This is a very New York situation- rents are impossible and spaces are tiny. I am trying to stay in my home and close knit neighborhood community as long as possible in the face of rapid gentrification and a ruthless landlord. I began to Air BnB one of the bedrooms in lieu of having a roommate, and occasionally Air BnB a second. When it was just me and the guests, I guess I adjusted to a very different way of relating to my home. I got used to walking down the street to use the bathroom at a synagogue so guests could shower as long as they liked. I got used to adjusting my sleep schedule to loud guests and otherwise always putting the guests first. This sounds like I'm miserable, but I'm not- I'm just sort of chill about stuff, enjoy hosting 99.9% of the time, and love it when I can interact with guests and when they truly make themselves at home. I have never tried to engender the sort of space where guests just use their room to sleep and are gone the rest of time, although if that's what they want to do, it's fine.
January and February are my dead season. I have a friend who needed a temporary place- she seemed Heaven sent. She moved into one room and we agreed to keep the Air BnB going on a limited basis- if there was a request, we would review it together and those guests would take the other bedroom. We split the money and I would continue to do all the cleaning and communicating. Our last two guests were quiet and barely around. She did not see one couple until they day they left. My current guests are boisterous and loud and make use of common spaces in a way that my roommate finds disruptive. This morning was a diaster- the guests were both in the bathroom (at the same time) for an hour and a half, giggling and treating it like a waterpark, and my roommate had to rush to a meeting without having used the bathroom. Aside from speaking to the guests about being sensitive to the idea of a shared space, I would love any feedback or suggestions. I don't know how to keep everyone happy. Please don't tell me I'm an awful host or that hosting isn't for me- I feel guilty enough about this all as it is. Thank you sooooo much.