Long Term Reservation

[Miki5]

A couple just messaged me about a two month stay. I'm an on-sight host and this would be my first longer booking. I'm open to the idea, but unsure how to go about it. I would think the cleaning arrangement would have to be different. I don't want to be somebody’s maid after all. But are there any other issues, I should be aware of? Any advice from people who have done this before? Another point:  they suggested staying here for 15 days before making their decision to book for the longer stay.  I understand they want to see if we feel comfortable with each other, but I can't see blocking off my calendar for two months while they decide. How have other hosts handled the chemistry part of the equation?

[Marzena4]

The main things to consider, as you said @Miki5, are:

1. cleaning of the guests' room - who/how often;
2. cleaning of the shared areas;
3. change of bedlinen covers;
4. usage of appliances like washing machine, kitchen -fridge (how much, how often);
5. usage of hygiene products (who buys them?);
6. usage of supplies.

As for the trial stay, I wouldn't go for blocking my calendar at any rate...

You might agree to a notice period of, say, 15 days and only block that for them, the rest at their own risk if you are booked. And check Airbnb policy:

https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/1361/how-do-changes-and-cancellations-work-for-long-term-reserva...

https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/1354/what-are-some-differences-between-long-term-hosting-and-sho...

[Emiel1]

Hi,

I am used to long term reservations (rooms only). Please note the payment is also in several terms and the cancelation policy is special.

(search in Airbnb HELP for "long term" to read the relevant articles)

My guests arrive in a clean room and have ready made beds on arrival. But during there stay they change the bedlinnen themself (I provide it on request) and they keep the room clean themself (using my equipment like a hoover). It means i never enter the room again after check-in, unless guest specifically ask me for repairs etc.. Having some trial period can be in both interests. A reservation can be extended, as long extension period is available. It's up to you to keep it "on hold" for some period, in practice only realistic if check-in date is at short notice. Or you can make appointment with guest to notify them when a bookingrequest from another guest appears. If guests want to stay for longer period, read also this: https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/465/can-hosts-ask-guests-to-sign-a-contract

Best regards, Emiel

[Anonymous]

My approach on the rare occasion that I've done longer-term arrangements is similar to @Emiel1's. Cleaning products and a periodic change of linens are provided to the guest, and I maintain the cleanliness of the common areas, but I don't enter the guest's private space and expect that they do their part to clean up after themselves in the kitchen and bathroom. 

Even so, you should expect that long-term guests will use your space much differently from short-term visitors. They'll be in the house for a larger part of the day, require regular use of the kitchen, take more liberties with the common areas, and in general behave more like flatmates.

Personally, I don't think Airbnb is a good platform for long-term stays. For one thing, the guest fees are extremely high when magnified by long periods, so it's not good value for the guest. But also for the host, it's far better to offer longer share arrangements to people with whom you have an established mutual trust or at least a broader range of tools to vet than Airbnb provides us. Undeniably, people staying in a residential capacity are far more high-risk than casual tourists, and Airbnb has not accounted for that in the slightest way. So if you do decide that you are open to sharing your home for a period longer than 30 days, I'm going to take the risk of being censored here and suggest that you make such arrangements outside of this platform, with subtenants whom you can interview in person, check the chemisty, collect background data, and mutually agree on a contract before committing dates to them.

The "trial period" isn't a bad idea per se, but if you're going into the low season it does mean that you could lose money on the deal. It might not be worth the risk. It shouldn't be on you as the host to block your calendar under any circumstances; the guest should be the party to absorb the risk that a place is no longer available after the period they've committed to.

My own approach is to set a maximum stay on Airbnb that reflects the longest period of time I'm willing to live with someone I don't quite have the right chemistry with (2 weeks in my case). But when I know people personally and click with them, I'll gladly offer the space for several months at a time. So if I were you, unless I felt exceptionally enthusiastic about these strangers based on the communication, I would respectfully decline and change the settings to a maximum stay that felt more appropriate.

One final consideration - all hosts need to be aware of their city's right-of-residence laws, as there have been several cases where long-term guests used them to legally "squat" a host's home when they were no longer welcome. Unless you're prepared to grant a guest the full rights of tenancy accept the risks that come with that, you need to stick with what your jurisdiction classifies as short-term stays. To be on the safe side, I would not even consider a period above 29 days on Airbnb.

[Emiel1]

@AnonymousI agree on a lot of your points. Please note the Airbnb fees for long term stay are less (percentage can go down to 11%) then for the short term stays (about upto 15%). But it still some money. I am used to long term stays, by normal contact or via Airbnb (allthough 10 weeks Airbnb stay has been a maximum until now). Most of my guests or tenants visit my city because of internship, study or limited period of work (project). So they leave when it's finished, back to their country of residence. However, i am very cautius when local people want to stay for longer term on an Airbnb reservation. So ask the right questions and protect yourself against unwanted situations, as mentioned in this thread.

[Jessica-and-Henry0]

@Miki5

I host a lot of long term guests in my private room ( & bath) listing - mostly exchange students for up to 4 months.

In my case, I handle all bedding changes every 2 wks and provide clean towels throughout their stay - this is because I do not trust guests to wash my towels and bedding properly. I allow somewhat limited use of the kitchen, living room and washing machine. Guests are responsible for keeping the guest room & bath tidy, but we enter the guest room to vacuum the floor and under the bed about once a week ( we do not disturb the guest's items at all) and check if they need more kleenex and check if there are any visible stains on bedding, walls, curtains, furniture etc. - I do this to keep an eye on my home. I also provide basic amenities (TP, shampoo, soap, toothpaste) throughout the guest's stay. All of this is built into my pricing. One thing is, I only accept one single guest - not a couple. And only exchange students for long term because I know they will be busy with school and spend limited time at home. Still, being a good fit and making sure expectations are clear to both host and guest is really important. I usually communicate and talk a while before I approve any long term guest but there are still some surprises. 

A trial period could be okay, but I would definitely not block the dates in advance. I'd also consider suggesting they look for private home listings if they need a place for 2 months instead of trying to manage a roommate situation which would be much more harder for everyone. 

[Anonymous]

@Jessica-and-Henry0 or, if a private home situation is out of the couple's budget, they might be better suited to a large shared house with two or more other people. If friction arises, it can be amplified by a solo host feeling outnumbered.

[Jessica-and-Henry0]

@Anonymous

True...... but that would be up to the guest to decide, based on their budget and their needs 🙂 As a host, I can only determine if the guest is a good fit for what I am able to provide and whether I think I would be comfortable having that person in my home as a guest.

[José70]

Don't do it....

[Alice-and-Jeff0]

@Miki5 - when we've hosted long term we do the following: 

1. We INSIST on a once-a-week cleaning of the guest's room/bath and a linen change.  We want to be able to inspect the space weekly to make sure there is no damage, problems, or rules violations.  This also enables us to keep up with the cleanliness of the space so that, after a few months, we're not cleaning weeks of filth off shelves, the floor, and in the bathroom - just think of the HAIR! The guests will have no incentive to keep YOUR level of cleanliness up in their space and we, like @Jessica-and-Henry0,  do not allow them to clean our linens (imagine if they got something on the sheets and just kept using them and the stain sets for weeks before you get to it - or worse, they bleed through and the mattress pad does not being cleaned - ugh!).  If the guests want more than once a week, we charge an additional cleaning fee. Overall, this lends to a better room and bathroom experience for them and us.  We don't ask the guests to do more than pick up after themselves in the common areas and we clean as normal.

2. We charge $2/load for washing any clothes.  That includes a Tide Pod and free use of the dryer.  This way we have control about how much soap, etc, goes into our machines and limits the frequency in which guests do laundry.  

3. We have limit on what they can use in the kitchen and hold people accountable for cleaning up after themselves when they use that space.  We set expectations about use during our conversations leading up to the beginning of the booking.  Then we show them where the cleaning products are in the kitchen.  We have a dishwasher so they can load their own dirties but insist on hand-washing any wine glasses so we just do those ourselves.  We also unload so we can put things away and, again, inspect for damage.  

4. We provide a "Pantry Package" for $1/day of use (staples like flour, sugar, spices, and condiments).  You can go broke giving away odds and ends like a 1/4 of flour or use of the mayo.  You probably also don't want all those duplicates left over in your home or having to find room for 2 of everything.  With our package, you get 2 slices of bread and we provide eggs at $1 for 2.  We had to do this after our first long-term guest because we provide breakfast and they would "take" 2 slices of bread for breakfast which turned into their lunch and the innocent, "oh, I don't have any mustard, can I use yours?".  Long term guests get really familiar, like you are roommates, and unless you are priced for the "shares" that come with a roommate, then you will be buying for 3 people.  The $1 isn't much, but it does set an expectation that it is still a business and things are not free for the taking - even if it is ONLY a pat of butter. Hotels know this process well - that mini-fridge and room service are expensive for a reason!  Just be cautious.  

5. We also provide shared meals with us by preparing a menu in advance of the week and asking if they would care to join us.  Depending on the ingredients, we charge $10 - $15.  It's way cheaper than eating out (unless you love McDonalds) and encourages guests to buy less and take up less space in the kitchen.  We've heard horror stories of guests making elaborate meals and just making a mess of the kitchen so much so that the host cannot even make their own meal.  This way, a guest can get a home-cooked meal, stay out of my way, and be offered the opportunity to interact with us socially.  This may or may not be for you, but almost ALL of our guests who stay more than 10 days take us up on this at least once.  This is also because we do not allow use of the stove, oven, or knives so unless they'd rather nuke a microwave dinner, this is typically a better option.  

6. When the guest stays for a long while, we take the opportunity to be tour guides early on and show them around.  This humanizes us and helps set a tone that we want to make their stay enjoyable.  It helps open the line of communication so that problems don't fester for either of you. 

Additionally, it is a bad idea for you to take all the risk by blocking your calendar for them during a "trial".  Personally, I am a "bird in the hand" type of girl instead of "2 in the bush" because, without a penalty, they have no incentive to stay.  Reservations can always be broken by either the host or the guest.  That way you are covered.  You also want to make sure that there are no laws in Montreal that will give these guests "tenant rights" so that you would need to evict them to have them removed.  This has happened in some locations.  

Hope my perspective provided some insight.  

[Miki5]

Wow. Thanks everybody. There's a ton of valuable information in your replies. Special thanks to @Anonymous for his very thoughtful response, which answered just about all my questions and also articulated many of my concerns. After some careful consideration I've decided not go to forward with it. At the end of the day, I don't think I'd be comfortable with strangers in my space for that amount of time. Thanks for helping me work this one out. 

[Miki5]

Also thanks @Alice-and-Jeff0. If I decide to offer a longer stay in the future, I'll definilty use your suggestions. 

[Helga0]

That thread is impressive, @Alice-and-Jeff0 have it down to the last dot 😉 

I have similarview like all of you. I do longterm, but only if I'm not present ot suffer on site. In my experience, 5 days can be managed with nearly every guest (but one) and 10 days seem the most I could stand with the nicest stranger. Family is somewhere in between.

What I saw from longterm guests alone in the home: 6 weeks is a limit, where a sloppy person starts to cause permanent damage in a fragile environment. 2 months? I would consider renting a tent placed into an empty swimming pool. Maybe.

As someone said, you would feel outnumerbed, if there are more guests than hosts. When I started hosting onsite, I thought about switching rooms and renting to couples as well. After a while, I stopped proposing it to guests on business trips, who wanted to come back with their partner. I would not consider it for more than three days now, and probably squat a friend's living room couch one of the nights.

[Ma0]

Hi,

I host only long term and here is my advice.

Long term guests are like a room mate. they are responsible for cleaning their room

changing the bedding and washing their bedding and cleaning after themselves  in the common area. 

I deep clean the common area provide toilet paper dish soap and hand soap. i do not allow trial period

and my listing is strict however to be fair i wrote detailed description, house rules and they can ask me all the questions they have 

so they can make an educated desicion. 

suggestion; ask them for a copy of their ID and have them sign the house rules.