the winter. I don't live at the house, so me removing the snow myself isn't a possibility. We're supposed to get a fair amount of snow this winter, apparently. And because I dont' anticipate having that many guests in Jan/Feb, and they price is already 80% less than the summer price, hiring a snow removal service isn't just worth it. But if i have to, I have to.

Just wondering how others deal with snow. Do you put a "snow removal will be at the discretion/responsibility of guests; host does not provide any snow removal service" policy on your listing? Or do you provide for snow removal service?

[Diane15]

Hi Mark,

Believe it or not, I JUST right received notification of your (and everyone's) replies!

Thanks for your kind words regarding my listings. As far as price goes, I can only charge what the market will bear. 

For snow removal, I decided to increase my insurance and contacted my lawyers regarding taking other legal remedies to protect my assets.

Thank you so much for your advice..and sorry it took almost a year to reply to you.

All the best.

Diane

[Nadene0]

Diane, I had a recent incident where a guest staying with me for 3 months thus paying 20.97 a night did not feel it was reasonable that I ask them to move their car to the the road so I could clear the driveway .. this guest was from a warm climate, and believe "snow removal" meant I would clear off thier car, and hand shovel around them to clear my driveway. I have rented to many guests in the past, this was a first. That said I added this to my discription "This is Maine "we get snow" and "snow needs to be removed ". Snow removal from walkways and driveway begins at 7am if there has been a storm overnight . Guest will be asked to clear off their cars and move cars to the road while I snow blow . Guests move cars back in the drive when the drive is clear. There are shovels available for guests to use if they need to clear behind their car to leave earlier. The driveway is very very short, I recommend parking as close to the road as possible if you need to be out before I begin snow removal."

[Gary1316]

I think when people rent a place for a weekend, they aren't thinking nor responsible for yard maintenance. And if you charge them for yard maintenance, they could reverse that charge in a NY minute. The banks would probably equate this like a hotel. Time will tell. 

[Mark26]

I wonder what your insurance company would say?  Why don't you ask them how they think you should deal with it?  Make sure they understand that you are renting your second home to the traveling public, and that it is advertised globally.

[Lvan0]

 Hi..Sepand are you looking for a cheap snow clean providers? Then I have known one services providers who can help you. Please visit Best Snow Removal Professional Edison and get a quote today. 

[Julie1746]

We have a cabin in NH and this is our first winter. We have contracted a plow service for $55 per storm and an additional $10 for shoveling the walkways. We leave a 35lb bucket of ice melt and shovels at the cabin in case there is additional snow fall while a guest stays. One thing we have looked into doing as well is buying the heated stair mats. They are a bit pricey and I am still looking in on the logistics such as automatic turn on/off since we are about 1 hour from the cabin. Any ideas on heated steps/walkways?

[Craig892]

Holy Smokes!! They charge me $150 to clear the driveway in Purg Colorado!

[Arlene50]

People come in the winter months to ski and snowboard so they will be outdoor sports people.  I think I will mention in my listing that if there is fresh snow that there may be an additional $50 charge to clear the driveway and walkway.  As well I like the idea of providing shovels and ice melt if they want to fix a spot here or there.

[Gary1316]

If someone slips, falls and cracks their head on the ice on the sidewalk not cleared of ice... who will they sue? The owner, not the renter.... Basic logic is the owner is ultimately responsible which is why most owners use a snow clearing  service and have insurance,  just like any owner of a home or property. Also, you can be fined from the city (the owner) . I don't think the airbnb guest would have any culpability. It could be written in the that contract that the tenants are responsible, but if they don't pay? The owner is responsible and must pay. The owner could sue the weekend guest but Goodluck there.

[Greystone0]

Hi @Sepand0 ,

Our winter market is our 'other' high season and we can have snow from November  - April.  Having your short term rental guests manage snow removal seems like it might cause more problems than it's worth. If you have guests who aren't familiar with snow, which is possible, they may not have the proper attire to be out there battling snow.

In our case, we have a caretaker who plows our driveway and a short walkway. He comes at his own discretion.  We have a note in our listing about having AWD or 4WD for winter driving conditions and for any new reservation that pops up during winter, our initial message includes a repeat of this info in the body of the message. 

We do have snow shovels and sand that we leave in our garage. Guests who are ready to roll up their sleeves are welcome to the shovel. But shoveling the whole driveway would be a nightmare for a guest obviously. We get some savvy winter folks who are well versed in winter conditions but if I feel like they may struggle with conditions I try to offer more service, if that makes sense.

We don't remove all snow as less than 4 inches is genearlly not plowed around here, so making a that distinction to guests is relevant. A guest from a non-snowy place might find ANY snow cover an issue, even a dusting, but it just isn't practical to meet that standard.

Just some food for thought. Wishing you much success with winter bookings!