Long-term guests – do you have a move-in/out checklist?

Katie---Sean0
Level 10
Carlsbad, CA

Long-term guests – do you have a move-in/out checklist?

We do 30-day stays or more. Typically they seem to be 30 to 90 days, we've had a few 6-month inquiries but no bookings yet. I don't know whether to have a move in/out checklist, like you would with a normal furnished lease. Interested in hearing from other long-term hosts about how you handle this. I don't want to be overbearing at check-in, and I wonder if it's necessary? Thanks for any feedback.

11 Replies 11
Emiel1
Level 10
Leeuwarden, The Netherlands

@Katie---Sean0 

Such long term stays are better covered with a normal renting contract, which can include a checklist.

Use Airbnb for initial booking of some weeks and after that switch to regular renting contract.

It's legally much more safe.

BTW i do not use  checklists, never experienced a problem.

Best regards,

Emiel

@Emiel1 great suggestion, thank you.

Sudsrung0
Level 10
Rawai, Thailand

You realy should make an Inventory and take photo's, we had a long term guest take all our towels and bedding

I’m sorry that happened to you. Do you have long-term guests sign the inventory? Or just give them a copy? 

Sandra126
Level 10
Daylesford, Australia

Would protect the guests too from host accusations such as ''you scratched the cooktop'' etc which we see here on the forum from time to time. I don't do long term, don't know anything apart from knowledge gained here on the forum.

Good point. The reason I’m even considering making an inventory is: –

 

My last guest did a lot of damage. He scratched a new coffee table and dining table really badly, broke a side table using it as a step stool, broke a chest of drawers dragging it across the floor, made a 2 foot long deep gouge in the wall, and took a chunk out of a new kitchen cabinet.

 

He described it as “normal wear and tear”... and chastised me for not accepting this would happen during a 66 day stay.

 

I filed a damage claim but withdrew it after the guest threatened a bad review. Airbnb refused to support me, so I had to beg him not to leave me a bad review and I would drop the claim. He said he would not leave the bad review... but then left me 4 stars so now I can’t be a super host. I left him a 5 star review full of lies because long story short, I didn’t understand how Airbnb reviews work.

 

So all of the above was very stressful honestly. Leaving me trying to come up with a way to politely let the guest know we know what’s in our cottage, and what condition it’s in. Without seeming overbearing at check-in. Although I don’t see how it would have helped me with the guest who did all the damage. I would still have been extorted.

Ian-And-Anne-Marie0
Level 10
Kendal, United Kingdom

We don't, but I think we should. I think all hosts should, for the sake of clarity.

 

I would like guests to be trustworthy enough to not need verification or contracts of any sort but...

 

However, the idea of having a check-in checklist appeals to me, (overbearing or not), particularly having had various damage in the past like you and the vaguarity of the AirBnb verification system. Every host seems to want to provide the best guest experience yet every guest seems to want to push their experience beyond that provided.

 

The fact you may state "There will be no ****** allowed" seems to be a challenge for guests to ******* as much as possible, or to ***** when they shouldn't be. I feel a check-in list would really help in this situation whether for long or short rental periods. Probably more specifically the guest accepts the house rules from a person rather than inpersonally via any online approval. Walking around a home pointing out : Table - unmarked, Worktop - unmarked, Sofa - no stains, Windows - not broken, 16 wine glasses, Hot tub - no glass etc..

 

This might sound like a short term car hire contract but our homes are worth a **bleep** sight more yet complete strangers are being given the keys to take them for a drive without effective damage insurance.

 

As is stated on many of these community forum posts the statement "If you break this the financial cost is £xxx"  works better than "If you break this the financial penalty will be worked out and sent to you to be negotiated over and considered for penalty by AirBnb " !!

 

If anybody does have a check-in list I would like if you could share and for you to share your experience of you using it too if possible?

 

 

@Ian-And-Anne-Marie0 – I've spent the day putting together a move-in/out checklist, which I'd be happy to share with you, please PM me.  It simply lists everything in our Cottage, and notes any damage/blemishes in red.  Then there's a line at the end for Host and Guest to sign at move-in and move-out. No legal sounding language, it's friendly enough.

 

We've decided to give it a go with our guests arriving this week and see how it goes down. My plan is to explain in as friendly way as possible that it's to protect both guest and host. I certainly wouldn't object if I was staying in a place for over 30-days.

 

I wish that Airbnb would suspend the review process when a host files a damages claim. I'm fairly new to Airbnb and assumed this is what would happen. When it didn't, and my guest was able to threaten me with a bad review, and then actually leave it... I was shocked actually. I didn't understand why the review process wasn't suspended until the damages claim was settled. That would seem fair, then both host and guest could leave reviews afterwards, or maybe not at all. But as things stand, a guest can threaten a bad review if the claim isn't closed, and do it cleverly so as to technically not violate the extortion policy. In my case I begged the guest not to trash our reputation at this early stage, and once the claim was closed, he did indeed change his review to a relatively good one. 

 

 

@Katie---Sean0 

In my case I begged the guest not to trash our reputation at this early stage

 

In any developed society that should never be allowed to be part of any conclusion.

@Ian-And-Anne-Marie0 I couldn't agree more. It was a very rude awakening, and the positive I managed to find is that I got "that" guest out of the way early on and had a big, fast learning curve about how Airbnb will not have my back.

@Katie---Sean0 I am new to Airbnb hosting and our Airbnb's are located at our RV Park with majority of guests staying long term. Would you mind sending me the checklist you created?

 

I had a guest have our sheets and towels "disappear", to prevent problems in the future I am currently trying to create a check-out list.