Quiet Hours, defined?

[Ken28]

I have the following rule:

"I go to bed at between 8~9pm. The hours of 9pm to 7am are 'quiet hours'. Please limit noise (phone calls, tv, etc.)" I also ask my guests before they book what times they anticipate arriving and leaving on a typical day. My last guest said he'd be in and out at 7a and 7p each day, and I approved the request.

5 days into it, I confronted him on a problem - every night he was leaving the house at 9p. He'd return at about 9:45p, eat a meal in the kitchen (imagine the sounds of plastic bags, dishes clanking, cubboards banging), then at about 10:00 until 10:30, he'd take a long shower in a bathroom that I share a bedroom wall with.

In confronting him, I told him that if this didn't improve, I'd remove his electronic lock access after 9p, since it was disturbing both me and my other guest. (She also goes to bed at aroud 9.) In his review, he told me that I should specifically state that you can't come and go, use the kitchen, or shower during 'quiet hours'.

Is he right? Do I need to define 'quiet hours' better? Should I say:

Do not shower. Do not roam the halls. Do not enter or leave the house. Do not assemble furniture. Do not make loud yawning noises as you wake up. And not pass go and do not collect $200?

I got docked 2 stars for what I thought to be 'professionally' handling the matter. I waited until the problem had escalated (after 5 days, I was losing enough sleep to be unprodicutive at work) and then I told him the problem and the possible solutions. Either change his schedule or book elsewhere.

He got a refund for his unused nights, but left me a pretty sad review accusing me of misstating my rules.

[Kristine51]

Due to Airbnbs inability to acknowledge my rights as a home owner, I had to take two rooms off Airbnb. I've listed them on several other sites, as a result I now have a long term guest, 5 months, from one sight called places4students. The other room which I finally took off today, after wanting to for weeks, due to dealing with one Airbnb Customer Service rep who told tell me "Guests should be allowed to come and go, when ever they please".  Wow, how insensitive, inconsiderate, and blatently ignorant! I had two students, and one doctor, who all had to get up early, and I am expected to cater to one bad egg in all hours of the night? The dog would bark at 1am, or 2am, or when ever and the whole house would wake up. Not worth it, am listing the second room I took off Airbnb on the sites and hopefully I'll do as well. 

It's more work with this other room without Airbnb, but so much less trouble. The other sites I've used are much supportive of hosts, and make it easy to have house rules. I still have two out of my four rooms on Airbnb with reasonalbe lights out at 12am,  as they are the greatest booking agents, but have now taken several precautions to make sure Airbnb guests understand, accept and agree to have a lights out, because Airbnb does next to nothing to help you enforce your rules.  While I can be a lenient for late commers, as long as I am told in advance and its not excessive, I won't be a doormat for a person who can't adhere to the policy in my home. 

[Linda108]

@Kristine51  I definitely agree that you have the right to have "my house, my rules" especially when you are managing the shared space for yourself and for other guests.  You have a lot of information in the listing description which is probably not totally read by the guest at the time of the booking.  Perhaps you could add the curfew rule into the "details guests must know about your home" under Booking Settings.  This pops up as the guest is booking the reservation.  It is meant to highlight issues such as stairs or animals, which can be deal breakers for the guest.  Just a thought.

I am not clear what you want Air BNB to do about your situation, however.  What is it that other sites provide for you that feels more supportive of you?

[Kristine51]

Linda, perhaps I miscomunicated. I thought I was replying to Kens comment, not starting a conversation about what I want.

"I am not clear what you want Air BNB to do about your situation, however. "

Linda, what situation were you refferring to?

The fact that I have a curfew/lights out policy? Or, that airbnb seems to regard my home as a hotel, both in their interaction with me and my guests?

FYI You can't improvise in the "Details etc" section, and there is no box provided that applies.

Thank you, however, for your unsolicited advice, I know you meant well, and I do honestly appreciate that you are trying to help.

Here's what I would suggest to Airbnb, if they would listen, perhaps they could put some of the millions they have made into improving the website to better safeguard against these silly and needless mistakes from happening. A simple pop-window prior  to booking, reading "I agree to this hosts house rules. Not a novel idea, but tried and true. That might make guest stop and think, and condisder, some homes have manuals/rules. Or, speaking of which, Airbnb could provide a more refined search, rules no rules, that simple.

Look, there are probably a dozen things they could do with the website to prevent these technologically sophmoric issues. Airbnb prioritizing self improvment is not something I am banking on, after having one to many mishaps. Thus, going elsewhere to list half my rooms was a more realistic couse of action. That way at least I don't have all my eggs in one basket.

Yes, there are many, many ways to rent really nice rooms, in a really nice house, with really nice people, on a really nice street, in a really nice neighborhood, in a really nice city. IOW, there is life after Airbnb. As much as I hope things improve there, bedcause it would be nice to be able to trust them with all my rooms, they still have quite a bit of room for improvement. 

Please don't get me started on the wild west review reputation Airbnb has earned. You can pretty much say anything, and get away with it. It is really amazing how Airbnb seems to avoid that reality. You get someone who is upset because they did not read any of the description, maybe they are tired from traveling, in a bad mood, or whatever, and voila, your character assination du jour.

The earlier comment regarding the way guests book on Airbnb, and how they look at the picture say oooh nice, look at the price and say oooh nice, book it, is the truth. This problematic tendency is primarily because Airbnb wants to be the best alternative to hotels and motels, which is understandable, but they should not bring about those expectations in guests in any way, shape or form. Virtually nothing holds guests back from booking without fully understanding what they are getting into. Airbnb put the lionshare of that reponsiblity on the host, but what good is a decription if a guest does not read it?

To their credit, Airbnb, recently added the question for instant booking, which is the only reason I do instant booking, and my only question is "Did you read the house manual?" So I guess that is one safegaurd. Ha. 

[Linda108]

@Kristine51  At anytime you are addressing  a specific host post and responding to that, you can use the @ and select the host you are responding to as I have done with my response to you.  I was responding to your desire to have quiet time and it is a condition of your acceptance of a guest that they understand this.  Relatively recently Air BNB did add what you are suggesting, Kristine.  As part of the booking process, if a host has specific issue such as stairs, dogs, or quiet time, these conditions pop up during the booking process and the guest must acknowledge that they have accepted these conditions.  I thought this might be helpful to you.

I am a regular poster on this site and as such I get the benefit of a wealth of a number of very savvy (certainly more than me) hosts from around the world and have come to appreciate that Air BNB is listening to both hosts and guests and making updates to the platform.  This update seems to have come as a result of cancellations by guests who did not know there were stairs in the listig or dogs in the listening or other specific rules that a host wants to enforce even though the host had included information in general or rules section of the listing.  I think it is a good idea.  

[Keith124]

I am experiencing the same kind of problem. Although I think it's a little extreme to ask people to adhere to 'Quiet Time' rules as early as 9 pm, I see nothing wrong with making your own rules as long as the guest knows your quiet time and what your definition of quiet time is before booking. I am trying to get a definition of quiet time from Airbnb but I suspect I am going to have to write my own definition and make sure that people understand and accept this and other rules that are very important to me. In my mind, I don't think it's reasonable to be taking showers, banging around in the kitchen, etc during quiet time. Not so sure that I agree that a quiet time that starts at 9 pm is reasonable, so hopefully if I were to be searching for a place to stay it would be readily apparent that a quiet time that begins at 9 pm was an expectation. Maybe one day quiet times and check in times will be part of the detailed search on Airbnb. I know it can sometimes be time consuming looking for a place, and then you have to wait for the host to approve you, only to have them decline you or you find that there's a reason not to stay somewhere so you have to search again after having lost considerable time searching and then waiting for a response from the host. 

[Joyce-Ann1]

I applaud this host

[Joyce-Ann1]

• I am currently with a 'Super Host' and with every minute I am more clear on how erroneous that is.
• here is what is happening-
•  making us keep the large windows and sliding glass door open in below 60 degree weather for the entire day and most of the evening when it goes to 45 degrees and still insists they stay open
• heavy spicy cooking after 10 pm aroma traveling throughout the house keeping us awake
• keeping the living room lively with talk and drinking after 10 pm knowing that others are needing their sleep, waking up at 5:30 am for work.
• moving food around in the fridge -unable to find everything placed.
• music LOUD like an outdoor concert  having to ask her to please put it down and she does only a little
• unreasonable and inconsiderate- does not allow  guests to knock on bathroom door if they need t use the toilet in case the person in there is only using the sink and would allow the use of the toilet.
• Expects guests to read her mind with all the above.

Unreasonable and inconsiderate- very much so. She simply does not have the intelligence to understand that people deserve to be accommodated. A simple request to put on the overhead cook fan after spicy heavy meat cooking is met with: I have never ! This is my house! I will not!

 The kitchen smelled so bad and it traveled to the other rooms.

strong expressions of entitlement " This is my house!"  layered on throughout your stay.

The super bad host is not willing to see another's perspective.

Of course one can gently knock on a bathroom door to inform of an urgent need to use the bathroom, just incase the person is grooming at the sink and could then step out of the bathroom for a minute. It's about sharing and being considerate. 

Of course it is acceptable and courteous to turn the fan on during and after heavy meat and spice cooking, especially in a home where there are vegetarians!

Of course it is acceptable and appropriately considerate to not cook after 9pm if the aroma keeps a person awake who is needing to rise at 5:30 AM on a night before a workday!

200 guests and she still has not learned simple courteous appropriate considerations that are signs of respect and good hosting.

NOT a super host. a super disappointment.

She described vividly how she slept on the basement couch for 2 years and went the bathroom in a bucket. This is what she wants for her guests to experience. As I was describing the urgency I was experiencing of needing to use the toilet, she would not accept any reason for gently knocking on the door in case someone is in the tub, or washing their face and could allow me to use the toilet. This is pure abuse!

As is keeping her 40 in X 34 in windows open 3 plus her sliding porch door open in 45 degree weather with wind. It chills you causing illnesses. She writes big notes " DO NOT CLOSE THE WINDOWS" so all day and evening - she works until 8-9 pm- the place is COLD.

I contracted a bad cold from her abusive enforcement of cold indoor temperatures which strained my system and lowers my performance level at work.

Also, her late night talking in the living room and kitchen after 9 pm. It's like a little party keeping the house alive making it harder to sleep on a work night. Just because her work schedule has a late start doesn't mean everybody else's good night's sleep should suffer. 

It sounds like her highly disrespectful expressions of entitlement have never been confronted before, until now.

If I knew all this, I would have steered clear.

SO rude to cook highly fragrant food after 10 pm just a few days after saying that the food cooked after 10 had woken me up, and made it hard to get back to sleep, and I went to work tired - not functioning well that day. SO rude. Then on top of that to say " It's MY house! I can cook if I am hungry! anytime I want! 

No you can't not when you have guests that it disturbs and negatively affects their sleep and consequently their employment.

This is a super disrespectful and rude host! It seems I am the first to confront her about it.

•  

[Linda108]

@Joyce-Ann1   I see that you have had other experiences with hosts that were not suitable to your expectations.  Perhaps shared accommodation, while budget friendly might not be the best selection.  Or, you could take an extra step to communicate with the host and get a sense of what that host perceives as a proper shared living environment.

[Sarah977]

@Joyce-Ann1  As you are super displeased with this host, why are you continuing to stay? Why not contact Airbnb to see if they can relocate you to a place that better suits your needs?

It does sound like the host is not very accomodating and has some strange ways, like leaving the doors and windows open when it's cold out. And if there is only one bathroom, it's of course absurd that you wouldn't be allowed to make your need to use it evident.

However, there are also some things that you, as a guest, need to accept if you book a room in a private home, as opposed to an entire place listing. If the host is accustomed to cooking after 9PM, it's her home and she has every right to do so. She also has the right to cook whatever food she normally does- there's zero reason for her to refrain from cooking meat just because you're a vegetarian and don't like the smell of it. If the smell of what a host cooks in her own home might bother you, you shouldn't book shared listings. 

And expecting the entire household to go to bed at 9Pm, just because you do, is pretty self-centered. Have you ever heard of earplugs? 

I just don't understand why you are continuing this booking if it's obviously not working out for you.

[Sarah977]

@Joyce-Ann1  This line in your response to a past bad review from a host is very telling : "I have appropriate standards, confirmed by Air BnB. Otherwise they would not have supported me in my request for a full refund."

That's simply not true. Airbnb often unfairly takes the guest's side and issues refunds for ridiculous complaints and even lies. Guest fees are where they make their money, so they tend to be solicititous towards guests and override host's cancellation policies. Being issued a refund is not proof that your standards are appropriate.

You really seem like the type of guest who shouldn't be booking shared listings as your expectations are quite self-centered. You can't book an inexpensive private room listing and expect the host to change their lifestyle to cater to your preferences, nor criticize them if they don't. That doesn't fall under the definition of hospitality. And asking a host to wash the bedding just before your arrival, as if you assume it will be dirty if they don't, is insulting. 

[Carol5330]

Maybe you shouldn't be a host**

**[Inappropriate content hidden - Community Center Guidelines]

[Robin4]

@Carol5330 

Carol, please try not to be too hard on hosts rules. We all host in a different way, some of us host guests in a listing on the other side of the country to where we live, some host guests through a paper thin wall. Just appreciate that we are all faced with different circumstances.

All I can say is Carol, the way a host accepts guests is clearly worded in their listing description so, the guest should know what to expect if they proceed to a booking. If a host has nominated that the listing is subject to 'quiet hours' the guest should accept and respect that if they still decide to book and stay!

Please don't criticise hosts because they have different values to yours.....that is their right, and it really is not up to you to call their rules bullsh*t.

I would never criticise you for finding some hosts rules unacceptable,  you have a perfect right  to feel that way, but please accept that it is the host who is taking a risk on....this stranger in their property, they have every right to set certain rules on how that stranger should behave!.

Nothing personal Carol, but I had to get that off my chest!

Cheers.......Rob

[Joseph272]

Maybe guests should read the house rules before booking...

[Joseph272]

I’m with you 100% and feel your pain. I’m actually experiencing that now. The rooms I rent are on first floor and the master bedroom, kitchen on the 2nd floor. Most guests can read my rules of light kitchen use and understand the room they rented and bathroom is on the first floor. I have a long term guest that is here 24/7 and is too often in my space upstairs. I used to not allow anyone on second floor but slowly let it happen for the LIGHT kitchen use. You have to spell out the rules like you said and make sure they agree to them when they book. My problem is often times people agree to them without reading them. Very very frustrating, so I know what you are going through! 

[Sarah977]

@Joseph272  What I do to make sure the guest has read and understood rules, or anything else about my listing that I think might be problematic if they didn't, is instead of listing the house rules again in a message and asking if they agree to them (which they can just say yes to, without, as you say, actually bothering to read them), is ask specific questions. If the message a guest sends me when they request a booking doesn't make it obvious that they have thoroughly read the listing (many messages do make that obvious- like when a guest says to me "Hi, I just found your listing and it's just the kind of tranquil place I'm looking for. The 20 minute walk to town sounds fine- I need the exercise and like walking. And I love dogs and am looking forward to meeting yours."), then I will specifically ask-"Hi XX, just making sure you are aware that it's a 20 minute walk to town and the beach, and that I have a dog and cat on the premises? Just checking in case any of that might be an issue for you".

In your case, since the kitchen use seems to be the major contention, you could ask" Hi XX, just want to make sure you read that the kitchen usage is limited to light cooking only and that you understand what I consider "light cooking"- Cooking an egg or making toast or a sandwich is fine, as is heating up take-out food, but preparing full meals is not. I've had some problems with this in the past, so please let me know that this is clear to you."

I would send this as a message separate from a message where you are asking or explaining other things, so it doesn't get lost in the shuffle. And you couldn't do this with all your house rules, or you'll come across looking like a fusspot- I would use this tactic only for things which have shown themselves to be a repeated issue in the past.