Use of my kitchen

[Marit0]

I have a 60 m2 flat, and I rent out a room. I accepted someone for long term, 8 weeks. This person said she would travel a lot during the stay, and needed basically a place to put the luggage. It turns out she barely leaves the flat, and stay put 12-13 hours in the kitchen every day. The kitchen is close to her room. She is polite and friendly, but 6 more weeks with this will make me very uncomfortable. I have had another guest doing just the same. He said he would be at work, but he quit his job and spent most of the days in exactly the same spot. He wanted to socialize with me also, and  in the end I just avoided coming home. What can I do? I have had many guests, also long term, and this situation did not occur. 

[Gerry-And-Rashid0]

@Marit0

Hi - as you have found out, anything over more than a few days/nights and the person is sharing a home with you, not just renting a room while they sightsee or attend an event. It's why we don't accept people for more than 7 nights and in fact usually on take people for a max of 4 nights. It's a totally different relationship - no matter what you put in your rules or description.

All you can really do is be very upfront in your email exchange and lay the ground rules. It's difficult to do so once someone has landed and put down roots.

Having said that (as she is friendly) ask if she is intending to travel as she indicated, or have her plans changed. Hopefully you can then have a chat about her being in the flat for extended periods. 

[Marit0]

Yes, I find it difficult to bring up now. But still, how can I avoid guests sitting in the kitchen the whole day for weeks? I want to stop having long term guests if I cannot avoid this. This is the second time now, and it makes me feel uneasy at home.

[Marit0]

I have had guests for 10 weeks, 7 weeks, 6 weeks, 5 weeks without this happening. Long term is not new to me. 

[David126]

Your pricing structure make long term attractive.

[Marit0]

I just changed to maximum 15 days now. Long term winter seson here is best option to get guests since there are few tourists.

[John498]

Hi Marit, Your problem seems a relatively simple one to me. You advertise the kitchen as amenity so you could always remove this. It might hit the amount of bookings you get though ( especially long-termers) and Norway is jaw-droppingly expensive for eating out. not to mind Oslo. If so put in the house rules that a max. of one hour is allowed in the kitchen or that any guests staying will have to agree to a rota for kitchen use.

Do you know any 'cheap' places to eat in Oslo with happy hours or lunch specials you could signpost her to? Or have any coupons that give discounts? Or why don't you cook her something occasionally to wean her off her kitchen addiction. Or make a social excuse and say that you have taken up cooking for the Oslo branch of the Save the Whale society and will therefore need to access your kitchen more and sadly her less.

[Marit0]

Would not work. You'll need to go through the kitchen to access the room. During the day this guest just uses the kitchen instead of the room. All day. Other guests don't do that. 

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Marit0 just put a TV with cable programms in guest room.... and a laptop with few games , you will not see them 🙂

[Marit0]

Would not work, because its 13 hours a day with laptop in the kitchen. I think I will need to find a good way to say something about it in the house rules, like "The kitchen is a shared space, please dont occupy it for hours." or something like that.

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Marit0 can you put a table in his room?

[Monica4]

I would question renting for long term if there is no desk and chair in the room that you rent.

[Scott80]

ITA seems like a bad decision to not include a table and chair in the guest room. without a television or Wifi available in the guest room it seems like the only thing the room is suitable for is sleeping So naturally the guest is going to utilize the common areas most of the time, In a very cold place in the winter I am sure there is not much to do outside of the house and since the shared space concept is appealing to those with limited money, as others have said eating in restaurants and going out to bars regularly is probably not an option.

[Helen56]

Very peculiar that they would rent a place and then not go out and see the sights.  

Perhaps offer guide books and leaflets about the local attractions.  I have a stack of leaflets about places to visit, hiking trails, museums, etc., as well as a few guide books that I leave in the room. People seem to appreciate this.

Also perhaps a conversation in the evening: Where did you go today? What are your plans for tomorrow? Have you visited xxxx yet? Do you like hiking? Have you tried xxx restaurant yet?

[Scott80]

@Helen56 I think this https://www.google.com/q=oslo+norway+weather  helps explain why someone would not want to go out to see the sights. I hope my comment does not derail this discussion but I really doubt there are many people are that going to explore a city in 36 degree rain.