Please help with my "rough" neighborhood description

[Christine20]

I have recently listed a little guest house in an area literally on the wrong side of the tracks. I have written and re-written the neighborhood description and am now turning to the community for advice. I don't want to overstate and scare people off yet I also want to be completely upfront. I also want to avoid cancellations. 

If you have a moment please take a look at my listing. I welcome any thoughts on this. I am beginning to feel all Airbnb rentals must be at least middle class to be acceptable. I had a young woman cancel this afternoon after previewing the house, She is the second to cancel over neighborhood concerns. The neighborhood is poor and much of it is deep hood however as I state in my listing I lived here as a single woman and felt safe.

I read in another thread  voicing similar concerns where an owner was advised to remove instant booking. I started to do that but saw that I would not have protection from cancellation penalties and decided against going that route. The thought being that an inquiry would give me the chance to reiterate "scruffy" neighborhood. So opted instead for a possibly too forthright description and will never again get a booking! Though really I would prefer that to having an unhappy guest who feels they've been misled.

[Ali40]

Hi Christine! I read your description of the neighborhood and the only suggestion I have is to change "urban hood" to "urban neighborhood"  in the very last paragraph. The connotation of the word "hood" might be off putting, even to guests who are comfortable with diversity and appreciate a part of town in transition. Good luck with hosting! 

[Christine20]

Thank you Ali. Good point!

[Walter69]

Great suggestion!

[Tim-and-Holly0]

@Christine20:

Tucson is a poor city (median income approx $31k/year) and it is also a desert which means there is very little green. Couple the lack of disposable income to build and maintain nice houses and inability (due to lack of moisture) to create green space you have what appears to be a dirty, run-down city.  One of my rentals  is in a middle class neighborhood in an older section of the city that is extremely typical of our town. We usually run about 75% five-star ratings there because visitors simply do not understand the area. 

I have tried to describe the area in my listing and most people who book are OK with it, although, on occassion we get wealthy people looking for a cheap house (the 25% who rate us lower than 5).  We've only had one person who refused to get out of her car. She was from a suburb of Phoenix where the median income was over $75k per year and home pricing averaged $300k and up.

We have dealt with our neighborhood successfully by keeping our price lower. When we raise the price we get the "richer" people looking for cheap houses who rate us lower. When we lower the price we get honest working folk who appreciate a soft bed and great air conditioning and rate us at 5 stars.

With that said, I feel your listing is fine as written. You explain the neigborhood well and provide a street view indicative of the area. You may need to adjust your pricing ($40 + $40 = $80) which may be too high and attracting the wrong type of guests- ones who do not appreciate the diversity. And you may also need to expect that you will not always receive 5-stars and remain  happy, as we are, with the 75%. Fortunately the lower rating has not really affected our booking rate.

Secondly, should you have a guest who desires to cancel due to the neighborhood, make sure you DO NOT cancel the reservation yourself. Have the guest do it so that the cancellation will not negatively affect you. Going back to the lady who refused to get out of her car- I told her that if she cancelled right away we might still be able to get another booking for the night and if we did I would refund her money. She did cancel and, therefore, also could not write a bad review.

I hope this helps in some way. Good luck.

[Christine20]

Tim and Holly, Thank you so much for your input! Hearing from you about your experiences has been a big help. Just knowing I am not the only one out here with these struggles is reassuring! Christine

[Jayesh0 · Accepted solution]

Hi @Christine20

Love your listing and the text.  The only part I would recommend changing is "still a bit rustic but quite livable".

I don't think you are doing justice to the lovely space you have created.  Maybe something like 

"still a rustic space that charms those who appreciate this style".

This is just to give an idea as your words are beautifully strung together so I am sure you could think of something a touch more complimentary.  The home is so much more than just "liveable'!!

Lisa

[Christine20]

Hi Lisa! Thank you for your encouraging words and suggestion! I will change the wording. It is a cute house that would command top dollar if it was in a more affluent neighborhood.

Christine

[Paul154]

Christine,

You have a darling house.

You have nothing to apologize for and should not.  

Your house is exactly what airbnb needs to provide  diverse offerings to diverse guests' needs.

It is what it is.  The low price you charge puts guests on notice that the house is not in an affluent neighborhood.

As for guests' ignorance and cancellations, there is little you can do. Stupid is as stupid does.

Perhaps accentuate your neighborhood's feeling with a photo of cute neighborhood kids in tattered clothes enjoying jump rope or street ball...  Make it real

[Paul154]

When I say Make it Real, I mean go to the internet and find some kids playing in the favelas of Buenos Aires or some of those government sponsored photos of kids from the dust bowl during the Depression.

It is an easy way to convey the "truthful feeling" of your neighborhood and it sets a high bar for your prospective guests.

[Welcome0]

Christine, I think most people are more concerned with their safety than the actual neighborhood. My place is also in the old part of town, but it's a relatively safe area. I always offer to pick them up from the train station at night. Some guests have been thrilled that they can walk to the train,  7 Eleven and local restaurants. They can get around without an auto. As long as the place is comfortable, attractive and reasonable, that's all that counts. They are not stuck middle of nowhere! 

[Kemia0]

 OMG Paul. I love this reply. I’m reading the responses because I’m a super host for one home but I’m preparing another apt in the same kind of neighborhood as Christine. I’m kind of hesitant. But you know what, it will be clean secure, and I know it’s safe because I still go there to collect rent(cash). Plus we have security cameras and the police station is right across the street so....(but thanks for that reply. It spoke to me as well)

[Welcome0]

@Kemia0 and @Christine20 Thanks! Both of you hit it spot on by advising to disclose the shortcoming in summary, but also highlight the area's positives. What better place for an Airbnb than across the street from the PD? Surprise your guests with positive extras. They'll remember that! I have a small Airbnb apartment, but most people comment upon entering:"Wow, what a spacious apartment!" The key... I have learned to  declutter stuff. Get rid of small stuff in the open. People want to rest and de-stress when away from hone. Cluttered surroundings tend to attract dust and give impression of chaos. That first impression is the lasting one. No exposed wires. Fresh bar of soap! 

[Ange2]

@Christine20   Looks like a great place to stay but I would put some of the neighborhood description in the summary area that people see straight away.  Many guests will not get as far as reading the neighbourhood section.  In my opinion better to lose a few prospective guests who have a problem with the neighborhood – there are many who won't,  than have an unpleasant situation on your hands, possible refunding the guest, a series of less than 5 stars and Airbnb warning you to improve or be delisted.

[Sarah977]

You could also state the type of guest who this listing would be suited to. For instance, in my listing description, while I am clear that my place is in the countryside and a 20 minute walk to town and the beach, I am in a touristy Mexican beach town where people come to basically go to the beach. It also has a thriving and very loud nightlife, which many people, especially the young ones, enjoy. However, the party animals are not who I want at my home, nor would it be suitable for them. 

So I say in my listing that it is a perfect space for guests who are looking for a quiet, tropical vacation, away from the hustle and bustle of downtown, who would like to spend their vacation time reading, doing art, writing, bird watching, who enjoy being in a natural environment, etc. This results in me, in fact, getting those type of guests- they often walk to and enjoy the beach each day, but they aren't interested in the bar scene, and do often just sit on the balcony reading, or writing for much of the day, or take walks through this rural neighborhood.

Appealing to how guests identify themselves, in a positive way, is a good way to get guests who won't be disappointed or disgruntled by your offering. In the case of a listing that is not in an upscale or even middle class neighborhood, you could appeal to the guests' worldliness, their experience with the realities of working class neighborhoods, them being "just basic folks" without upscale, hoity-toity attitudes, and so on. Find a way to make them feel proud of who they are and indicate that they are exactly the kind of people you would love to host.