Incomplete listings make it difficult to find the right property

[Susan4389]

As an AirB&B customer, I am really frustrated by the lack of complete information in many listings. Below are the three things I find most frustrating:

1. If you have a property with multiple levels, please list exactly what is on each level. List what I'll find on the Main (entry) Level, Lower Level (if different than Main), and Upper Level (if different than Main).  I want to know where I'll find the kitchen, living room, one or more bedrooms, one or more bathrooms, laundry, etc.  Just telling me your house has these things doesn't tell me whether my brother (who can't walk up more than a few stairs) will be able to access the primary living area and will have a bd/ba on that same level. ALSO - 'full bath' doesn't mean much. Some people think a full bath includes three pieces (i.e., sink, toilet and shower), while others mean the bath includes a bathtub. Please tell me if each 'full' bathroom has shower/tub combo, a separate tub and shower, or just a shower.
2. Incomplete pics, especially of your bathrooms. Often, you post bathroom pics with the shower curtain closed. So, I'm supposed to just imagine what your tub or shower looks like? Maybe you didn't want to clean it? I want to see the tub and/or shower, toilet, vanity, etc. I'm looking for whether it will work for the older folks in our party. Do these areas have grab-bars around the toilet, shower, tub? Does the walk-in shower have a seat? Also, I want to see pics of the parking area, and entrances to the home. I saw a listing today that said it had an accessible entrance, and lots of parking, but the only pic of the outside of the house showed the front of the house with a step concrete stairwell with at least 20 stairs and no street parking. So, I had to imagine how this home had an accessible entrance and parking for 4 cars - I moved onto the next listing.
3. Kitchen supplies. When I rent a home with a full kitchen, I expect it to at least be stocked with salt and pepper and coffee filters for the coffee pot. Unfortunately, this isn't always the case. I want to know whether I have to pack up basic cooking supplies like salt, pepper and coffee filters, or if you provide a fully stocked kitchen with 95% of the things most of us wouldn't have to buy at the store every time we shop for a simple meal like breakfast. I'm not expecting eggs, but a bit of oil and seasoning, aluminum foil, a roll of paper towels, coffee filters, etc. would be nice. And please list whether or not you have these things.

Thanks for considering my complaint!

Susan

[Susan4389]

I'm sorry I ever posted to this forum. My post was probably not worded the best, but it was intended to help people improve the substance of their listings. I'm astonished at so many replies explaining to me how the details in your listings don't matter because your guests don't read.

[John5097]

@Susan4389 The reality is that most host will try and promote their listing so that it gets booked and what most guest would expect renting a place in a standard residential dwelling. In part I think the kind of info you want such as grab bars and a place to sit down in the shower isn't very common because the listings meet residential building codes and not commercial building codes. Also just because there is a grab bar doesn't mean its ADA compliant or the space is even big enough to accomodate a full range of limited mobility needs. I usually suggest guest use the search filters for any specific kind of info such as if the listing has steps. So in general the vast majority of guest would expect a standard bathroom or stairways to meet uniform residential building codes. And even with a very detailed listing with all the things you mentioned, some guest still won't be satisfied, and expect there to be additional amenities, that wasn't in the very detailed listing and unrealistic for the rates being charged. I personally didn't find your first post to be demanding and did my best to respond from my hosting experience. 

Edit: I'm also sorry your first post got deleted when you tied to post. That bug has been around for two years and hasn't been fixed. As I said, each listing is different. A room for $20 and a shared kitchen may have very clear policy that guest need to bring all their own groceries and supplies. while a 5 bedroom house a host should be more specific about the layout, and supplies. I agreed with you that coffee filters and such should be included or clear that its not. Usually host adjust their listing to guest feedback, and in general a lower rating can be an indication its sub par. in the reviews guest usually mention something that was an issue and should have been clearer. If a listing is vague  and lower ratings and lower rates, don't expect a dimond in the rough or even very clean place.  

[Sarah977]

@Susan4389  No one said the details "don't matter".

What matters the most is that guests at least read the most crucial information, like not being under the impression they are booking an entire apartment when it's a private room in a shared home listing.

So when hosts find that the majority of the guests can't seem to absorb or bother to read more than a few sentences, it works better not to get too detailed and wordy.

There is also a maximum word count that hosts have to stay under.

As has been pointed out, if you need specifics that you don't see mentioned, just ask the host.