Guest expectations

[Our-Charming-Retreat---R0]

Been a host for app. 6  plus years . Am finding more and more that guest expectations are  getting out of control. Also finding that more and more guests are using our home as a " cheap" way to rent a space in our city and then have crazy expectations that they dont voice til after they left!!

Last guests came for a week, hung out ALL day and ALL night eating, smoking and watching TV and left  the house only to get food f rom a supermarket which is a few blocks away and then gave us 4 star for location!!!  Wondering if  the couch was  not close enough to the TV?

 Guest before that said we didnt communicate. I sent them  via Air a full description of everything about the home during their stay before they came. My husband went to check in with them personally and they gave him the cold shoulder!

They were here 2 nights, asked to do their laundry  from the week[ which we allowed for free] wanted a late checkout requesting  this late the night before and I gave them an extra hour since we were expecting guests that day.  We provide a stocked fridge and they  ate enough food that take most people 4 days to go thru. That still was not a good enough value for them!!!

Just finding that more guests, esp. younger guests have unreasonable expectations  and requests that are way beyond the norm. It just isnt the same as when Air started years ago...People interacted, became friends and were considerate and appreciative.  Sadly, not finding that so much anymore. 

 Your thoughts? Am I just being unreasonable to expect people to introduce  and behave themselves when staying in my home?

[Kath9]

@Our Charming Retreat- Rebecca,  this is a trend I am noticing as well. I guess, like everything, Airbnb has changed and it no longer has its original spirit, which was all about homestays and cultural exchange. Airbnb itself is becoming more and more commercial, so people just expect it to be hotel-style accommodation where they can do whatever they want. Second, Airbnb has become the 'norm' for accommodation, and people, especially the younger ones, don't realise that in the past you had to pay top dollar for a horrible little impersonal motel room. They just haven't lived through the pre-Airbnb era, so their expectations have become ridiculously high. I had a young couple the other night who gave me 3 stars and on their review said the room was small and the bathroom was shared (both clearly stated on my listing) - in their private feedback, they said I should have somewhere in the room (that was too small, remember) for a kettle, tea and coffee and bar fridge for guests (there would be absolutely nowhere to put this) and that it was more like 'couchsurfing' than Airbnb. They paid less than what they would have paid for two beds in a dorm at the backpackers down the road. I was fuming! I wanted to send them a private message explaining to them just how much time I spend washing and cleaning and making up beds and having complete strangers taking over my home every single night for a measly $50!!!! Yep, Rebecca, I totally hear you.

[Brandon195]

I rent out a bedroom, and recently reached Superhost status, but the last two guests didn't bother to stay, and left a negative review after briefly stopping by the house. One said the surrounding neighborhood made her feel uncomfortable. Granted, I unfortunately live next door to a condemned house; I can't do anything about that (the owner lives currently in Guam), but otherwise I live in a quiet, diverse neighborhood.

The second guest claims she walked in, saw "stuff on the floor", and that was an immediate no. My house stays clean, as my ratings show; the stuff she speaks of was a small UPS package. No junk, no clutter. Numerous guests have left high ratings for Cleanliness, and complimented the house for being sparkling clean, with the same "stuff" on the floor. She also walked in the bedroom and was unimpressed for some reason. She also compared my house to a Super 8 motel, and I'm guessing it's because I didn't provide everything you described.

I know it's all in the eye of the beholder, but it bugs me that people expect the Four Seasons at such a convenient price. I work two jobs, and clean my home after every guest leaves. The fact that you expect me to pull out the stops for a price cheaper than even the sketchiest hotel is ridiculous. I'll just get a roommate and save money on my mortgage that way.