I rent out a whole house in Harare, Zimbabwe and, under our housing rules, guests are responsible for payment of the utilities consumed during their stay. Previously we provided some of these as standard but have been faced by three major challenges. First is the erratic and quite often exorbitant pricing of utilities like electricity and broadband. For example electricity is now being charged on different tariffs depending on the period of the month - cheaper at the start of the month and much more expensive later in the month. Second is the unpredictable consumption habits of guests. For example you can get guests who consume internet quickly because they are streaming videos and music so unless you have an unlimited package (which is quite expensive in Zimbabwe) you are constantly faced with guests with requests to top-up the wifi which they have exhausted. Electricity consumption is affected by personal habits like cooking, ironing, etc. Third is the pervasive shortages being experienced in the country. For example gas is in short supply and one may have to queue for it for hours or to buy it on the black-market which is quite expensive.
I have been having difficult conversations with my guests about these matters and I am not sure what is the best solution. Would be keen to hear any solutions and ideas.
