Long term rental (6-12 months), how would you handle it?

[Queta-And-Blanca0]

I have a guest who wants to rent my house for 6 to 12 months. What is better? month by month? 12 months altogether? What happens if you block the whole year waiting for the host to reserve? Does Airbnb allow you to block for a whole 12 months?

I don't want to put my house out of the Airbnb market because I don't want to deal with a "renter" and be a "landlady",  I'd rather pay Airbnb a commision to do it.

Thanks for any advice or ideas. 

[Marit-Anne0]

@Peter662

I do not think the host has really breached any T&C with airbnb as your booking on airbnb has been for one month only and the rest has been a private agreement.  Only the airbnb booking comes under the airbnb T&C.  Surely, it is a way to catch customers and work around the system, but as long as it has been working satisfactory for both parties and no-one has been scammed, it is not really a big deal.  

Assuming your last booking was for 2 months through the site, I believe the host is in his right, but some details would be needed to tell either way.  In any case, an airbnb booking for more than 28 days comes under the long term cancellation policy.  

https://www.airbnb.com/home/cancellation_policies#long-term

[Susie5]

Hi @Peter662, I think both you and the host have been in major breach of Airbnb's rules since the first month of your relationship, when you went off the Airbnb site and did a private deal with him/her.  I doubt that Airbnb will give you anything other than a strict talking to about the dangers of dealing off the site.  Count yourselves lucky that you've had a good situation until now and that the ending of the relationship hasn't been more troublesome than it has.

Please, however, report this host to Airbnb.  This Airbnb host should definitely be removed from the platform for major infraction of Airbnb's rules, over a long period of time!  You should report them to Airbnb.  He may try to offer you a better ending deal in exchange for you not going to Airbnb, but if you don't report him, he will just turn around and perpetuate the same scam on another unsuspecting set of guests.  I hope you have better luck in the future! 

[Peter662]

HI Susie,

Thanks for your comments. I fully appreciate that the rules were cicumvented but we had no idea of terms and conditions and had far to much going on to really go into them. 

I have spoken to Airbnb and they seem to agree with you and that the host breached the terms of Airbnb. I was not aware of payments having to made via the website or the fact that private emails should not be exchanged. I have learnt my lesson.

Thanks for taking the time to provide your thoughts

Peter

[Queta-And-Blanca0]

Yes! You are supposed to make arrangements only through Airbnb. Also as a guest you have no protections unless you go through Airbnb. He should have given you a clean apartment. If not, you don’t have to accept it because he violated the rules. 

[Ale92]

I disagree with this. After you have met the host / guest personally, there is nothing stopping you to continue doing business via private arrangements. In fact, you can communicate via email, phone, whatsapp etc only after the initial booking has been made. 

Please note that if you were to pay through AIRBNB each time, you would also have to pay their FEES as a guest and the host would have to pay HOST fees. 

The only issue is that if you deal with the host privately, you are no longer protected under Airbnb terms and conditions, you won't be able to ask them for assistance etc. Same applies to the hosts. 

So for those reasons I disagree on the comments about 'breaching' anything. Unless you can point the exact terms and conditions. 

[Sarah977]

@Peter662@Susie5  A host is free to rent their space in whatever way they choose. They can book through airbnb, other platforms, their own website, personally, or a combination of the above. Airbnb does not own hosts.

What is a breach of airbnb policy is to have a guest contact a host through airbnb and the guest or host then tries to find a way to exchange personal information so as to circumvent airbnb.

I have had many airbnb guests who were wonderful people and who I would love to have stay with me again. I like it that guests can do their first booking through airbnb, as they are strangers to me and I to them. They and I then have support (hopefully) from airbnb should there be "issues", like not following house rules, leaving a pigsty behind them, etc.

But once I get to know someone, am fully confident that they are trustworthy, etc. and would like to host them again, I just tell them to email me if they ever want to come back. I know plenty of hosts do this.

There is nothing nothing nefarious or "a breach of policy" about this and not cause to report an airbnb host. As long as both parties realize they are on their own as far as working out any problems that may arise.

[Viva3]

hi

[Letti0]

@Viva3  Hello, Did you have a question or just wanted to say hello and introduce yourself? If it's to introduce yourself, go to the main page and click on the red Start a Conversation and say it there in a new threasd there we're a friendly lot you'll find. If you have a question ask it the same way with the red Start a Conversation. ;D

[Sandra1057]

I am looking to being both a host and a guest - long term.  I want to rent out my five bedroom, two bathroom home in London for 4 -6 months - ideally from December 1st 2018 to April 26th 2019.  In exchange I am looking for a long term bnb property in East Fremantle, Claremont, Cottesloe, Mosman Park, Western Australia for the same period.  Can anyone let me know how easy or difficult this might be and whether I should make sure I have someone in London to 'manage' the bnb guests for any eventualities.  I would very much appreciate hearing from those who have done long term letting what they think about this idea.  Thank you

Sandra

[Fifi6]

I am also in tbhis situation and would love some advice!

[Pete69]

I would never book anyone through Airbnb for a 6 month stay. You want a lease agreement with first month's rent plus the maximum security deposit allowed by law paid up front. And payment should be by wire transfer. 6 months would be more desirable to the landlord. That way you can kick them out after 6 months if they are undesirable or you just want o move back in.

[Viva3]

hi

[Ali40]

If a guest asks for a longer term booking after their intitial Airbnb stay (I only allow 2 weeks max through Airbnb) I do a lease for the term requested by the guest. Then they become my tenant and I no longer clean the apartment, do the laundry or provide snacks. And they in turn pay the agreed rent amount plus utilities at the beginning of the month. During the lease term, I block my Airbnb calendar. That way guests can still book dates outside of the term of the lease. 

[Ned-And-Laura0]

If it were me, I wouldn't do a rental like that through airbnb....not enough protections. You should just go the standard route. I do a full credit check and background check and then get a security deposit and have them sign a lease.

[Vanja17]

Hi, I have a big dilemma. I want to move to the bigger apartment, I live in Austria. I have found an apartment with incredible conditions, very cheap, but not on airbnb site. I have send email and received odd answet: 

" ... For the transaction I picked Airbnb... You will have an agent assigned once they receive the payment for the first month of rent and the refundable deposit. Regarding the payment it must be completed before they release the keys to the renter. The payment is transferred to Airbnb ( first month and the deposit ) they will hold and insure your money until you check the apartment. The payment has to be completed in 24 hours from the moment you receive the invoice. You will be given a 2 days inspection period from the day you receive the keys and contract that you will only sign after you check the apartment. During this period you can take a decision. If you like the apartment then you will sign a contract, for how many months or years you want to stay. If you will not be satisfied with the apartment the total amount will be refunded to you that same day and all the fees are supported by me..."

I must first pay 2000e, then see apartment and if I don't like it, i got my money back? I want to stay minimum 2 years.

This is weird for me, is not this fraud?