Listings should specify when listing is a homestay/homeshare

[Kelly753]

I can’t seem to find any way to communicate a suggestion to Airbnb corporate. As hosts in a three bedroom house where guests stay in one or two of our bedrooms and we live in the third, we get guests from time to time who aren’t bad, but they really don’t seem to know how to behave in a shared house. Most of these are folks are of the wanting to play their guitar and sing or have loud late-night conversation variety. We also get people who are shocked (because they didn’t read our listing) that we live in the house too, and there are people who try to sneak in extra guests and break other house rules because they think no one will notice. In other words, they come with the expectation that they will not be sharing space with their hosts. The “private room” designation on listings doesn’t really specify whether the space is separate (as in a casita, a backyard studio, or separate apartment in a house) or shared as in our situation. As a proactive measure, Airbnb could help both guests and hosts have more pleasant and successful experiences if they made a designation for homestays (actually a homeshare, but that term seems to have been co-opted by freestanding vacation properties in many places).

[Ava30]

Hi @Kelly753 : I see that frustration level from many hosts that share their space. I would have looked at your listing to see if I could have offered help in the description, but it does not appear on your profile. 

However, I can offer this advice, when responding to a Booking Request or Inquiry, Ask the question (in some form) "Excuse me for being pedantic, but just making certain that you Do Understand that this is a room in my home? You Will be Sharing My home with me and my partner/family/pets/whatever applies. If so I will be happy to approve/preapprove your Request/Inquiry. If not, could you please cancel from your end (if it is a Request" As you know for Inquiry, all you have to do is Respond. If you don't get an answer within a couple hours of deadline on a Request, ask Airbnb to get involved, contact the guest/cancel the request from their end so you can save your Decline option for when it is truly needed. I have a pretty decent reponse rate when I send a question like that before accepting a booking when I Imply that I Will accept if/when they answer. 

I capitalize my important points but just the first letter. It makes it stand out without the impression of all caps yelling :o/  Good Luck!

[Sarah977]

@Kelly753  hosts have been asking for clear category like this for quite awhile and Airbnb appears deaf to it. Please send your request for this designation to Airbnb via the Feedback form on the Airbnb site. If they get enough of them, maybe they'll listen.

[Emilia42]

@Kelly753, how much communication do you have with your guests before they arrive? I always think that people don't read my messages because of the short reply or complete lack of response. But then I think to myself .... how did they get inside or how did they know where to park? Because they read my message with the instructions! When a guest books or requests to book tell them your expectations, let them know you live there, anything that will alert them to what they may have overlooked on your listing page. 

It is unfortunate when a guest does not read the messages until they are sitting outside your house but then that is really on them. And I’d like to think that most people have a little bit of a better grasp on their travel plans.