Unreasonable Temperature Expectations

[Steve2743]

Canadian, here. I'm currently dealing with a VERY high maintenance guest, but the biggest issue is over temperature. I've increased the thermostat to 25° C (77° F), which means it's about 21° C (70° F) in her suite. The furnace almost never shuts off at this temperature, I'm sweating to death in my boxers upstairs, I've already provided her with extra blankets, and it's still not enough to keep her warm. Fortunately, it's supposed to warm up again next week. I'm thinking of adding something like below his to my listing for future guests. Thoughts?



Note To Guests From Warm Climates: Please remember that the fall & winter months in Canada are very cold. There's nothing we love more than snuggling into a warm blanket and a thick sweater on a cold winter night. As such, our homes are generally kept at a lower temperature than you may be used to. Basement suites are a touch cooler. I'll do my best to keep the suite at a reasonable temperature, however I can not turn the thermostat above 20° C (68° F).

[Steve2743]

EDIT: I forgot that I also blocked most of the furnace vents upstairs, so the basement temperature should be the same as, or warmer than upstairs. 

[David126]

You are renting a room not a sauna.

I think the test of reasonableness comes in.

[Francis55]

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[Stan-And-Juris0]

@Steve2743:  Hi, maybe she is on blood thinning medication, so tends to get cold easily.  How about providing heating blanket?  Might help a little but she'll still be cold when she gets up.

I agree, if you want to put a notation for your guest, it needs to be on your listing so they know what to expect.  Below is what I have in my house rules after experiencing a guest who probably thought the guesthouse is a hotel, so the A/C was on all the time.  Only time we didn't hear the A/C on was around 3 a.m., then back again around 9 a.m.  Hope this helps.

"Use of air conditioner or heater for prolonged periods of time is discouraged for your own safety and convenience. We kindly request our guests to be considerate in the use of A/C and heater as they are not commercial or industrial grade. Setting the timer or turning it off once the desired temperature is achieved will be very much appreciated."

Stan and Juris 

[Steve2743]

Thanks for the input everyone! I don't think she's old enough to be on blood thinners, but she is from a very warm climate.

That's great wording for your house rule/disclaimer. Especially the part about it not being an industrial A/C unit. I think I'll some of that into my own.

Steve

[Kim-and-Jen0]

Hi Steve,

Do you have heater? Maybe you can offer her heater in the room or offer her more blanket and suggest her to wear jacket and thick clothes? Just try your best to accommodate her, this is something you cant control.

21 degrees is not that cold unless there is wind blowing. It is actually very nice temperature. 

Good luck

😃

[Sharon114]

Here in the UK we have less need for AC units, just a fan for occasional hot days/nights in summer.  During the winter months we, like you, do not like our heating on too high and always turn all heating off at night before bed and on again early the next morning.  What we do provide for our guests are independent heaters for their use so that they do not have to feel cold.  We do ask that these heaters and/or fans are not left on when they go out.  We are not used to having our heating much above 20c and, frankly, this would make us feel quite ill.

[Ephraim0]

I feel your pain. I live in NYC and often in winter I must open my window in freezing weather so others are comfortable. It drives me crazy to heat the great outdoors especially considering it's hot as heck in my home, and I'm getting the utility bill. But that's life for me and I deal with it. I don't like it but I do understand that some people require much more heat than the average person. in winter I'm most comfortable at 69 degrees 70 max, more than that and I'm suffering. Sometimes I have to hike it up to to ungodly temps that would make the Devil himself buy an air conditioner. The sacrifices we make.

[Alice-and-Jeff0]

Agreed that you might want to add a note about the temperature range you keep the house but I'd keep it more general.  

You could provide a space heater, slippers, and a warm, fuzzy robe.  Our guests frequently take advantage of these items during the winter months.  

It occurs to me that what she may be experiencing is a bit of "dampness" in the basement suite, especially coming off the warm summer months, not really "coldness".  Perhaps a run of the dehumidifier would do the trick? 

[Seth6]

Just to be sure, you stated a 7 degree differential between the thermostat and actual temp in the suite. If you state 68 as your maximium allowed temp then isn't that 61 in the suite? That sounds very inhospitable. Sounds like a separately controlled heat source is probably in your future - for both your comfort and guests...

[Lyndsey2]

We added a baseboard electric heater in our apartment. Both for the comfort of our guests and also because, in Connecticut, it is illegal for a landlord to keep the heat below 65 degrees F (18.3 C) if the landlord controls the heat-- and we regularly keep the house below that in the winter. I like the baseboard heater because it less of a fire hazard than other types and also is not powerful enough to heat much beyond the room it is in. 

[Lyndsey2]

On another note, to make your comment on your listing sound more like an ammenity than a potential problem, I would probably word it this way:
We keep our house at X degrees C, which is comfortable for most guests. If you are accustomed to warmer temperatures, we would be happy to provide a heated blanet (or whatever you choose to offer) upon your request. 

[Marie3]

My house is a split level and the guest space is downstairs--several degrees cooler down than up. We keep our home quite chilly when it is just the two of us (I run warm and my husband is cheap--he runs cold but would rather wear lots of clothes than pay higher bills) When we have guests we set the themostat higher by 3-4 degrees. We also provide an electric blanket/heated blanket on the beds. So far it seems to work (last winter--still warm here) We have a family room that the guests use and that has a gas fireplace so that room can get quite warm. While their bedrooms are cool, extra blankets and the electric blanket have done the trick. (no complaints)

The comment about a dehumidifier is a good one--it's hard to get warm if the room is damp. When you don't have guests have you spent extended time in the space to see how cold/damp it is? Placing your information about temp. in your listing is a good idea.  Extra pairs of wool socks or slippers available as well as smaller throws that someone could put over their laps/shoulders might also be appreciated. I provide the throws but haven't gotten the socks yet--though have been thinking about it. My chilly husband spends the whole winter with either a hoodie or a stocking cap on his head (including when sleeping) says it keeps him warm. We all have to adjust.

[Steve2743]

Thanks for all the tips! I've spent two winters living in the suite myself, and my grandfather rented out the suite for four decades prior, with no temperature issues, except on the very coldest of winter nights. With the early fall temperaturs, it should be more than reasonable. I've also shut all the air ducts upstairs, which should blow more hot air into the basement, and cause the furnace to run a little longer. It shoukd be as warm as, or warmer than upstairs now. I'll definitely look into the cost of either a space heater, or an electric blanke, as well.

Anyway, this is one of two unreasonable demands from the guest, as well as a bunch of annoying but more reasonable ones. No idea how I'm going to review her, as she's actually a sweet woman to chat with.