Best way to describe hosted space.

[Paul457]

We are hosting out the bottom floor of our two storey house. It is self contained with own parking and separate entrance. 

I inially described the house type as APARTMENT, and the space as WHOLE APARTMENT.  However a guest was surprised that we lived upstairs!

However if I change house type to HOUSE I can't say it's the whole house 

[Gerry-And-Rashid0]

@Paul457

If the place has no shared space with you - ie separate entrance, living, kitchen etc then you are right to describe is as an entire property. 

That your guest was surprised you live in the unit upstairs is neither here nor there. Just make sure it is clear in your listing as plus - ie: We live in a totally separate unit upstairs and are available if you need any assistance during your stay. You can also refer to it during your email exhannge about checking in. Most people will have zero problem with that - those who do are probably not people you want to rent to.

[Paul457]

Hi Guys Thanks for the reassurance. The first two guests were fine. Just the third was querying the description. How they thought they were getting an entire house for the price of a one bedroom studio I don't know. Houses by the beach down here got triple the price a night!! Thanks

[Hilary-And-Ed0]

well said

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Paul457

As Garry and Rashid said if you don't share bathroom, kitchen or entrance than it is apartment / entire place.

If it is in a house and you live upstairs or it is in a building and other tenants lives upstairs or on the same floor is not relevant if you ask me ( but you can include "we live upstairs" in your description, it could not hurt.)

For example we rent 2 apartments in a building and there are another 10 apartments with tenants in the same building. And not just that , our place is basicly one big apartment which is remodeled in 2 apartments so they share the main entrance and the hallway. Because that hallway conect/separates our 2 apartments it is also possible to rent both of them as 1 big apartment.

We list each of them as apartment/entire place and nobody ever questioned that. (We also have a floor plan in our gallery and anybody can see it in advance.)

You listed it correctly but some people immagine one thing but in reallity it is something else . Not to mention guests  who do not read and rent a room thinking they rented the apartment 🙂

[Paul457]

Hi,

Floor plan ! What a great idea ! Then there should be no confusion - hopefully 🙂

Thanks

[Allison2]

I have a similar setup and have "Your host and her cat stay downstairs." in the top description. I think it makes it really clear that I'll be on-site. Some people want more privacy than they can get with a host living on the same property, but it's definitely not just a private room.

In fact any of the things that could be unpleasant surprises are at the top of my house rules, which they're supposed to sign off on. (Like that the place doesn't have a full kitchen, and just shower (no bath))

[Paul457]

Thanks Allison 

I've now done exactly as you suggest in my house rules.

I have also made the description say that you get entire self contained bottom floor, and added that  we live upstairs. Like you said this makes it clear that the hosts are in the same building.