Charging extra for electricity

[Ynez0]

I have a one bedroom apartment I rent out for vacations. I usually charge people for using the electric as here in Mexico, the electric is so expensive, and i only charge a modest fee for my apartment. It also deters people from using it all the time, leaving it on unnecessarily. 

Not one of my guests has ever had a problem with this.

Today, my last two guests felt it was very unfair to have this charged and said I wasn't clear about it at the beginning. I read through the guest book in the casita and it does say they will be charged, although I thought I had made this clear on the listing, apparently not. I only charge this to cover the cost, not to make money. 

Refusing to argue about it, I told them to leave it - despite it being the highest bill ever, since they used the AC almost all the time, leaving it on when they went out. I am a small, sole property owner. As my guest (from London) said 'it's expensive here'. Yes, it is. That's why I can't afford to pay for your electric, when you have used so much.

Their argument was that I was not explicit. I told them I was going to read the meter when they arrived, but they did not understand...nor did they read the guest book in the casita, where it says on the first page how it works...

this is the first time in 16 months that anyone has left my place with a bad vibe. I'm very upset about it as I don't wish them to feel bad, nor me. 

Lesson learnt. Spell it out. Clearly. And then explain again. 

😞

[Brian-and-Petra0]

I rent in kerry,  crazy the waste.

I had a couple last year,  nice didn't seem to use much utilities the first night, so I said I would charge them for the for it.. well . for the next 3 days the boiler was going constantly and windows open, you see  people dont like to get cold while they are listening to the ocean apparently....

[Deanna216]

wasteful! Yes, airbnb should get behind hosts and ask for overuse of utilities specially power within the insurance...if they exceed their usage, insurance should pay host as if guest would have broken something valuable 

[Brian-and-Petra0]

Tbh, every one can use different amounts of energy in the house,  depending on time of year and amount of people. 

If you are renting a house, you should charge for utilities as you would renting a car and the fuel.

My experience is it helps me lower the price of I charge during low season giving great value to guests. 

I would have to double my nightly rate to be cover excess usage.

I think people are getting mixed up between houses and hotels here.

[Robert6574]

See how many likes you have? Lol

[Deanna216]

So your profit is much less than many others thanks to your generosity but I get your point. 

[Peter1571]

I thought that all fees must included on the listing.

Guests must know how much they will need to pay before they book.

I don't mind if I have to pay more for electricity but I definitely want to know ahead of time,

that way I am making an informed decision.

[Susan1188]

Dear @Peter1571  I respectfully disagree.  In a hotel, you book the nights and all is included.  AND:
They CONTROL THE AIRCO from the front desk!  Turn it off at night!  And when you go out and remove the keycard, it is shut off!
In a private apartment rental, it is different.
You have an allowance for reasonable usage of airco.  In any case this is made clear in my listing.  If you go out for 10 hours, on a day with 35 degrees heat, cooling the apartment with window open, with my new, powerful airco system, to 16 degrees, I'm sorry but that was not included in the listed

price.

[Deanna216]

The problem is that my entire building is ran with electric power. I cannot turn off the AC alone lest I leave the guest without fans, hot water or lights...I pay for 24/7 electricity but the AC, when it runs for more than 8 hrs a day, costs are prohibited...practically, half the nights rental fee would apply to cover the additional power usage. Many of my neighbors let the power run out (its paid in advance in our building and when the meter runs out, the lights just go out)...so my neighbors ask their guests to go to the front desk and pay for more power at exorbitant prices...it is abusive and I have a difficult time incorporating the additional power cost in the nightly fee. I am clueless as to what to do. Mist guests do not abuse the AC usage but when the last inquiry asked about the power additional charge, she did not want to pay so she didn't rent the apartment. At least it was clear to her that she would have to pay much more for 24/7 AC...We are not a hotel...they don't seem to care.

[Robert6574]

That’s why if you don’t pay, AirBnB‘s Resolution Center won’t pay them either.

[Susan1188]

If you leave the airco on to 17 degrees with windows open while you are out at the beach, there will be an extra charge at my properties.  You'll get the bill after you stay.

[Tony-And-Una0]

I agree entirely that utilities should be included in the price and  the host should a set a price that compensates them for the overall usage of the guests. 

However, electric car charging is an interesting new dynamic that I am sure will become a hot topic in the not to distant future and one we will all need to think about. 

[Sandra525]

I think is ridiculous to charge water and electricity extra. Yes there can be a note not to charge you car and or if you have an AC unit you can make a note that if usage is over a certain amount there may be a fee. I was going to book a place here in Portugal and the host ask to pay bills. I'm not moving into a new flat I'm renting a short term place. 

[Susan1188]

In a hotel,  even 5 star relais & chateaux!   they control the airco from the. front desk and turn off when you are asleep and when you are out.

in a holiday rental, airco is even more powerful and guest can put to 17 degrees, when 40 degrees outside, and go out for 10 hours during the heat of the day leaving windows open.

I'm sorry, that's not normal - you're renting an apartment, there are limits.  Even to save the climate we should all enforce this if not for our own bottom line.

[Robert6574]

Exactly! Some of the spruced up dumps that Airbnb hosts advertise look good but they actually need a total remodel because they are out-dated They are poorly built and insulated and cannot keep warm or cold air in or out without the units running full time. The problem is worse in warm weather countries like Panama or Brazil, since the weather is nice they don’t mind just letting it in freely. Air infiltration (drafts, air leaks) Is acceptable and insulation is usually nonexistent. The hosts complain if the units are on when the guests are not there but that is usually because they put in under-sized mini splits that take forever to heat or cool a space. They have watched too many videos about how to get rich quick by turning a storage shed into a luxury Airbnb unit. That being said, we’ve used AirBnB while we’ve been on the road for the last three years and we’ve only had a couple that asked for electrical usage fees. And no, I didn’t pay.

[Susan1188]

We are all different and in different markets!

Do you have guests from worldwide, who's custom is to cool to 16 degrees when it is 40 degrees outside, 24/7?  With windows open?  

Are you maybe on-site so you can see if this is happening?

Did you ever have guest arrive from a road trip with 6 huge suitcases of luggage, book your place discount last minute for 2 nights to do all of their laundry and had the clothes dryer turning 48 hours non stop?

Our reasonable prices cannot support this kind of excess, that is why I have proposed my possible solution to other hosts.