Guests want the Waldorf Astoria for Homeless Shelter Pricing.!

[Stuart35]

 i have 3 apts in an Historic District in Louisville, KY, each floor is a seperate apt. own entry (real door) own HVAC with thermostat, Own water heater, full bathroom, full kitchen.

Recently, as of 2 months ago, i keep getting people complaining about the cleanliness...my cleaner is the same, (I'll admit, she's not the best in the world) but she lives a few houses down, does the laundry, sheets and towels.  Charges me $70 for cleaning.  I charge guests $50.  I used to get 100+/night for each apt. but i guess due to competition, the studio might be at $60/night, the big ones, $85/night and $80/night,  the days inn with taxes is $105 and comes with free crackheads, hookers and whores and nasty!

So, i don't know if there was an article somewhere on facebook or some other useless social media that stated, "want to save some money on airbnb?  complain about the cleanliness and get some money back;... or maybe i'm just getting all of the clean freaks at once, now understand, i am a clean freak, i designed and bought everything in these apts. these are NOT grandma's hand me downs, where you can' t find a matching fork or piece of furniture...But i get people complaining, "there is a used bar of soap in the shower"  this is a big one, but, first i don't provide bar soap and there is never any bar soap discovered...???   just today a picture sent of a bottle top under the toaster oven...OK And ?? what?  or, "there was a dirty washrag on the floor, so we left!" Really?  Or " the floor was dirty and they send a pic of some gouges in the floor...ok, remind them, this house was built in 1906, the floors were probably a tree from the front or back yard, each window is different, because they built it as they laid brick. 6 layers of brick, nothing built today or yesterday or tomorrow will be here 106 years later...i guarantee it!  so unless i tear it down to the ground, the floor will still be 112 years old, large planks with no side gaps across 12 or 15 foot rooms and 2-3 inches thick,  IF you could even buy lumber like this, 1 peice would be around $1000.00  and why on earth would i replace it.??  Now its been updated probably many times, new electric, new plumbing, normal showers, AC/ Heat, water heaters, gas stove, new gas stove, microwayves, etc.  large flat screen tv's, wireless internet. dvd players, dvd movies, every movie about a horse or about the KY Derby.  Decorated with original paintings and pictures of the KY Derby, of Secretariat, of anything Derby Related, and Louisville related,  handcut bordered carpets that allow the wooden floors to show through on the sides, not wall to wall that makes it look like a govt. section 8 apt.  custom wooden blinds for windows that are 9feet tall, some are 9ft wide! yes 9 feet wide and 8 feeet tall, double hung that at one time worked.   Again thisi s a historic district, so putting energy efficient windows is not allowed, must be single pane, some are still original, some i've had to replace,  try finding someone to build a window, out of wood, the wood is not square it is angled from top to bottom, 1 sash, $2600.00 

BUT, people just want to complain, and who is the worst??  Other Airbnb Owners!  Yes, they come to compare their Vermont Mansion with 90 rooms, that they rent out 1 bedroom two times a year over the weekend.. they have no clue what my life is like. they go through cabinets, discuss wiring, have the cleaner come over and want her to get on ladder to clean dust off of ceiling fan that is attached to a 14' ceiling and omg, they found 1 hair on the bed.   OMG!  This was a guy, with his poor family, who i'm sure hated him, as i soon did.  oh and this was on Christmas eve, that i'm having my cleaner go back to remove 1 hair off of Prnicess Sassy's Mattress, not mattress on top of comforter.   And besides this guys miserable life, he wants lots of money back, but after listening to this all day and night, and having my own issues in life, i don't make much money doing this, i'm 2k in the whole so far this year, i pay for people to be able to live in my house, i told him, "You want some money back?"  "I'll give you ALL of your money back, now get the Hell out of My place!"  yes it was christmas eve, yes i did not care a bit!  and then this **bleep** unhooks my security camera in the hallway and leaves doors open and turned my HVAC up to 100 and left. he basically could have killed everyone in that building and the buildings attached to it.

But anyway, what is it with tenants wanting a place to look like the holiday inn?  clean yes! , but brand new, and not a spec anywhere?  impossible in a 112 yaar old house, just sitting empty it 'sheds' dust

And i can't even tell my cleaner, becuase she will quit.

I'm ready to sell the place and go back to a less stressful life, i have enough issues with my nazi neighbors here in florida.  and i don't rent anything in florida, but they operate like a local PTA, 12 year old girls being mean group, even the men, mostly the men, the wives are fine, its the men that wan tyou to be there friend and get upset when you don't kiss their butt over thier 800k boat.. I laugh, you spent 800k on a boat, are you stupid?  No, i don't want to mooch off you like the other folks here, i wasn't raised as a mooch, if i want a boat, i'll go buy my own, but i prefer cars, they are money pits enough.

So, any feedback?   oh and i have 97% 5 star reviews, but just lost superhost status, due to a couple bad reviews, which were lies. and CAnadians. cheap ass canadians.

But, to be honest, the thought of selling it is tough, i spent 20 years in KY, was married, divorced, made my fortune, had a dog i loved, who is buried in the backyard and is seen on the security cameras, that are motion detected as purple and white orbs, i don't want to leave my baby who is in the backyard now, i know that sounds dumb, but its not. I feel like i'm leaving her, even though she's been passed away for 2 years now.

I profited 13k last year, grossing about 50k.  is 13k / year really worth it?  i can work 2 weeks and make 12k.   Airbnb used to be social, now its just run of the mill people who don't want to stay at the days inn, but still want to complain.... So for now, i've raised the rates back up, although airbnb would have me charging $40/night to compete with other 1950's homes in the ghetto.  its not a 1950's home where you'd be stupid to walk outside at night, it's 112 year old historic victorian house, in the largest historic district in the U.S.

oh and people like to suggest, "just get another cleaner!!"  duh  well i've had every cleaner in the city, they all suck, they all spend 20 minutes for a 3 hour job, they all don't do anything, when they realize the owner isn't there to supervise them. and who's gonna wash the sheets and towels, NOT Merry Maids!!

[Colleen47]

Woah. It sounds like in your description you should use all this history and uniqueness as a benefit and selling point. "Unlike anywhere you've ever stayed" or something like that. Own it. Make people fall in love before they show up. There will always be those who complain, but if they love the house and everything they know about it maybe they'll turn a bind eye to dust on the fan or gashes in the wood floors. Good luck! Old cool houses are the best. @Stuart35

[Mike340]

@Stuart35

"I have 97% 5 star reviews" ...well seems like overall you are doing pretty well.

Maybe, some of the guests think the cleaning charge is "expensive" and therefore expect "perfection" as a consequence .....I don't know, something to consider

" I just lost Superhost status" ...

I would not worry too much about that, it can be more trouble than it is worth

...just carry on doing what you are doing  ..i.e trying to please most of the people,most of the time

...which is basically what everyone else is trying to do..... we have given up on worrying about the odd bad review, the odd complaint ....it just isnt worth it....enjoy the good guests...dont get knocked over by the odd "bad apple" 

[Stay-Asheville0]

This is a pretty long novella for getting one bad review.

Stuart, you're in the hospitality business.  As frustrating as these reviews are, take it as an oppurtunity to improve your space.  Believe it or not, the feedback is honest.  You can't scream away the review, but you can make make your ad better and you can make the house better so you can make even more money.  

I checked out your response to her review.  Pro tip- Don't battle people in the review section.  Use it as a chance to thank them for bringing these issues to your attention and invite them back.  As for another chance.  Other guests don't want to read you going to war because one person didn't like your house.

I think having superhost status helps me keep track of how well my team is doing, but other than that I don't see much benefit from Airbnb anymore.  

Don't sweat one bad review.  Or even ten bad reviews.  And seriously, no matter what you do sometimes your guest is just going to complain and act like you ruined Brad's wifes birthday.  (that's an inside joke from someone on my staff)

[Fred13]

I liked your post, filled with raw emotion from start to finish.

Taking into consideration the finances, what little you do make on the place for the amount of potential stress, I would look into giving your place a different theme and placate to a different clientele first, before dropping the whole hosting idea. The $60 a night market is a rough one as is, in direct competition with many; and when its a 112-year old home vs. sterile newer places, requiring the guests to use some imagination, may prove to be too-tall of an order.

[Ange2]

@Stuart35   I have felt the same way.  But before you give up, I would rebrand your place starting with the description along the lines of historic old world charm with modern conveniences, shabby-chic or whatever will sell it as a unique experience and up your prices for that unique experience.  Lower prices seem to attract people who like to complain however great a deal they are getting, and then there is always the guest who feels duty-bound to find something to complain about, most all hosts have had at least one.  I did actually have a guest who said he would love to give me five stars for everything but he couldn't  because it wasn't the Ritz!  You could even add the photos of the 'gouges' to your gallery of the hand-hewn floors, capitalize on the workmanship, the experience of living in history, the historic neighborhood.  As for cleaning, I read a post where a host had offered a reward to her cleaner for a consistent 5 star cleanliness rating over  given periods of time. Not sure if that is viable, but if you put up your prices up, maybe.

[Elizabeth1400]

Stuart, I am currently dealing with this issue. A lady and her son checked in, immediately began complaining about the cleanliness and said they feared for lice in the sheets because of a few strands (I have long blonde hair and a few probably escaped as I was making the bed). My condo was spotless and I cleaned it myself just a few hours earlier. Some people are just cheap, scam artists, expect 5***** treatment at the price of close to nothing, and there is nothing we can do about it but try to not let us stress us out. I'm probably about to lose my newly acquired Superhost status as well. These people are demanding a full refund. I'm personally hurt as I went out of my way to collect food items for them because the mom stated and I quote "we will be surviving off of ramen noodles and cereal for the full vacation." Sounds like this lady just wanted to find a cheaper option when she realized the vacation may be getting more expensive with her itinerary. I know this post is old, so hopefully, you're laughing about it now. I hope I will be in a few weeks.

[Kelly149]

This old post is interesting...

#1 Cleanliness is madatory - 70% clean doesn't cut it

#2 Guests are sometimes a PITA and it's good to make a plan before something happens

#3 in the 15 months since this thread was written at least one of these hosts has been removed from the platform... one has stopped hosting... and the rest of you seem to still be clicking along

*Hey, @Stuart35 I have a kiddo doing a co-op in Louisville (21 YO, home-owner, top of the class student), he's helped manage our STR at home and he ran his own listing in his college town last year too. lmk if you'd be interested in a long-term tenant next year

[David3267]

Agree with #1.

Recently stayed in lovely, quirky, characterful place. I make allowances for the age of the property (it creaks, there are gouges in wooden floors etc) But I won't make allowances for the shower being dirty and full of hair!