Is my basement suite a private room or entire space?

Answered!
Chris607
Level 2
Chicago, IL

Is my basement suite a private room or entire space?

Hi hosts,

 

My wife and I are fairly new to Airbnb hosting. This is our listing: https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/1235787?s=51

 

We listed as private room because guests enter and exit through the front door of our home, but we've seen some other hosts with listings like ours using "entire space" presumably under the premise that the guests have the entire suite to themselves. It is not in any way shared. There is a locking entrance.

 

Also, I'm a little confused by the new property type options. Could we change it to "entire place" if we classified it as a guest suite or in-law? Can anyone explain the difference between those two? I haven't been able to find any help articles that define the less obvious property types.

 

Thanks for your help!

Chris

1 Best Answer
Susan10
Level 9
Elkton, MD

Here is the link that gives the defination of room types. https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/317/what-do-the-different-room-types-mean?topic=1028 though it does not give information on when a room has separate entrance from the house. 

 

I list my basement as entire home for that reason.  Guests enter and exit through a separate door.  They do not share or have access to any part of the main house.  Entire homes have bathrooms and kitchen areas and living areas that don't have to be shared you or with anyone else.

 

I haven't browsed your listing yet.  Does it have a private bathroom or separate kitchen?  

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15 Replies 15
Liz226
Level 2
Ontario, Canada

I share your question! We liste our entire basement suite as a "Private Room". I know this means we are missing out on people who search only for "Entire place" yet would likely be comfortable in our space (the suite has a private locking entrance, and the only shared space they have to go through is a back entryway). On the other hand, I feel more comfortable listing it as a private room so that there is no misinterpreting the fact that we live in the house and use the shared spaces. It would be helpful if Airbnb had a more comprhenesive option than "private room". What about "private suite"? 

PS - Your place looks gorgeous, Chris! I would love to stay there if I am ever in Chicago!

Allison2
Level 10
Traverse City, MI

I have a similar setup (although it's the second story of my house, not basement) and I've used "entire place" without issue. There are people searching for "entire space" that will find a basement unsuitable, but there are also people who like the home sharing aspect of a "private room" who would be disappointed that there isn't more host interaction. Damned if you do/don't. In either case you have to make it very clear that you share the same building and that guests may see you in the yard or whatever.

 

Airbnb didn't provide much info on the difference between guest suite and in-law (I chose guest suite). I'd love to know if there's a guideline for those very similar space types.

 

 

Janet253
Level 1
Kawartha Lakes, Canada

I also have the same set-up and list as a private room in a guest suite--but in fact the guest(s) have the entire suite.  I don't like to mislead--I think airbnb should consider adjusting the list to accomodate us, so that it is clearer.

Janet

@Chris607@Allison2, the difference between an in-law and a guest suite is that an in-law must have a separate entrance.

Also, for everybody, including @Liz226 and @Janet253, there is no one going through the listings and checking to see if the property type is accurate. They rely on you (the host) to be accurate.

 

That being said, the ultimate benchmark is this:

If your guests find your listing is what they expected, then all is good.

If you guests feel misled, then that is bad.

That's really helpful - thank you! I'm glad my listing was technically correct. I agree, it's all about setting proper expectations!

Susan10
Level 9
Elkton, MD

Here is the link that gives the defination of room types. https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/317/what-do-the-different-room-types-mean?topic=1028 though it does not give information on when a room has separate entrance from the house. 

 

I list my basement as entire home for that reason.  Guests enter and exit through a separate door.  They do not share or have access to any part of the main house.  Entire homes have bathrooms and kitchen areas and living areas that don't have to be shared you or with anyone else.

 

I haven't browsed your listing yet.  Does it have a private bathroom or separate kitchen?  

Aj33
Level 2
London, United Kingdom

If the space is listed as in law / guest suite, would you choose to list as “pvt room’ or “entire place”? It’s confusing as even if it’s technically not “entire home”, afraid it can be capped by 90 days rule limitation. Any suggestions? 

 

@Aj33, an in-law is a little more like an Entire Place, and a Guest Suite inside your residence is a little more like a Private Room.

But really you can make a strong argument to list both In-Laws or Guest Suites as either an Entire Place or a Private Room.

The difference is mostly about whether there is a separate entrance from the outside.

 

Again, there really isn't anyone at AirBnB checking the listings for accuracy. The main issue is helping the guest to understand what they are booking.

 

I also understand in certain cities, the different room types are treated differently legislatively.

In that case, there might be an actual outside authority who might want to decide what kind of space it is, but one generally hopes it doesn't come down to that.

 

 

Aj33
Level 2
London, United Kingdom

Thanks Matthew, 

 

i was under the same understanding till they deactivated my listing which was a guest suite and entire place, after reaching the max days limit in our city. Hence the query. 

 

We are technically speaking not “entire home” but a guest suite attached to our home but an entire place to guests. Now we modified the listing as guest suite and private room which is just a bit confusing to the guest. 

Susan, thanks for the article. I believe it makes it very clear whether one's place should be deemed an "entire place" a "private room" or a "shared space". 

 

Once that is labeled, then as Allison said, "you have to make it very clear" what kind of space it is exactly. 

Ours is an entire basement. We list it as an "entire place" because it has everything any other normal home would have...but we try to make it abundantly clear that it is the basement they will be staying in and not the upper floors.

did you have separate entry for your basemant? I listed my entire basement as private room, guests have to enter the house as same as us. I am not sure if I can modify my list as entire guest suite.

 

Rhonda175
Level 1
Tulsa, OK

I just bought a home with a finished basement - a living area and 3 separate rooms that could be used a separate "bedrooms".  However, I do not have a separate outside entrance to the basement.  One friend suggested I consider furnishing all of the rooms and renting it out on Airbnb, but another friend said she didn't think I could since there's not a separate outside entrance.  Would I be able to rent this space on Airbnb?

 

Sally221
Level 10
Berkeley, CA

You do not have to have a separate entrance but is there a private bathroom? I'd suggest looking at the listings around your area to see what others are doing. I'd also prowl around this site a bit to get a sense of what works, what problems arise & what level of risk You are comfortable with, best of luck, Sally