Everyday oven usage

[Jackie380]

I have a very sweet guest that use my wavetouch high power oven to cook a handful/half cup  of sweet potatos every morning.  I have a toaster oven the I used to cook small potion meal...I had suggested it to her, but so far she has not made an attempt to use it. I have usage restriction on my W/D but nothing mentioned in my listing about oven usage.  She will be here for 1 1/2 months....can I say something to her? 

I live in Texas,  out electric Bill's in the summers are ridiculous.  I do have solar panels on my home...but at the moment my HVAC handler is driving up my bill

Thank you guys for your assistance. .

[Alice-and-Jeff0]

@Jackie380  - absolutely you can say something to her.  Tell her the reason just as you told us here and request that she use the toaster instead of the oven for such small cooking portions.  Or suggest that she make a week's worth of potatoes all at once and store them in the fridge. 

[Jackie380]

Thank you..do you think I should add a oven usage restriction to my listing to avoid a reaccurance in future bookings?...Would "oven usage once a week" be unrealistic?or silly?

[Alice-and-Jeff0]

@Jackie380  - The key to this is that you don't have to feel hostage in  your own home to other people's wants and desires.  It is your home and you set the rules and expectations.  Telling guests exactly what you want and expect is typically met with respect and understanding.  Don't be afraid to say "no" and hold people accountable to being respectful of your needs too.

You can add whatever rule you'd like your guests to follow - the key is enforcing it once they are there.  We have a "no cooking" policy - so no stove, oven, or use of knives, pots, pans, etc.  This creates a very different guest experience of course and we receive more guests who are here for shorter periods of time than long-term, which limits all kinds of utilities besides the items in the kitchen (they have to leave for dinner - so reduced use of lights in the house and fewer bodies means the A/C runs less often!). If you have more than one guest in a week, then you haven't really solved the problem of limited use since each guest would be allowed one day of oven cooking. You could make a house rule that use of the oven is billed at $X/hour - then you have to monitor and collect this.  Or just say the oven is off-limits. 

[Jackie380]

Guest staying less than 7 days kitchen access is limited to microwave reheating...no kitchen access..no stove... oven. 

I think I will remove my oven altogether.  I really dont want it damaged or misused or overused.  It a wave touch electrolux and even I dont understand how to use all the features on it.

Thank you for your suggestion.

[Jessica-and-Henry0]

@Jackie380 

I allow guests to use my kitchen and in my listing description I state that there is NO OVEN - I actually do have an oven in my kitchen but I make it clear during the check in tour that the oven isn't available for guest use and instead, they can use the microwave or toaster oven to heat stuff up. 

You need to be more firm and very clear that your oven is "off limits" for such small portions, and she "has to" use the toaster oven. You can be nice but still make it clear this is not a "suggestion". Good luck~

[Jackie380]

Thank you very much for your suggestion.

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Jackie380 

unplug it and remove the grid and hide it somewhere. This way she will be forced to use the alternative.  No mercy! 🙂

[Jackie380]

@Branka-and-Silvia0 ...hahalol!... that definitely would fix the problem, lol!...but unfortunately it a  built in ..

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Jackie380 

if it has it's own fuse then turn it off 🙂

We have the oven but I don't want my guests to use it because I don't have time to scrub it between guests. So I removed the grid from it and put a note " Out of order" inside it.

The oven is not in our amenities but of course, people don't read so I had to photoshop it from the kitchen photo :)))

[Jackie380]

I think it has a "lock out feature" that I will use..lol!

I will remove it from my listing.

[Helen427]

Hello @Jackie380 @Branka-and-Silvia0 @Jessica-and-Henry0 @Alice-and-Jeff0 

@Jackie380 May I suggest you take a leaf out of my book and include that should  a Guest be wanting to cook meals outside of standard breakfast requirements that they are to msg me prior to booking and arrival so I can accommodate them & have a mutually enjoyable experience.

One of my longer term Guest used to cook chicken or bacon most mornings & then thankfully discovered ready cooked chickens. It certainly adds to one's electricity bills.

I've kept my prices to an absolute minimum and would charge much more if Guests are cooking and using heaters everyday.

We must all factor into account basic and other expenses.

Definitely raise the concern with her, don't be harsh as she may not be used to been away from home and we all have to start somewhere.

If she's living at home normally then her family will probably be thankful she has learnt to be more conscientious when she goes home.

Sometimes those from other countries have Gas as opposed to Electricity and have far cheaper power supply so don;t think twice about it.

Maybe even invite her to share a meal every now and then with her during her stay to break the ice and any possible barriers to ensure she feels welcome & that you are not been harsh on her.

All the best

[Jackie380]

Thank you for your suggestion.  She is very easy to communicate/talk with. I was just hesitant to approach it, as it is not mentioned in my house rules. Her livelihood requires her to very fit and very health conscious...and requires detail meal preps..which I was aware of before her arrival. She is very considerate all around..it was just the daily oven use.. but after reading the suggestions I felt comfortable addressing it with her, so hopefully its settled. 

I will follow you suggestion and have a little more indept discussion before arrival in the future.  Thanks! 🙂