Is it okay to list my house if it's on the market for sale?

[Alison84]

I have a second vacation home listed here and might decide to sell the house. Is it okay to book AirBNB guests while the home is up for sale?

Obviously I would not disturb guests with allowing the home to be visited by potential buyers during their visit, and I understand that I risk people inquiring about the home while guests are there... but other than that, has anyone done this with their house?

[Esti8]

I’m in this situation right now I should be relaxing on holiday instead I’m cleaning and putting my stuff away so a realtor can show the house at 3 pm today.  Very mad I get a message this morning at 9am so to bad for relaxing and I have to get an Uber to go somewhere in this Arizona heat since I can’t stay here.  I just can’t beleive I paid this much to be a maid! Can I ask for a partial day refund?

[Matthew127]

i just listed a place on air, and it is on the MLS.  I would ask to show wile guest are in the condo.  This is a high end condo and very high end clientele.  From reading this maybe put in the air listing that it is for sale and we would give 24 hour request for showings.  Maybe offer monetary compensation for their cooperation?

[Sarah977]

@Matthew127  Sounds like a bad idea to me. I should think that guests who can afford to book a "high end condo with very high end clientele" would not be interested in being offered monetary compensation in exchange for their privacy and comfort. I should think many would even be be offended by the offer. And what, will they be expected to maintain the place in show-worthy condition, or expected to clean up all their personal stuff with 24 hours notice, or clear out while the maid comes in and during the showing? 

Sounds like you want to keep your cake and eat it too. How about limiting booking avaiability to certain days of the week, and only allowing prospective buyer viewings on the other days?

[Matthew127]

Yeah great point.  I’ll need to rethink this.  Thanks for the insight 

[Sarah977]

@Matthew127  You could ask the realtors which days of the week people tend to want to view places, that could give you some idea. When i put my house in Canada up for sale, the realtor staged an open house on a summer Saturday. Only 3 people came to look-it was a beautiful day after 2 weeks of rain and everyone was out at the beach or having backyard parties. Luckily for me, the first people who came to see the place fell in love with it, put in an offer and bought it.

Another thing I'll mention- just because you list a high end property that might rent per night for what the average joe would spend on groceries in a month is no guarantee that you'll get high-end clientele on Airbnb. Drug dealers, black-sheep trust fund babies and other riff-raff can be quite well-heeled. One host had $200,000 worth of damage done to his property- a giant party with a cast of hundreds, complete with a shoot-out and the place riddled with bullet-holes. It never occurred to the host that he'd get guests like that.

I'm not telling you this to scare you, just to give a dose of reality and let you know not to be complacent- you need to vet prospective guests very well.

[Anna964]

Hello to everyone)

Does anyone know about the topic  "Airbnb Backyard will sell houses"?

[Darcie11]

I rented a large house for 3 months thru Airbnb. The Host didn't disclose the house was for sale, I found out accidentally when I put the address into Zillow. I asked the Host beforehand and was told it had been on the market a long time and wouldn't sell while I was here. Now Im here. Suddenly I'm getting calls form the Host and their realtor about when I will be gone so they can show the house. I'm not comfortable with that, don't want to keep being sent out of the place I'm renting for showings and feel taken advantage of. This wasn't disclosed or something I agreed to in the initial agreement at all. I'm not sure what  to do. I feel like a glorified house-sitter who's paying for the experience.

[Sarah977]

@Darcie11  Just tell the host that you aren't comfortable with this, that when you rent a place it should be yours to use without disturbance for the duration of your stay and that they needed to disclose this showing business before accepting reservations from guests. If the host objects to this, contact Airbnb, who will either make her stop or find out if you want to cancel the reminder of your stay and find alternate accomodation.

[Erin5112]

@Darcie11 @How did this get resolved? I am currently in this situation and very upset. The house was put up for sale after we began our stay. Do I have any rights? She wants to show it for 5 straight hours, starting tomorrow. I have to pack up and leave! Family of 5 with three little kids and a dog. Do I have to allow her to show the house?

[Sarah977]

@Erin5112  Of course you have rights- you paid to stay there, the host can't just expect you to pack up and leave for 5 hours because she wants to show the place.

Contact Airbnb customer service Asap and tell them what is happening- ask them to contact the host to tell her she can't tell paying guests, a family with 3 children, that they have to vacate, with all their gear, just so she can show the house to prospective buyers.

And if it doesn't get resolved in time, I'd tell her you have no intention of packing up and leaving so she'd best call off her appointments to show the place.

I don't know how much time you have left on this booking, but I'd be looking for another place to move to, and ask Airbnb to cancel the remainder of tbe booking when you find another place. No way I'd want to continue to stay in the home of such a rude host.

[Tim2182]

As a renter who has had 2 vacations blown up by people selling their homes & cancelling on us, I THINK ITS MORALLY WRONG!!!! I think the homeowner should have to pay the renter a fee for wasting our time, effort, & vacation budge . The first time it happened we were only 4 weeks out from our trip. This time it's a few months out but all the good properties are gone! Now we gotta drive farther. The replacement home is more expensive than our original pick. I think you should be able to sue them for the difference. maybe I'll ask a lawyer if I can. Not to benefit financially but to end the practice to help protect renters in the future. 

[Britney29]

I’m currently in the same situation as you’re were in. I’ve reviewed the policies implemented by Airbnb and there’s nothing that protects customers from this happening. I’ve been in dispute with Airbnb representatives who at first mentioned the host selling their home and canceling the reservations 3 weeks out from my my reservation falls under the policy of  “extenuate circumstances” but I’ve found out after reviewing their polices, that’s not the case and was a indeed a false statement that was made from the Airbnb host.

I’m currently working with a lawyer to sue Airbnb for their lack of policies to cover/protect the tenants/customers expenses (airfare, increase property rentals, tour reservation etc.) all that is compromised / penalized for the inconveniences of a host’s  last minute cancellation due to the nature of non disclosure of the status in which his/her home  listings  being potential sold which will results to a sudden cancellation. 

I’ve expressed to Airbnb representatives that 

from the guests' perspective, its difficult to find a suitable Airbnb that’s reasonably priced, not to mention search time,  inconvenience, and discomfort this has caused. It’s false advertisement when you’re scheduled for a date and time without any notion that your reservation would be terminated due the property listing potentially sold without notice.

Airbnb has not been cooperative in resolving this matter and it’s been 9 days since I’ve requested to speak with a corporate manager and have yet to receive an answer.  I’m left with  no choice but to go the legal route. 

[Britney29]

@Tim2182 

I’m currently in the same situation as you’re were in. I’ve reviewed the policies implemented by Airbnb and there’s nothing that protects customers from this happening. I’ve been in dispute with Airbnb representatives who at first mentioned the host selling their home and canceling the reservations 3 weeks out from my my reservation falls under the policy of  “extenuate circumstances” but I’ve found out after reviewing their polices, that’s not the case and was a indeed a false statement that was made from the Airbnb host.

I’m currently working with a lawyer to sue Airbnb for their lack of policies to cover/protect the tenants/customers expenses (airfare, increase property rentals, tour reservation etc.) all that is compromised / penalized for the inconveniences of a host’s  last minute cancellation due to the nature of non disclosure of the status in which his/her home  listings  being potential sold which will results to a sudden cancellation. 

I’ve expressed to Airbnb representatives that 

from the guests' perspective, its difficult to find a suitable Airbnb that’s reasonably priced, not to mention search time,  inconvenience, and discomfort this has caused. It’s false advertisement when you’re scheduled for a date and time without any notion that your reservation would be terminated due the property listing potentially sold without notice.

Airbnb has not been cooperative in resolving this matter and it’s been 9 days since I’ve requested to speak with a corporate manager and have yet to receive an answer.  I’m left with  no choice but to go the legal route. 

[Craig-And-Patricia0]

I think that is crazy. Things happen. Part of being on Airbnb is dealing with human beings and trying to be easy going. I sold my house and the lease back provision fell through, so I had to cancel a reservation that was scheduled too far out. This does not make me unethical

and doesn’t! mean I should be sued! Fir heaven’s sake. The guest got a full refund and help and additional money from Airbnb to find her alternate arrangements. I’ve always been understanding as a guest. Expect the same. Lighten up! Things happen and we do our best to make it right.