I want to share my one bed apartment. with me sleeping on the sofa-bed.

[Johan103]

Hello, I want to share my one bed apartment. I have a sofa bed too that I can use when I have gues. 

Can i get  rent like this as share place? what should I consider?

[Paul1255]

Hi @Johan103  I hope you are well!

I rent my bedroom to guests and sleep on my sofabed in my living room- all 5* only reviews and all great with over 70 bookings!

It's not clear from your post if you'd be sharing the sleeping space with your guests as a true "shared space" which is totally possible and some hosts operate in this way, or if you will be elsewhere- such as in the living room.

But certainly it's important for consider:

-personal space (yours and guests) and if you are comfortable having guests in a small environment with you

-how you advertise/inform guests on your listing abour the logistics of your place so there is no confusion when guests arrive (no one reads the listings well, so it's important to manage expectations)

-what space you dedicate to your guests and what you keep private to you and when (my guests have their room and bathroom, and living room access for breakfast only/no kitchen use otherwise)

Best wishes

Paul 🙂

[Johan103]

Really helpfull coment.

Thank you very much. 

[Sarah977]

@Johan103  A friend booked a situation similar to this, but the hosts hadn't made it clear in their listing that they were sleeping on an air mattress behind a curtain in the living room. She had to walk through the living room to get to the bathroom, and the whole situation made her quite uncomfortable. She had booked for a week, but cancelled after the first night (she's a nice person, so didn't ask for a refund, and told the hosts they were very nice, but that it wasn't a situation which suited her).  If the bedroom you have has a private bath attached, and guest don't have to walk through the living room when you are sleeping there, I think it could work, as it does for host Paul here, but I think many people wouldn't find it ideal.

[Sandra126]

@Paul1255, something for you to consider: As you manage quite a few properties and you are a Superhost, if it is important for you to keep that status be aware that low reviews from your own listing may make you lose that.

If it was me, I would not host unless I was really confident in getting 5 stars as it would be bad for overall business and not worth it. You could try, I guess, and if ratings slide then stop.

Managing expectations is key, as others have said. Make it sound worse, then over deliver.

[Paul1255]

Hi @Sandra126  I hope you are well! Thanks for your advice, indeed it's important for me to maintain my superhost status, and my personal listing- they are my "shopfront" and business card for potential clients afterall.

I have been a co-host for almost as long as I have been a host, and I have never had any issues impacting my personal hosting standards.

I don't see a reason that my ratings would start to slide or I would stop getting 5* reviews, I just do everything as I always have done- tell guests what they're going to get and then give it to them :))

[Sandra126]

@Paul1255, I just meant that if guests didn't read properly, were disappointed in you being there so close to them they might rate it lower than otherwise. A local host who runs a few near me dropped the listing that was consistently rating lower than the others, as it was bringing his average down. It is only a consideration.