My guests are occupying my kitchen

My guests are occupying my kitchen

Hey dear Hosts!

 

My bf and I are experienced Hosts, renting out our second bedroom in our apartment.

 

We are facing a weird situation atm with out current guests.

 

They are CONSTANTLY in the kitchen and dining area, for hours at a time. Right now they are making sushi! They spend more time in the kitchen than we do, and they are constantly blocking the kitchen at breakfast and dinner time. This has become very upsetting, they have no sense of boundaries.

 

Usually my guests are gone all day and only make coffee or a quick meal. I listed my kitchen under amenities, and let me tell you, I have changed it now. But they are staying two more weeks and it is really upsetting, as we cannot use our own kitchen and dining area. It is also right next to our bedroom and they sit in there for hours. Their room is big and they have a couch in there. Can I tell them to reduce the amount they spend in the kitchen? 

 

THANKS! 

6 Replies 6
Howard63
Level 2
Ohio, United States

NEVER let anyone stay more than a couple three days. Get ready for a court battle to move what will eventually turn into squatters.

Alon1
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

@Sophie--And-Anthony-0 

 

Howard seems to have jumped in at the deep end... without even inquiring if these Guests are USA citizens or foreigners (i.e. on tourist visas)? In the latter case, it is most unlikely you will be faced by 'squatters'.

 

I have hosted for 6 years near 400 bookings and my kitchen has always been available. Very occasionally I get the kitchen hoggers, but it's so rare that I haven't contemplated revising my policy or amenities.

 

I believe there is no substitute for a polite face-to-face dialogue with the Guests, and no amount of advice you might receive from other Hosts will change that necessity.

 

In case you can't reason with the Guests, you have the option to request they leave and find another place, in which case you will be obliged to refund the remainder of their stay.

 

If that doesn't work, contact Airbnb to dialogue with the Guests.

 

Best Wishes.

 

 

 

 

Thank you!Okay. No I wont kick them out. I know that I have to talk to them. I was more hoping for support or hosts who have dealt with it before. Kitchen hoggers, haha. 

 

 

Hi,  I sympathise having had similar situations and just had to ride it out and cheer when they left. I changed my post to reflect my experiences to say cooking on request and by agreement so I can set the rules when they arrive or beforehand if they ask.  That means I am being upfront that there will be certain rules.  You can allocate times, and what they cook (I don't allow red meat in my house) etc.  It is your home after all.  The best advice I saw was to say something the first time you find something annoying - "How was your meal, you seemed to put a lot of effort into it? Just going forward we might need to set some guidelines for cooking and use of the area.  I am thinking that you can give me an hour block that you want to use the area each day.  Perhaps let me know the night before or in the morning if that's OK with you"  Good luck

Sarah977
Level 10
Sayulita, Mexico

@Sophie0  I also offer full use of my kitchen, but as I only host one guest at a time, none end up using it that much and certainly don't make elaborate meals.

It's really important when sharing your home, as soon as a guest steps out-of-line, to talk about it with them right away. The longer you fume, feel resentment, and feel uncomfortable in your own home, and the longer the guests are allowed to do things which impinge on your enjoyment of your own home, the harder it is to deal with.

Invite the guest to sit down for a cup of tea with you, and let them know that while you're happy to see that they like cooking and are enjoying the kitchen use, that you would appreciate not feeling like you can't even get in there to prepare your own food. Maybe work out some schedule with them when they can cook and when you cook. 

Irene610
Level 2
Coconut Creek, FL

Lol I am new to hosting.  I am experiencing what you are going through right now.  I have foreign guests ( a grown son living and working here and a mother who is visiting) Supposedly his lease ran out right when his mother was coming to visit so they are staying in my place for a month. He goes to work and she is in the house all day! She cooks a lot and watches tv in my family room sometimes till 2am.  I am just waiting it out but I feel like it's their house and I'm visiting!!! So far it seems like people coming from other countries are the biggest offenders. I feel this is an odd situation and that most guests wont make me feel resentful.