Review for abusive utility usage? Part of it is my fault.

Paul154
Level 10
Seattle, WA

Review for abusive utility usage? Part of it is my fault.

I had a repeat customer. Yeah!

For 4 Thanksgiving days I got $130/night for a 2 bedroom house (top floor of duplex). Slightly low price for high demand Seattle, but reasonable.

Guests have access to the thermostat, which controls the whole duplex.  It has a schedule which is set comfortably, but on the cool side (69 degrees during at-home evening and morning wake up times).  I rely on guests to use plug in heaters in the bedrooms and the gas fireplace in the living room, which makes living room hot. I also am prepared for some guests to increase the thermostat heat. It is no problem because pressing the up button only increases the heat during that specific time period (Temporary hold), then reverts back to the schedule  after that period.

I have now installed a wifi thermostat. Yeah!  I love it.

I can see that these guests put the thermostat up to 75 degrees. This heats the whole house, downstairs duplex included.

Even worse, these guests are sophisticated. They override the normal "Temporary hold" feature by choosing "Permanent Hold". Meaning it will be 75 degrees during sleeping time and when they are out and about.

When I remotely turn the heat down to 72 for that period and revert back to the schedule, they reset it to 75 and "permanent hold" :(.

I know I am at fault.  I should put on a lock box over the thermostat.  I had wanted to give guests the ability to temporarily change the heat, but now I know that I cannot give guests that freedom because it also give them access to the "Permanent Hold" feature.

Now for my question to you all:

How do I rate him?  I allowed him access to turn up the heat. He chose high heat. He did not break a specific house rule, but went against the airbnb "house sharing" spirit. 

I will block him from making future reservations with me.  I can only assume he is highly abusive with water consumption also.

Do you want him as a guest?

 

 

17 Replies 17
Kelly149
Level 10
Austin, TX

@Paul154 My guests have access to the thermostat but they can’t tell that I have a remote override. It is definitely something I keep an eye on. 

Dont know that I have a good solution for the rule or the review or the temp. 

Do let us know what you figure out, I’d love to hear it. 

Branka-and-Silvia0
Level 10
Zagreb, Croatia

@Paul154

The lack of common sense is a popular trend nowadays...

Logic is also becoming progressively extinct. Just had a friend ask me advice on his continually choatic financial dilemmas, but the first thing he said, like a very important disclaimer, is that he is not into math - at all.