Brush fire on property

[Diane24]

A brush fire occurred on my waterfront property and now a section of my beach grass and lawn is burned.   While there is no odor and the room I rent out on Airbnb was not affected at all I am concerned that guests may be unhappy when they walk or sit near the water and are surrounded by scorched grasses.  Should I disclose this to my guests that were pre-booked before the fire occurred?  And what about guests who are now requesting to stay in the room, should I disclose to them the damage that occurred? 

The grasses will be growing back  in the next several months but in the meantime our rental season is fast approaching and I need to adress the problem right now.  In addition, I do have super host status which I do not want to lose.

Any suggestions from the community woulod be helpful.

[Donna240]

Within the last 2 years neighbors decided to do major renovations to their properties which I believed would adversely affect my guests. I bit the bullit and notified each one, saying that in order for them to make an informed decision about their booking I needed to disclose that renovations with associated noises were now in progress. I listed hours and days and didn't lose a single booking, because most people knew I had no control over the situation. Of course, my guests are out all day enjoying the city.  I think perparing guests for for this minor disadvantage will benefit you as there will be no surprises or complaints. If you lose a guest or 2, they most likely will not write a bad review, because it will be their decision to cancel the booking.

[Lisa723]

Yes absolutely disclose, and send pics. There’s literally no downside. Either the guest appreciates it and you’ve created goodwill or they cancel and you are spared an unhappy guest.

[Sarah977]

@Diane24  I would state it not as some kind of apology, as if it's a huge deal,  but as a "just letting you know."

"Oh no! Had a brush fire. My lovely grass is gone down near the water. No odor or anything, and not near the room, just wanted to let you know so you wouldn't be shocked to see the all the scorched grass. If it's a problem for you, let me know, we'll work out a cancellation." And send pics, as Lisa advised.