Airbnb Host Access During Long Term Stays

[Kayla26]

I would like to know Airbnb's official stance on host access during long-term stays.  My husband and I are currently traveling full time since we both work remotely, and have been renting Airbnbs in different areas of the country, one month at a time.  We are currently on day 11 of a 28 day stay (an entire house rental) and the host messaged me saying he would be here at 1:00pm on Thursday to show the home to a prospective guest.  While I understand that is 48 hours notice, we never discussed this prior to our stay, and I don't feel that it's appropriate.  Not only do we want our quiet and privacy respected, we work full-time during business hours and both of us already have work meetings scheduled at that time.  On top of that, the main bed was so terribly uncomfortable that we ended up taking twin mattresses off of the bunk beds and putting them in the living room floor to have a suitable place to sleep, so we would need to move both beds and all the living room furniture back to accommodate this visit.

I responded to the host's initial message stating that we both had work calls during that time and that we both work full-time during standard business hours and are typically out on the weekends meaning that our dogs would be home alone, so that we would strongly prefer that showings be after the end of our stay.  He wrote back and stated that they are facing the potential of loosing 6 months rental income and would like us to make the home available for the potential renter that day.  While I can definitely empathize with him, I'm really of the opinion that it's not our responsibility to make the place available for showings during the stay we paid for.

In our last monthly rental, our host stopped by frequently, even coming into the house to move things around without our permission and without any notice once, so we were already curious about this issue.  From reading the forums, it seems like the consensus is that hosts really shouldn't be entering for anything other than true emergencies, but I would really like to know if Airbnb has a firm policy on this.

[Kayla26]

Also, I see that the site mistakenly thinks I'm in Australia, but I'm not: I'm in the U.S., more specifically the state of New York currently.

[Melanie33]

Not sure on the rights and wrongs of host access.  You are in a longer term rental which may have different ethics than a few days when I feel hosts shouldn’t request access except for emergencies. You have been given 48 hours notice so maybe you should allow.  I don’t think the host will be very happy about you moving furniture around.  In my book as a host that is a no no.  If he bed was that bad maybe you should have said something.

As to showing you are in Australia, could that have been your residence when you set up your profile.  As I understand it the country stays the same on your profile wherever you travel.

[Mike-And-Helen0]

@Kayla26 I don't know about the legalities, but the reason airbnb has so many photos, reviews and verifications of hosts is so we don't have to show the space in advance.

Did you view prior to booking?

At the least the host could postpone this until you've left or until it is convenient.

[Kayla26]

@Melanie33 I used to be a Airbnb Superhost when we resided in Florida, and I agree that it is typically frowned upon to move furniture around, but it was the best we could come up with given the fact that long-term rentals of over 28 days are non-refundable.  We fully intend on moving everything back exactly as it was (I took many pictures) before we leave.  We just don't want to have to completely move everything multiple times during our stay to accommodate a showing that, in our opinion, shouldn't even be happening.  Before we started traveling full-time, we resided in Melbourne, FL, but it is showing as Melbourne, Australia.  I edited it today under my profile, but it immediately reverted back.  Very strange.

@Mike-And-Helen0 No, we did not view prior to booking, and I agree completely about it being the whole point of the platform is that there are plenty of photos, reviews, and other details so that hosts don't have to show the property prior to booking.  My guess is that they are trying to book off-platform since he said it was a 6 month rental.  I told the host that my preference was for them to reschedule the showing for after we leave, but he stated that the potential guest is coming from the city (NYC - 2.5 hours away, I'm assuming) and that it is the only day they will be in the area.

[Mike-And-Helen0]

@Kayla26 I'm not sure where these people are coming from is your problem...

[Kayla26]

@Mike-And-Helen0 I agree, I don't feel that the hosts should have scheduled something with a potential guest without asking if it was okay with us first.  I also feel like it's not exactly the most safe and secure thing for complete strangers to be entering the property.  Since we are traveling full-time we have ALL of our stuff with us.  Passports, other forms of ID, financial info, prescriptions, confidential work information, tons of electronics.  We didn't bring valuables like jewelry with us and we don't keep a lot of cash with us, but I still feel like it poses its risks. 

I just don't know what will happen if we straight out say no to the host.  I don't know if he might cancel our stay halfway through, which would leave us scrambling to find another rental for the next 2 weeks or if he might leave us a really negative review which could impact us since we are literally living in Airbnbs currently.  We have 68 reviews from others so I would think one negative one wouldn't be too damaging, but you never know.

[Mike-And-Helen0]

@Kayla26 if he cancels the rest of your stay what reason would he have?

I'd contact CS and ask them about expectations.

[Lisa723]

@Kayla26 

"8.2.1 You understand that a confirmed booking of an Accommodation (“Accommodation Booking”) is a limited license granted to you by the Host to enter, occupy and use the Accommodation for the duration of your stay, during which time the Host (only where and to the extent permitted by applicable law) retains the right to re-enter the Accommodation, in accordance with your agreement with the Host."

Not terribly conclusive. 

It surely was not right for the host to schedule the showing without checking with you. It seems like there ought to be some way to work this out, though. Are there any conditions under which you'd be comfortable with the host showing the property? You may have the legal right to just say no but that seems kind of hard-nosed.

Re. the furniture relocation, it seems to me that the only reason you would need to replace it is if you wish to conceal the relocation from the host. I agree with other hosts that moving furniture will likely not go over well, especially if you did not give the host an opportunity to solve the original bed problem for you, but I suppose one option would be just to explain it to the host and see if you can mutually agree on a solution now.

[Kayla26]

@Mike-And-Helen0 I contacted CS, but I'm really not sure that I have gained any clarity.  They stated that their privacy policy for hosts does require that that the hosts not enter without consent; however, when I asked what happened if we didn't want to give consent, they stated that they couldn't speculate.  They said that the host could contact Airbnb and it would be up to the case manager to decide how to accommodate both of us.  When talking to the representative about the policy in general, she said that they take privacy violations very seriously and that if a host entered the property without notice, that we should report it to Airbnb and they would cancel the rest of the reservation, refund us, and penalize the host.  She also stated that the current host could decide to cancel the rest of our reservation though if he wasn't allowed access to the property.  We really don't want to end up cancelled out of the blue, trying to find accommodations for the next two weeks for ourselves, our two dogs, and all of our stuff, so I kind of feel like we need to give in, even though we are really uncomfortable with all of it.

@Lisa723 Unfortunately, it doesn't seem like the policy is very conclusive.  I'm really not comfortable with either being here or not being here when it's shown, and both of our work schedules are fully booked for that day already, so the only thing I know to do is offer to let them come after work hours and arrange to take ourselves and our dogs somewhere during the time they are here.  I just feel like there are so many liability issues.  For example, our dogs are very friendly, but they can be territorial, especially when we are home, so on the extremely rare chance that someone comes in and our dogs jumped on them or bit them or something like that, I feel like it would be on us.  Also, we both are in the types of roles where confidentiality is extremely important, so I feel like we will literally have to secure all of our belongings, which we have no way of doing other than packing them up in our car.  I hate to be the squeaky wheel, it just feels like a lot of inconvenience on our part.

[Paul212]

Airbnb stand on this issue is not consistent. Entry by hosts should be allowed, unless the guests specifically advised the host at point of checking in.

[Mike-And-Helen0]

@Kayla26 it sounds like finding somewhere else would be a nightmare and so maybe scheduling it for when its least inconvenient is the way to go.

[Kelly149]

@Kayla26 you've covered a lot of ground...

-a host entering without notice, not ok

-a host entering with notice and with reason, this is ok and would be true in any short or long-term lease situation. You aren't required to change your plans or make adjustments, they're just letting you know that they'll be there. In my opinion, they are the owner, you're the guest and this falls into an area where tenant's rights don't allow you to prohibit their access. Maybe if you're truthful with all the changes you've made you could convice the host that their prospective guest won't like what they'll see and get them to put it off. If you were renting my house I'd expect you to kennel the dogs, open the door and say hello and then put on your headphones and keep working.

-not all rentals go thru ABB so an in-person showing for a 6 month rental is not out of the ordinary. Seems like there's plenty of ABB places you've stayed at that you might wish you'd toured first.

- however, if they're on-property then they'll realize that you've moved a whole bunch of things and are using their space in ways they didn't intend (mattresses on floor...) perhaps this will be ok, perhaps it won't.

- will their unhappy review matter in the future? maybe/maybe not. Your complaining reviews might make me wary to host you already so this may not make much difference

even with you renting the place, life must go on. Pest control may come, maintenance may be needed, a new tenant may need to have a visit. You had a poor host before, that doesn't mean this host is being unreasonable. (IMO)

[Paul212]

It is all because Airbnb failed to provide transparent guidelines for guests as well as hosts.

[Alex-and-Vaughan0]

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@Paul212 wrote:

It is all because Airbnb failed to provide transparent guidelines for guests as well as hosts.

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Legislation varies between cities, states, countries.

I just had a guest break a window in my place, a big hole in the glass, totally open to the weather and insecure. They left the house for a day trip. We have bushfires in the area, I told them I'd be getting somebody around to fix it today if possible. They said no, we aren't there, do it after we leave (in 2 days). So I told them, it's insecure, open to the weather and a danger (jagged glass) and IT WILL BE DONE TODAY if they want to be there they can drive back. They didn't.

After a couple of hours on the phone it was repaired that afternoon, the tradesperson did it all from outside, didn't need to enter the house at all.