A mistake I wont make again

[Zacharias0]

I made the mistake of hosting an older guest that had no upfront plans while in Las Vegas aside from being here to smoke weed and watch a few shows. Usually, I only host guests that are going to be out of the house as if they work a 9-5 or at a minimum are on work study. Never again. He's home 18 hours a day and has managed to eat up all my data causing me to pay for more data. I didn't think it would be possible for someone to sit inside a room all day while on vacation but he has proven me wrong. Hes a nice guy but the smell of weed, constant conversations at all times of the morning on the phone, walking around the house aimlessly and hacking up a lung on the daily has really soured my experience with hosting guests with no concrete plans. I was actually watching TV in the main room one day and he interrupts me to tell me to come look at his house in his next city hes visiting. Imagine you're eating dinner peacefully after a hard day at work and a guest knocks on your room door to tell you they are buying a car. You'll understand my confusion and lack of interest.

Airbnb doesn't make it easy to ascertain what a guest is doing for their reservation. Hosts have to ask endless questions and usually for serious guests I get immediate responses but lately guests have sent inquiries after inquiries asking questions that are clearly stated in the listing only to not book.

[Lawrene0]

There's another thread, started yesterday, about inquiries going nowhere, @Zacharias0 .

https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Help/Lots-of-hesitation-and-no-bookings/td-p/1146844

Looks like it is happening to all of us. 

As to Mr. No Plans, my solution is not foolproof, but it seems to be all we can do. I put my expectations of the guest in the listing summary. In my case it is "Appeals to leave-no-trace hikers/canoeists who look for time off the grid, who understand how to function sustainably and respectfully there, and enjoy being self-sufficient."

Would you consider adding "Our 'perfect-fit' guest is out and about, either working or enjoying the city, during daytime hours"?

[Zacharias0]

Thank you for the feedback @Lawrene0 !  I never know how to word that phrase of: please stay busy and out of my house the majority of the day" so thank you for the suggestion. I will add it somewhere on my listing.

I will check on that link you sent. Oddly enough as one renters term is coming to an end Ill start getting more inquiries, but lately they feel empty. I often wonder where they end up booking and with who. I get a lot of views and I wish there was a way they would let me know what is missing. Itd help them end their search and me looking for people. Ive been fortunate in that one renter decided to stay long term.  I looked into hosting traveling nurses but that website shoots the inquiry out to everyone and in the year Ive had it Ive yet to see a hard lead and im certain they are sending me fake inquiries because I paid for that service.

[Kath9]

@Zacharias0 there's nothing worse than guests that hang around the house all day. I work from home so I find it extremely distracting if they're wandering around, watching stuff on their device, etc etc. Luckily I don't have many of these but it does happen. I always try to get a sense of my guests' propose for visit, but even people on vacation can end up doing nothing. Beats me too.

[Michael956]

I hate when guests hang around all day, too.  Most keep busy with sightseeing, school or work, but occasionally I get someone who just stays home all day.  Since they're paying, though, nothing I can do about it. 

[Chastity3]

I agree, I prefer my guests to be out of the house majority of the time. My first guest was a couple who rented my room and he was more adventurous, wanting to hit all the theme parks and sight-see since this was their first vacation of the year because they've been busy themselves with work and life issues. She, on the other hand, wanted to turn their vacation at my home into a staycation. I could tell he was disappointed. I was more out of my house then they were.