New to Hosting. Please critique my listing for our Historic 1920s Detroit Home.

Miranda101
Level 2
Detroit, MI

New to Hosting. Please critique my listing for our Historic 1920s Detroit Home.

www.airbnb.com/rooms/28338349

Here is my listing, would love any feedback from experienced hosters on how I can improve the listing!

3 Replies 3
Linda108
Level 10
La Quinta, CA

Absolutely stunning home!!  I can see that you have experience with renting private rooms while you are on site.  Your guests have respected the hard restoration work and beautiful furnishings while you are present.  I am very concerned that when 11 guests book the whole house for a special event, that the care and respect will take a back seat to their activity.  As you are not allowed to have interior cameras (only exterior and door cameras are allowed on Air BNB) I wonder how you will be able to protect your investment.  

 

As you probably know, the security deposit is not collected but only the ability to access the payment method is available.  Also, the release of that deposit is up to Air BNB, not the host.  There are many heartbreaking postings about how destructive guests can be.  Some are malicious  and some are careless.  I suggest you consider registering your whole house on another platform in which you have control of the security deposit.  You can sync the calendars with your Air BNB private room listings.

 

Sorry to be such a Debbie downer, but your place is so beautiful it hurts to think it would be open to abuse.

Robin4
Level 10
Mount Barker, Australia

@Miranda101

Miranda, I am a bit in @Linda108's camp here. I am not sure your property is a good one to host in.

You are obviously extremely proud of your achievements and justifiably so......your home is beautiful.

Unfortunately guests are not going to look after your home the way you do, and I can see heartbreak along the way.....it's just a matter of time. You only have to wander through the posts in this community centre for a few days to realise, there are many guests who feel, because they are paying you, they have an entilement to do what ever they like, and they do! There are those who will do in a hosts property what they would not dream of doing in their own home. It's not that they are malicious, (although some can be)  they are just careless and unfamiliar with the surroundings....and accidents happen!

 

I am afraid my heart would be in my mouth with every guest if I were in your situation.

I select my guests reasonably carefully and I am a hands-on host who lives on the property, but still I would have one guest in twenty that would damage something.

I wish you luck Miranda, you have an outstanding property, but it's not about "improving the listing", it's about improving the quality of guest you are going to entertain, and only experience can teach you that!

 

Cheers......Rob

 

Pete28
Level 10
Seattle, WA

The solution to all the above is to be resident somewhere on the property. Maybe convert a garage into an additional dwelling unit you can move into for whole house rentals. That way you can keep an eye on the guests 🙂