Giving discounts for longer stays

Ingrid356
Level 2
Kyneton, Australia

Giving discounts for longer stays

Hi everyone!

 

I am relatively new to the Airbnb hosting community, having started my Airbnb experience as an experiment in February. 

 

When I started out I set my nightly price at $95 and offered 10% discount for weekly stays and 20% for monthly stays, but changed this to 5% weekly and 15% monthly after I had a bad experience with guests staying for 13 days - it wasn't worth the extra work I had with cleaning and chasing up missing items, so I thought a lower discount might discourage longer stays.

 

Just recently I increased my weekend rates to $105, still keeping $95 as my base rate for week day bookings. 

 

I have just received a request for a 6-month stay by someone who is taking up employment in the town where I live. This period cuts across a number of confirmed bookings I already have into January 2020. So I was extremely polite and cooperative responding to the request, saying I would not cancel those bookings but if the potential guest was happy to work around those bookings we could probably work something out. I also pointed out that I currently offer 15% discount for monthly/longer stays. 

 

The enquirer has now responded by agreeing to accommodate those bookings but is asking for a "significant discount" as I will have guaranteed rental for 6  months and has put that in figures, looking for a nightly rate of approx $50. This represents a discount of roughly 50% on my potential weekly rate. 

 

The enquirer was also very keen to speak to me on the phone and provided a phone number (which was hidden by  Airbnb). There is reference in the enquiry to the "reputable organisation" my potential long-term guest will be working for, but no name of that employer was provided. 

 

Do others hear alarm bells ringing with all this? Or am I being overly and unnecessarily suspicious? Has anyone else had experience of this kind? And if so, how did they deal with it?

24 Replies 24

Everyone here has touched on so many of the main points, and I couldn't agree more. Be very wary of this person. To me, though, the thing you have to be most careful about is what a couple of the others have pointed out: tenancy or "squatters" rights. Many places allow tenants to have certain rights after a fixed period of staying there, usually 30 days, which is why @Jennifer1421 very wisely limits hers to 29 days.

 

If you want something to scare the bejeebers out of you into why you should never do this, just do an online search about the two Russian brothers who are professional scammers and who were proud of how they had done this to some poor American lady who was just trying to make a little extra money on Airbnb. It took her months and months to get rid of them, and these jerks were actually posting pics on social media bragging about how they used the lax laws in their favour to outsmart her. Read that story, and I'm sure you won't even be considering this. So don't do it--and also block out the number of days on which people can book. The sooner the better.

Thanks so much for sharing that horror scenario - although I wasn't able to find the particular case you have referred to but found a few other interesting articles about scammers. I am also getting information about our tenancy and squatting laws in Victoria so that I have the full picture with that. I will also update my listing and limit my maximum stays.

Ron-And-Carol0
Level 2
Calabasas, CA

Steer Clear.  Every Time you have someone come in for 30 days or longer, its a month-to-month tenancy.   

 

ABB suggests we cut our rent but it really does work for me.  We gave a 5 Star well cared for place.  We only want guests who can afford and will appreciate out offering and the care we provide.

 

The bargain hunter is just the wrong fit.  Pass on guests who want to pull your chain; I've even see some ask for free rent.  I'm a business person and I need to make a profit.  

 

In the long run, you will learn to hang tough.  

 

There's an old but true expression:  A street car comes by every 5 minutes.

 

 

Thanks so much for your feedback and sharing your experience.

 

I am still cutting my teeth in the Airbnb world. What started as a side business for me has been for the most part a positive experience, and I am pleased at how many bookings I have had so far. By and large, I have had great guests who looked after my place well and were appreciative of what I offer.

Petra327
Level 10
Phoenix, AZ

Let me think about it.....NO!    This sounds like one of those scams.  Exactly what form the scam is in I'm not sure.  But the clues are; 50% discount, you don't know the name of the Employer, it doesn't sound like the person wants to go through the App, and they can work around your other bookings, which can be a positive but not in this case.

Solveig0
Level 10
Lørslev, Denmark

I've closed my listing for longer terms than 10 days - just too much bother with longer term guests. Never took care of the place. 

Paul154
Level 10
Seattle, WA

Hello, I work for an "reputable organisation".

I don't know the name of it. I can't tell you the name of it - but it is REPUTABLE!

LOL.

Ingrid356
Level 2
Kyneton, Australia

Thank you everyone for your feedback and comments. 

To the potential renter's credit, I was sent a very nice thank you when I responded with a firm NO and recommended they get in contact with our local real estate agents. 

But I agree that if someone is making an enquiry they should provide much more information about their situation rather than vague references to dates or employers. If they were making an application through a real estate agent for long term rental they would have to expose themselves in great detail and provide references that can be verified. 

 

From my limited experience so far, I have found the shorter stays the best. Guests are only there for two nights, are usually out sightseeing and taking in what our town has to show, and don't have time to mess the place up much. Those guests are also much more appreciative of what they receive.  

The only longer stay I have had was more trouble than it was worth. I had a bucketload of extra cleaning to do - how someone could have fat dripping down the walls of the kitchen in only 12 days is really beyond me!?! Some things also went missing and the communication was not good. 

Tanya318
Level 2
Arlington, VA

I’m new to this also 

 

please give me some ideas 

 

I have used the tips area to have an amount put in 

 

I did see it says to give a discount or to not give a discount 

 

please someone help me out with this as soon as 

 

you can look at my listings I have to tell me what I need to do 

 

I have a listing that says VERY EXCELLENT FURNISHED BIGGER ROOM Please someone check out this listing and tell me exactly what I need and should do 

 

I also have the same listing that I have which is a listing which shows a rent amount in both of my different listings 

 

which is another different way I have listed two different furnished rooms 

 

someone please check out all 3 of my different listings and tell me exactly what I need and should do 

 

I also need to know if I need to and should add bank account information or a credit card information or a debit card information to my 3 different listings 

for a way for people to pay me to stay here 

or is there a way for people to just pay me in cash when they come to stay here without me having to add bank account information or a credit card information or a debit card information 

 

please someone contact me as soon as possible to help me out with this very important request questions I have in this comment as soon as possible by using my email address at the bottom of the comment please 

 

I really want and need the help with this since I’m new with this 

 

*sensitive information hidden*

@Tanya318 

Pay with cash? Bank account info for people to pay you directly?

These methods are against Airbnb policy. These are methods used to scam guests.

 

You inform Airbnb of your bank account when you set up your payment method.

Airbnb pays you, the guest does not.