HELP, about how listing my place!

[Alexandra224]

Hello people!!!, i've been a host for a few months now, and i love it, but recently i had a complain about a guest, saying he was expecting an entire house..

My description is listed as entired house, BUT, in the description area 3 times is mentionated that SOMEONE is living, for 2 months there... so i never had this problem about people complaning about not being an entire house.

I set it like that, because the person who lives there, only comes to sleep, and does not use the house at all. so basically, if you book, the place is locked for you.

I have 2 bedrooms, so now i'm not sure, if i have to make a 3 listings, 1 for a bedroom, another one for the other bedroom, and one for the 2 bedrooms.

En list it as private room... i wanted to avoid having to manage 3 LISTINGS... so i just set it up as one, till now.

if you are a couple and book at my place, the place is blocked for you.

so... any thoughtsss about what i should do??...

ALSO, if you list your place as private room, it can't appear as business ready.. thats why i listed it as entire place, Should i keep doing it as entire ready.. and people ACTUALLY need to read descriptions to realize SOMEONE is living there!, or turn off instant booking, so people actually take the time to read all??...

agghhh

[Monika64]

@Alexandra224 You cannot list a place as an entire place even if someone else "just sleeps" there. You simply cannot. A very large % of people WILL NOT READ listings. Let me say that again: THEY WILL NOT READ LISTINGS!!! Not even the first line, I can assure you. They will run a search for a "entire place" option and will book without even looking twice. When they book they expect to get keys and not see anyone else AT ALL!

If ever you really want to keep your listing this way you CANNOT have Instant Book because sooner or later you will have to cancel (because your guests will probably won't since your description of "whole place" isn't accurate) and be penalized. Airbnb will take their side, I'm sure of that.

If you take out IB you will have the chance to explain every single potential guest right away that there are other people staying in your place.

[Jessica-and-Henry0]

When I see a listing for "an entire house" then to me this means the guests booking "the entire house" are the only people staying in the "entire house" for the duration of the reservation. If anyone else lives in that house while the guest will be staying, then your listing is not for "an entire house". It's a shared house. If the listing is for "an entire house", other than the host dropping by everyday for a 3 min. security check, I would also expect no one else to have any access to the house during my stay. I don't think you should be blaming the guest in this case because your listing description is the problem here. How can someone who lives in your house and sleep in your house not use the house at all? Sleeping in and living in the house is also using the house. Before you blame guests for not reading your listing, I think you should put a bit more effort in clarifying your listing description. 

[Alexandra224]

Yes and no, the person who "lives" in the house, only sleeps there, not eating,cooking, hanguing around.. LITERALLY sleep. so that's why i've been having trouble with the listing option.  never had complain before, and worked really well, and people actually never see her, that's why i thought about "entire", plus, it's your dutty as a guest, read descriptions. simple as that. even tho in the pre-booking message, clearly says it again.. so if someone its just avoiding doing their "job", it's not all the blame for me.

[Monika64]

@Alexandra224 As @Jessica-and-Henry0 mentioned it, anyone in your place other than yourself stopping by for 30 seconds to check on your guests' well being IS considered another guests. So you cannot put it in there that people would have the place for themself!

And let me just say it again: PEOPLE DO NOT READ the listing. NOT EVEN THE HOUSE RULES! Even though they have to sign off on it, they DO NOT READ it many many times. Yes, it should be logical and smart and the right thing to do but still lots of guests will not read it, believe me, I speak from experience with lots of "non-readers".

And I can tell you with 100% certainty, Airbnb will side with the guest if you list your place as "entire place". They will not care what you put anywhere else in your listing if someone shows up and will contact Airbnb because your other guest shows up "just to sleep" you will not get any money and most likely will be penalized in some way.

I'm not telling you these things because I'm trying to argue with you, I understand where you coming from, I'm just telling you it is just a matter of time before you run into problems and will loose money, time and maybe good guests and a chance for a good review.

[Monika64]

@Alexandra224 As @Jessica-and-Henry0 pointed out, having anyone there is not an entire home.

This is the Airbnb official definition:

Entire homes/apartments: Guests rent the entire unit and don't have to share the space with you or with anyone else.

There is no such a thing as "just sleeping" somewhere that is not considered sharing. Your guest left you a very nice review considering they found another person in your place at check in time. Most people would call Airbnb right away and you'd face problems.

And let me just say it again, poeple DO NOT READ LISTINGS and HOUSE RULES. Even though they have to sign off on the house rules still they don't read them often times.

[Jessica-and-Henry0]

@Alexandra224 I'm more surprised that no one has ever complained before. Why do I get the impression that the only reason you haven't had any complaints before is because the other guests did not know or realize there was someone else sleeping in the "entire house" they reserved??? Do you specifically tell guests thru a separate message or when they check-in that there will be someone else other than the guests "just sleeping" in the "entire house" listing that they paid for??? Or do you assume they read your description and not mention the person who will "just be sleeping" in the house with the guests?

Stop making excuses and please just change your listing description. Yes, I agree that guests not reading the listing description and house rules is wrong and their fault. I have also suffered because of these types of guests. This does not mean you or any host can write contradicting and misleading descriptions, then blame the guest for not asking for clarification. Seriously. Just change your listing to a "shared house, private room". 

[Hilary-And-Ed0]

Entire place is entire place, period.   If I booked an "entire place", and then someone showed up "just to sleep", I would be freaked out.  You would too, if you were being honest.  

Entire place means people can walk from the bathroom to the bedroom with just a towel (or nothing at all) if they feel like it without any surprises.

Also, if business ready has to be an entire place, then that is so for a reason.  If someone else shows up while the person expects to be alone, you will definitely hear about it in your reviews.

Change it to "private room."