Something's Fishy With Room Rates

[Patty42]

I am a relatively new AirBnB host. I received a booking inquiry from a guest wanting four nights over Christmas, which is high season for me. My home is near Key West and a fair amount of guests book a "Keys Christmas".

The space is a full apartment, two beds, one bath, kitchen & living/dining room plus a nice screened in porch and full use of the yard, barbecue & firepit.

AirBnB is showing me an average rate of $112 per night for this reservation. The guest is telling me she's seeing a rate of $170 per night. She's asking if I will reduce it to $98 per night and lower my cleaning fee (which is straight up what I'm charged by the cleaners).

Why would there be a difference in the nightly rate between what I'm seeing and what she's seeing? Is it AirBnB or is she trying to "negotiate"?

[Robin4]

@Patty42

Unfortunately you can't now Patty! You get 28 days to leave a public response to a review....and a cancellation notice is regarded as a review.

But keep it in mind for the future, first and foremost, don't cancel a reservation, let Airbnb do the 'leg-work' and cancel! But if you are in this situation as soon as the cancellation notice is posted on your review section get in straight away, and you will have 500 words to be able to convince the world that you were trying to do the right thing!

Cheers......Rob 

[Letti0]

@Patty42  Do not deal with this guest. If you lowered your rate by $98 you would be making $14 per night. Then she wants you to lower the cleaning, so in the end you are paying for her holiday. She would be nothing but a headache if you accepted her even at your going rates. Do not respond any further with her, someone else will book it. 

[Patty42]

Thanks Letti, I agree. Either someone else will be glad to pay the going rate, or I will spend Christmas in the Keys myself!!!

I'd rather do that than deal with someone who is looking for a Key West vacation at bargain basement prices.

[Rebecca181]

I have never offered a discount to a guest and never would, unless there was a loss of amenity use, power outage, etc, that interefered with their stay. I also don't accept a guest's request that I give them a discount. Usually means there will be other troubles related to their stay. However, I do admit to giving a discount one time upon request for a one night stay. It is one of the best things I ever did. The couple was lovely; the woman was an artist (Mexican Folk Art) and she heard about my horse Blue's life threatening condition - Months later I received the most fantastic painting of Blue unexpectedly in the mail that this guest (now friend) had done for me as a surprise. Happily, Blue is also recovered from his illness. So, there are exceptions to every rule. I always trust my gut about these things. 

[Patty42]

That is a wonderful story!

I have met some wonderful people in my short amount of time hosting (before the hurricane), but I do agree about the discount. When my home is fully repaired it can hold twelve people comfortably. I had one prospective guest who booked the whole house for just him, his wife and two little girls. When I suggested that he could save on the cleaning fee if he only needed half the house he started trying to negotiate me down on my rate as well, stating that his two little girls would be crying if they had to share a bed (they were both under ten and somebody could use the pullout if it were that big of a deal). From that, I concluded he was going to pack my house full of friends ..........for $98 a night. I ended up not approving the booking.

[Lawrene0]

@Patty42, was the guest from somewhere other than the US? I would see your rate as "higher" for instance, as my account is set in Canadian dollars. Just wondering. 

[Patty42]

No, she's from the US. I just did a search for AirBnB rooms available in my area for her dates. Mine is the lowest rate of all. The next rate is $457 per night.

[Lawrene0]

Okay, @Patty42, good to know. Stand firm 🙂

[Patty42]

Thanks Daniel. I found the review but it doesn't give me the option to respond. I think it's probably been too long, but I will definitely remember that in the future.

[Letti0]

@Patty42  Your response time is the same as your review time 14 days after it posts and then you can no longer respond. Someone just recently had a cancellation review pulled a few weeks ago from like 8 months ago. Call AirBnB and explain about Irma. You can probably get it removed. 

AirBnB number:

United States and Canada

+1-415-800-5959 +1-855-424-7262 (toll-free)

[Robin4]

@Letti0

Sorry Letti, I hate to say it to you but, I have to disagree....the time to leave a public review response is 28 days!

It took me a while to peg it down! I always leave a public review response and I realised early in the piece I had more than 21 days but less than 40! But, through trial and error,  I made a point of working out just where the cut-off point was, and in the end I established it was 28 days.....four weeks.

Why on earth they can't tell us that is beyond me. I could not even access that when I was working in support. They are really loath to give us the tools we need to do our job! 

Cheers......Rob

[Jess78]

@Patty0...

Next one is 457! Raise your lovin’ rate! I hope you have some pricing system set up where listed rate includes like 2 guests, and you can charge per person beyond that. That’s what I do and it works well. Just be sure you write in your house rules that additional guests beyond what’s booked on the reservation MUST be reported to you, under penalty of being asked to leave. Good luck and I’m glad you’re back after that nasty storm!

[Patty42]

I have an extra rate beyond 4 guests. I probably should bump the rates up. I'm a little unsure though because my home will only have the bare necessities until I can get some income from bookings to add extras.

[John1080]

Patty, I’m unable to tag from my phone with the ongoing glitch, but don’t give a discount during high season especially. Asking for a discount typically signals poor behavior and problems during the stay. 

[Patty42]

Everyone, I really appreciate the helpful advice! Thank you so much, this year has been an awful ordeal and my heart is breaking for the folks impacted by Hurricane Florence and Michael.