Demanding guests

[Rachel132]

Has anyone else noticed that guests have become more demanding and treat it like a hotel more often now? I'm not sure if it's just a fluke or what. We rent a single room and bathroom in our home. We are Superhosts for two years and have great reviews. We never had any issues until the second half of this summer and now it seems like we have had a few problems. I even had a woman ignore instructions of which door to use, then left the house unlocked after her and said she thought it would be like a hotel where it automatically locks behind you. It's a HOUSE. Not even an apartment. Where are people getting the idea that Airbnb is like a hotel?

Does anybody have any tips to prevent this sort of thing? Even now I have someone who is requesting a stay and is being very short with me. I don't think she likes me asking her questions. She asked for my address and I haven't even accepted the booking. I was a guest before a host and I fully understand I was going to somebody's home. Have commercials changed? Have the prompts for guests changed? What is going on?

[Al19]

Hi. So far I was renting for the nationals, and it is easier. I am new in this, international, mode of the bussines. And it is my major concern: how to insure the gests following the rules? I am renting a complete apartment. 

[Andrea9]

@Rachel132

I think it's all the newly registered guests who often hear it from somebody else. They usually have no clue what the original hospitality idea was about. If I get inquiries or requests from recently registeredd with no reviews or real verification that seem a bit short I use a boiler-plate message thanking them for their interest, answering their question, as well as remarking on their being new to Airbnb and tell them nicely that it's not like booking a hotel but is an accommodation in a private home, based on trust between both parties,  and that I would like to know more about who I would be welcoming into my home. Also for them to make sure hey read my house rules and description in full to know what's offered (and what not).

If I don't hear back (inquiry), that's fine. If it's a  request I also tell them they have 24h (or the time remaining of 24h) to get back to me or I'll have to decline due to Airbnb host penalties. If still interested - to answer my question(s) and re-submit.

Usually does the trick.

[Melinda19]

This is tangential, but I have a solution for guests leaving the door unlocked. After constantly replacing keys, I put a lock with a touchpad on the door and give guests their own combo. You can set the lock to automatically lock after it has been opened.

[Rachel132]

That's a great idea, except we don't want them using the front door at all. We barely use the front door. We ask them to use the back door which is off the alley, where the garage and parking are, and where the lockbox is. The front of the house is just a stoop, sidewalk then a four lane one way street. I think it's a liability to go out if they trip on a step. It would also be easier for our dogs to get out. So I literally take them to the lockbox and tell them they need to go in and out that way and that their key will not work on the front door. To get out the front door, there are no knobs to turn. There are two separate locks, the keys hang in the middle of the door. She had to match each key to its lock to open it and then leave without locking it. Sometimes I think they will find a way to do something stupid no matter how much you do to prevent it.

The keypad might have prevented two other incidents though where I feel our house was left unlocked as some sort of "revenge" because they didn't read the listing and were upset that we had dogs or weren't a hotel or whatever. It's definitely something to look into. Thanks!

[Tania-and-Andrew0]

Maybe get a really great design saying "Hello! Please remember to exit through the other door. Have a nice day". Or something similar? I have been experiencing also some issues and as others have suggested, when receiving a request or inquiry from a new user I use a message saying something like "It looks like you are new to Airbnb, please make sure you read the FAQs (link) and our house's rules, they will help you guide you through the Airbnb process. If you have any questions regarding the difference of staying in our home please feel free to ask. We love having the opportunity to be your first Airbnb experience, please share with us your expectations about staying on an Airbnb home instead of a hotel so we can make sure we meet them or even exceed them."

What do you think?

[Rachel132]

That's a great idea. I was just thinking about something like this. I have labels and signs in other parts of the house too.

[Roz4]

Wow- that's a fabulous intro. I'm going to copy and paste it! I haven't run into any difficulties so far, but it's kinda eneviatable! 

[Andrea9]

@Rachel132

If I was exasperated enough I'd hang a decorative curtain or place a paravent to block exiting the front door. Why do guests even have keys for it? is it an emergency thing?

[Rachel132]

The keys hang on the door because they are needed to exit. We have to have them there in case of emergency yes, but also that's where we get deliveries.

So far the issue with that door being left unlocked has only been one person. Other times it's the correct door in the back being left unlocked. I just added the story about the front door because she literally said she thought it was like a hotel door.

[Al19]

I will write Andrea's comment in golden letters on my wall. Very helpful. Thank you very much. 

[Leona4]

Hi,

Like you I have been a host for nearly 2 years ad have also found this summer te guest can be plan rude! We asked a guest who arrival with here friend in 2 cars to please move one of the cars as we were having a delivery, well you would have thought I asked for the earth to stop spinnning and was told they had booked and it has parking so why should they move!! Due to asking to move thier car they left me a horrible review why was both unfair and unjust.  Over the last few months I have guest not read the listing and demand I things not on the listing, so now when I send directions I also include a sentence asking to re-read the listing carefully so they are aware of what is on offer and what isn't

So to end , I agree guests do thing we are hotels not homes.

Leona

[Scott80]

As AirBnB becomes more mainstream, we as hosts are going to have to adapt to what our customers want and those desires are going to become more varied as AirBnB becomes popular. Hotels just did not pick their amenities out of thin air, Hotels adapted to what the customers wanted. 100 years ago most hotels did not have private bathrooms, a man named Statler figured out that customers would like private bathrooms and he became successful. Likewise. if an AirBnB host discovers that guests want a door that locks automatically, the host has two options they can add a "house rule" that the guest is responsible for locking the door and grumble when it does not happen, or the host can just get a door that locks automatically.

[Rachel132]

Or after we've been burned enough, we could just quit and Airbnb won't have a product to sell. I don't believe the customer is always right when it comes to the safety of my house and family. If I have to purchase something to make all three doors lock automatically, those costs will have to go to my guests. Part of the reason Airbnb is cheaper is that we don't have to provide everything a hotel does. It's completely ridiculous that someone would assume a front door on a house would lock automatically. I'm not going to go out and spend that kind of money to mitigate that level of stupidity.

[Andrea9]

House Rule @#1?

Do not book with us if you are looking for a hotel experience and/or not comfortable in a private home.