Air Conditioning and Bedrooms

[Andrew2221]

Hi everyone, I am curious to hear your opinion on the interpretation of air conditioning being included in a listing. If an apartment only has one AC in the living room/ hallway, but not an AC (or vent) in each bedroom, would you still say that the listing includes AC? By saying your listing includes AC, is it implied that each bedroom at least has some output of AC? If there is no AC (or vent) provided in each bedroom, would you say you could still say that AC is included? Thank you for your time and help! Would appreciate your view on this! 

[Gordon0]

You'd explain this in your description, @Andrew2221; 'Air conditioning to the living room and hallway, not in the bedrooms'. 

[Juliet831]

For new hosts, there should be guidance the amenities tick box section that makes it clear people expect air conditioned bedrooms. Like many. I have ac in the main area, but not in the bedroom I have listed. 

[Jenny349]

Yes, I would definitely include A/C as an amenity (some guests may use aircon as a search filter) and then be meticulously careful about specifying exactly where you provide it. Nothing worse than a disappointed guest! 😉

[Emilia42]

Personally, I think this depends on what type of host they/you are. A host who overpromises and underdelivers would click the box for A/C because there is some form of air conditioning within the space. A host who wants to set clear expectations and undersell their place would not list A/C as an amenity and then explain the setup within the description.

[Jessica-and-Henry0]

@Andrew2221 

My set up is exactly like that..... one large AC in the living room, no vents or separate ACs in any of the rooms, so all bedroom doors need to be kept open for the cold air the reach the rooms (we have fans in each room and air circulators) - this type of situation is typical for many Korean homes.  My listing is a single occupancy private bedroom+private bath (across the hall from the guest bedroom) and the details are covered in our listing description. I state I do have AC but for any bookings made between June~Sept we always reiterate in detail about the AC situation. If we get even a hint that the guest might find it uncomfortable to have to keep the door open all the time, we try hard to persuade the guest not to book. All the guests that did end up staying with us didn't complain and seemed okay with keeping the door open a crack (with a door stopper) at all times - unless a person was standing right in front of the open door, no one could see into the guest bedroom (no line of sight into the room from the kitchen/living room). Also, rooms would always be a little hotter than the living room so we made it clear to guests that if they are a hot sleeper, then they shouldn't book with us. 

FYI, this is the blurb I have about heating & AC in my house rules. 

AC & Heating - Korean homes (apartments) are built differently from western homes and do not have HVAC vents.
From mid-June till mid-September, large AC (in living room) and air circulator are turned on when indoor temperature exceeds 28° C (82° F) so the bedroom door will have to be kept open for the cold air to reach the room. During summer months, we provide summer bedding and a fan (in the guest room). When the AC is on, it is set to maintain an indoor temp of about 25~26° C.
From November~March, heating (floor heating) is turned on when indoor temperature falls below 20° C (68° F) and winter bedding is provided. (extra blankets available if requested) Floor heating is set to maintain an indoor temp of about 21~22° C during winter.

[Till-and-Jutta0]

It might even more convenient, if the A/C is in a different room: less noise, less air stream.
I as a traveler would be happy with it.

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Andrew2221  

do you rent the entire apartment/house or just a bedroom in the shared home?

We rent the entire apartment, 60 sqm and the only AC unit is in the living room. 2 bedrooms are without AC.

We have AC as an amenity and there were no complaints

[Pat271]

Depending on the expected temperature and humidity, I would not only describe your A/C configuration in the listing, but also during the booking process, after the booking process, in your House Rules, and in your Welcome Packet.

Also, if your place has a hot, humid climate, I would do everything I could think of to help guests have comfortable sleep - fans, cooling mattresses and linens, etc. Good sleep is very important to a comfortable, successful stay.

Expectations are everything, and I’ve seen a lot of hosts get marked down for not having A/C in the bedrooms, especially in hot, humid climates. It’s manageable, though, if your guests know what to expect and see evidence that you’ve made a visible effort to increase their comfort level.

[Laura2592]

@Andrew2221 due to the number of interpretations of "air conditioning" I would probably be sure to ask the host if I were a guest who needed this amenity.

For example, many homes in the US are centrally air conditioned. And to me, that is what "air conditioning" means. But there are also homes that have window unit air conditioners, or many have limits on the temperature a guest can set it at. 

European or Asian homes may have a totally different interpretation of "air conditioning" and it may be disappointing to an American traveler, but certainly not inaccurate. We found that to be the case in Europe as well with "clothes dryers." In some locations, that meant a heated rack. In others, it meant an all in one washer dryer.  Never did we stay in a place that had a 2 unit American style washer dryer set up.  We didn't think anyone was being sneaky by describing their place as having a dryer. We realized that these appliances have differing names or meanings depending on where we were. 

So to answer your question, "air conditioning" can mean a number of different cooling systems depending on the home and its location. If you need a certain kind, its best to get that settled before booking.

[Juliet831]

I believe there should be a tick box in the system that states where the air conditioning is. This discrepancy leaves thousands of hosts open to issues… and refunds.