How do you deal with a guest who overuses the heating?

[Scotia0]

I have a guest staying who is demanding that the heating is on full blast 24/7 to the point where I am uncomfortably hot and going outside to cool down !

She has also asked for a plug in heater , which I have advised I don't have !

I know it's winter but how do I deal with this ? 

[Gerry-And-Rashid0]

And it's not really that cold here in the UK right now.

I would explain that you don't have the heating on 24/7 in your home (and why are they in your home 24/7?).

Offer to leave it on for slightly longer perhaps at a lower setting - and then suggest they contact AirBnB to find some place more suitable for their needs. (if they are staying for a few more days).

Whatever you do, be prepared perhaps for a negative review - but you can respond professionaly by saying it was unreasonable to ask for heating to be left on at a very high setting 24/7 when it was not that cold.

[Scotia0]

Thanks will do , I've already prepared myself for a bad review, it was cold the first few days of their stay but as winters go it hasn't been that bad 

[Dev13]

Why are they in your home? Hello, some of us have jet lag, others , like me, travel to new places and work from the homes we stay in. Yet others, like me, suffer from Addison's Disease and hypothyroidism, so fatique and body temp regulation are added struggles. 

I've been a frequent long-stay traveller on Airbnb (often booking for a month or more at one spot). I pick hosts with wifi, a desk and quiet to work from...and rest. Because of my disease the first week of jet lag is rough...so I am often in my room trying to recover. 

I don't demand a lot of heat and I wear layers, and I realize heating is expensive...but if a host can't adequately maintain a temperature between 69-75 degrees during wintertime, and really, guests' rooms should be entitled to a steady 80 because some of us come from warm climates or are used to this....then they really shouldn't be hosting at all...

or they should talk this over with the guest and ask for some additional money to cover the heating bill. I happily give extra money for things like laundry and heat if it's not included and if it's reasonable.

But the bottom line is that the home should not be freezing, it should be comfertably warm for someone to sleep, read and work in (like me) and if the whole house is on one unit then give the guest a portable heater or at least an electric blanket and try to find a way to work with them.

[Sarah977]

@Dev13  @Scotia0   I agree. It's one thing if a guest just behaves cluelessly and disrespectfully and cranks up the heat, leaves the windows open, and goes out for the day. There are guests like that, many (they do the same with AC) But when they are home, no one is going to want the heat turned up to the point where they are uncomfortable. Just because a host finds it uncomfortably hot, doesn't mean a guest is being unreasonable, everyone has a different comfort level.

Where I live, on cool winter nights, you'll see foreigners walking around in shorts and maybe a long-sleeved shirt or sweater. The Mexicans are bundled up in parkas with the hoods tightly tied up 🙂

[Mark116]

75 or 80 F in winter?  Sorry, no.  People who cannot tolerate a reasonable 68-70 degree interior temperature should probably not travel to colder climates in the Winter.   

[Pamela619]

I agree... 75-80 is ridiculous.  Put on a sweater.  I have it listed in my house rules that we don't put the heater past 70.  I do provide a small portable heater and extra blankets.

[Bente3]

I think most home will have 75 degrees (23 c)  however I think guests such as yourself, should take some responsibility and offer to pay up front for additional heat.  We are all trying our very best to care for and accomodate our guest.

[Judy1]

Hi @Scotia0,

This is a bit of a tricky situation to handle with poise and patience. I'm going to be very honest, this guest can't have both. She can't have the heat at full blast AND have a floor heater. It's a shared accomodation and she's not being very considerate of you! I would do the follow:

1. Offer more blankets or throws. Perhaps even some slippers (if you've got extras laying around). 

2. Turn up the heat and politely mention that it is getting a little conformtable for you. 

3. Offer to buy a floor heater, but at her expense. You can add the cost of the floor heater by altering her reservation details. 

Additonal requests and "services" can often get out of hand. Guests have to remember that it can come at an additonal cost. Keep us posted! I'm interested to know how she responds. 

Cheers,

Judy 

[Scotia0]

I don't have an extra heater and won't be buying one , slippers , extra blankets have been offered. I'm loathe to keep the place over heated at the expense of me and my dog who's also been wandering round feeling uncomfortable 

[Naz275]

@Judy1  That's a good tip.  I didn't know a reservation can be altered to increase the price? 

I guess if a host knows a bad review is coming anyway then might as well increase the price. 

I'm tempted to take away the fan heater if they keep putting it on excessively. I suspect my guests are drying their clothes and not actually feeling cold!  ( I have offered them to use the washing machine and dryer for a small fee).  

[Dee33]

Go and buy an electric blanket. Guests love them and it solves the problem!

[Louise47]

tell her to put a jumper on if she is cold.  If your that hot turn the heater down. It is your house.

[Scotia0]

So I got a message from my guest today advising me that it's middle of winter and the heating needs to be on 24/7, she chose my property as I listed heating in facilities ! Granted I did list it but I didn't state that it was on 24/7.

She plans to be in the flat 24/7 as she has been since arriving, this is probably what's caused the problem, I have the heating on a timer and all previous guests have been out sightseeing and doing stuff in the day so the heating times worked. I have agreed to leave it on all day, but I know from past experience I cannot sleep with it on at night so I have put my foot down at that and offered another duvet in addition to the two already supplied but this has been turned down as the duvet's make her to hot ??

I have said that she can buy a heater if she wishes or find somewhere else to stay and I will refund the remaining amount. It's not even minus temps at night yet although we are forecast snow for the end of the week so goodness what will happen then.

It's not even about the cost, i'm on a fixed rate, it's not actually that cold and I try to preserve energy use wherever possible because of the effect on the enviroment. 

I am pretty sure that I will get a scathing review from this guest but,  I have been as amenable as possible and this is my home and I will not be made to feel uncomfortable in it .

[Bente3]

I am most unhappy, my guests are leaving the heaters on full blast and leaves the unit, we have an average temperature of 25c outside, we have doonars and extra blankets.  My fees are fairly low and I simply can't afford to pay for excessive use of electricity.  Do I really have too give up hosting?