Many guests seem to have no boundaries

[Inna22]

I find many of my guests seem to not respect boundaries or are clueless. But perhaps I am too uptight? A guest checking in today called yesterday to say he was in town already but wanted me to show around the house and will come soon. Not even a question of if someone is staying at the house, if I am available, etc. Another guest 2 days ago after not being allowed early check in still walked on the property and even tried to open the door. He is lucky I do not have a gun! What if I took him for intruder? These are just recent examples but variations of this theme are common. Many guests call as early as 7:30 am with benign questions. Have you noticed a similar pattern?

[Rachel177]

@Inna22 I've noticed it lately & it seems to be with guests who are old hands at airbnb, rather than newbies so there is no excuse for not respecting boundaries.

My most recent was a return guest who didn't update me about a check in time. He then turned up without notice 2 hours early expecting to be able to check in. I'm still debating how to review him, tempted to give him a thumbs down as it really put me off that he assumed he could turn up whenever he felt like it.

[Inna22]

@Rachel177 That’s tough!  If he’s a repeat guest, he might be back yet again. If you give him a bad review, he will never rent with you again. 

[Rachel177]

@Inna22 I'd be happy not to host him again, so no problems with giving him a bad review. Just not sure about a thumbs down so he can't book with me again, though it then restricts him from IB with other hosts who require positive reviews. He reviewed me the day of check out & I'm guessing it's not a great review.

[Inna22]

@Rachel177  for the longest time I felt that I was being the bad guy if I gave somebody a better review, even if they were a bad guest. I thought I was being the bigger person. No more. From what you were describing, he should be put in the position of no IB so he gets a chance to actually understand what he’s renting and not put other hosts in a position he put you in.

[Helen427]

hello @Rachel177 there's no excuse at all for anyone to not respect boundaries.

Maybe give him a lower rating for communication.

I've done that for a recent guest who admitted he hadn't even read my listing.

I have my doubts he'll bother to review me as he hadn't bothered where he has stayed in the past.

[Rachel177]

@Helen427 he's definitely getting a low rating for communication! And he also didn't read my listing on his first stay, or listen to me when I gave him the welcome tour. First he was surprised that he didn't have the apartment to himself. Then after I showed him his own private bathroom he asked about co-ordinating bathroom times with me in the morning. It's pretty clear in my listing it's a private room with your own bathroom...

[Mark116]

@Rachel177  Ha, the same thing happened to us recently, we had confirmed with the guest a check in time of 7:30 the day before, which she had changed from an earlier time.  Okay great, we will see you at 7:30.  Instead, she shows up shortly after 5pm, almost 2.5 hours early, and so the place, while about 98% ready, wasn't completely ready.  This made for a disorganized welcome, as I was madly sprinting around removing cleaning bottles, etc. and a 4 star across the board review.  She didn't seem to think that it was any issue at all to change her arrival time by more than 2 hours and never bother to tell us.  

[Inna22]

 Just this morning A guest called at 6:40 AM for something absolutely benign. 6:40!!!

[Mark116]

@Inna22   Do you say anywhere in the listings that you are available 24/7?  I can't imagine unless it was an emergency contacting someone before 7am????  I hope you didn't answer.  Maybe you should put in the listings that you are 'generally available to answer questions from 7:30-11pm' or something along those lines?

[Inna22]

@Mark116  I know this is far more information than you have bargained for, but Internet at my house is not working and I have call forwarding from my cell phone so the ring came through on my work office line. I was worried something happened  at my (outside of Airbnb) work, got up and schleped to my home office and missed the call. Since I didn’t recognize the name, I knew it was not a work emergency but saw the message later.   These people have no idea how disruptive their behavior can be. To them - they need some thing right now and they’re going to call me right now.  And we both know they will neither read nor follow anything I put about availability in my listing. 

[Zacharias0]

@Inna22  Youre not uptight and are correct in feeling that guests dont have boundaries. The more we bend as hosts the quicker we'll break. Guests or random inquiries have less and less boundaries. They want to walk around your house BEFORE even booking a reservation just to see if its a good fit. Hotels and motels dont allow that arrangement for good reason: should you damage the room you can run off into the sunset with no repercussions. Guests wanting to show up early at the last minute is just bad communication on the guest behalf which has been an issue since the start of this platform. Guests act as if they have no idea what time their plane or train arrives into the station when they booked the ticket months and weeks ago. 

I began to offer the option for early check in for a charge. If you want to increase your bottom line offer that option at least the guest is aware of whats available.

[Alon1]

@Zacharias0 

I'm not averse to viewings, because I'm not exclusively an Airbnb Host. I also have an Ad in a popular UK website Spare Room which is geared for longer term, but quite a few people are looking 'short term', meaning a month or two. There's no restriction on contact details and it's the norm for people to request viewings.

However, when Airbnb guests request viewings, I read them chapter & verse of Airbnb rules, and suggest the only way I can permit a viewing if the Guest makes a nominal booking of a single night. That way I also get paid for my time.-- In the past few weeks I've applied this to two persons, both Chinese female students. One came for the viewing and we had a pleasant chat, but she decided it wasn't a suitable place for her. She didn't even stay the night. -- The other booked for 2 nights, and decided to stay. She's still here, though she didn't extend via Airbnb because it's cheaper. She pays me direct via bank transfer. 

[Susan1028]

My address is not easy to find and I wait until the night before to share directions.  I have a set time for cleaning between guests because it’s needed and cant do early check ins.

I inform each guest of the earliest check in option so I can “make sure everything perfect for them” and leave it open ended and ask for an eta “so I can be there to welcome them and provide a brief tour of amenities@ and allow them to enjoy frequent pull off to enjoy the breathtaking scenery along the way.  Meeting then at arrival also allows me to discern their personalities and level of engagement they prefer such as full privacy or to share some wine at sunset.

If people show up early, The Cottage won’t be ready.  I meet them outside the door blocking entry warmly welcome them, offer to allow them to store their bags in the porch, and remind them when to return, suggesting a local activity to pass the time.  

I also remind them of the noon checkout time thats posted under the check in time in the directions, in the house Manila binder, and visible in the house rules posted on the back of the entry door. 

Maintaining my boundaries hasn’t created any negative issues or reviews and I’m able to manage my time efficiently.

However I have had a couple of guests who trespassed into areas of the property and out buildings that were off limits which inspired me to modify my house rules and add that aspect to my verbal welcome tour emphasizing the already generous outdoor seating areas available for them to enjoy.

[Mike-And-Helen0]

Guests have boundaries aplenty, they just don't respect host boundaries.

Phone calls, I was taught nothing before ten or after nine unless it is prearranged or you know someone really well.

[Yulianna0]

@Inna22, that is absolutely common situation. I think that we have to be more tough and educate them by simply saying “no”. I am insisting that my guests have to express clearly that they have read the listing and accept the house rules. I have unusual check in time, just for night arrivals. Still big amount of people are asking for check in in the morning or at midday. I wonder what they are using their heads for? I do not want guests that are incapable to read even the title of the listing!