Tips for long-term hosting

[Lizzie]

Hello Everyone,

A few months ago our fellow community member Theresa (Florian and Theresa), who hosts in Germany, created a fantastic guide in the German Community Center sharing her 10 top tips for making long-term hosting successful.

Her tips range from platform settings to house rules and include advice around cleaning, plus her best scenario for long-term bookings. To quote Teresa’s words ‘You will get on so well with your guests, there won't be any closed doors in your accommodation’. 🙂

A blog article including all of Theresa's tips can be read here: Long-term stays

In the meantime, what about you? Do you offer long-term hosting? Do you prepare yourself any differently to when you host short-term guests and have you any other tips?

I can't wait to hear your tips and experiences.

Thanks,

Lizzie

[Amy38]

@Christophe259

You would do better using Craigslist. Do a credit check, require 1st and last months rent and a sizable deposit.

[Helga0]

Hi @Christophe259, I would not recommend renting six month via this platform.

1. Between yourself and the guest, you will pay about a month worth in fees.
2. You have no deposit for next month's rent. If the guest's card is empty for the second or a further rent, you will only know that a few days into that month. You will be alone to either collect the rent = make the guest put enough money onto his account that airbnb can collect, or to get rid of the guest.
3. The damage deposit is handled completely arbitrarily and the host garanty an empty marketing argument. I had a guest destroy my bathroom, meaning the toilet, the wooden wall beside it, part of the floor and a window sill on the opposite wall (different causes) as well as more damage to the rest of the apartment. The guest lied and I got nothing. The lie was not even "I did not do it", which you would expect from dishonest people, but "The host is new, the apartment is not the host's home but an empty one, never used and never rented longterm, so all of this had to happen to the first user" I could not get the rep to check their own database, where the same place is either rented 'shared' with me hosting in my home, or for up to six weeks during my travels. The person deciding the damage claim does not even look on a profile - I have hundreds of reviews since 8 years. 
4. You can establish your own contract, but airbnb will not enforce any point of that, even if you transmit it via the website before the booking. In six months, a guest can run up utility bills, that a reasonable person cannot imagine. Even if you set a limit or agree upon that the guests pays his charges seperately, which you are technically allowed to do, airbnb will not take these fees from his card, if the guest says no. 
5. Depending on your country's or area's laws, you may get a permanent tenant if you rent six months without a valid and watertight contract for such a limited period. If they stay on, you have a squater. 

[Paul154]

Airbnb = Short-term stays.

Airbnb is a great tool for short-term stays.  It was their original intent.

Airbnb is terrible for long-term stays.  

1. Their commission is burdensome without adding value.

2. The financial risk is too high. Airbnb may make an arbitrary decision to withhold payment.

3. Host has limited rights.

4. Suing the guest is difficult. 

There is a reason renters normally provide high Cash deposits, provide credit, bank, employment and ID records, and fill out application forms. Airbnb's standard is much less. A tenant may only have a phone number and get housing.

[Lesley62]

Another thought on  the SuperHost algorithm:  

We live in a region where hosting is definitely 'seasonal'. Winter months are not booked much and this rhythm, with the potential for long spells of no guests, should be considered in the calculations.

[Ángel17]

Quisiera poder diferenciar entre el precio por el resto de huéspedes según sean mayores o menores de 12 años. ¿Como puedo indicarlo en el anuncio?

[Jp8]

Has anyone seen large groups book longterm stays?

We have a large property that sleeps 20.

Am thinking of offering it long term, until now I've had it on 28 day maximum and the largest group that stayed longer than a week or so was 4 people.

I wonder what sort of large group would want to stay in a place for months. Maybe a group of scientists doing field work on some project? 

[Matthew112]

You might want to seek corporate bookings if you want longer term stays that travel in groups. 

[Joshua485]

What to do when guest staying for 2 months just decided to up and leave on a cruise?

[Joshua485]

Without notifying me 

[Christine1]

@Joshua485 , what is your concern regarding this? Perhaps knowing your concern would allow us to support you better?

I sometimes have guests who book a longer stay, and within their booked dates, they will travel away for short trips and then return to the accommodation. 

As long as the property is safe and secured during their absence, no problem. 

Best regards, Christine.

[Ali-and-Sade0]

Hello,  my unit is in Los Angeles. I think California grants "tenancy rights" to renters who rent for 30 days or more. Could that create a problem for the host? For example, if guest decides not to leave, host has to get attorney and go to court (like in the film Pacific Heights https://g.co/kgs/6zResn) Can you prevent such a scenario by having the long term guest sign a contract when they arrive? What would such a contract look like? 

[Mark116]

The problem remains for people in the US who live in tenant friendly states where the 'guest' is granted tenant rights after only 30 days, and would thus have to be legally evicted.  This is a huge barrier to long term rentals in many areas. 

[Ali-and-Sade0]

@Mark116 Hello Mark, I agree. Is NJ a tenant-friendly state that grants tenant rights after 30 days? Is there anything different you do for guests staying past 30 days - or do just not do longterm stays?  

[Mark116]

@Ali-and-Sade0  We don't take them for that reason.  Some hosts have short term guests [longer than 30 days, shorter than 1 year] sign a waiver of their tenant rights, but I'm not sure how enforceable that would be if push came to shove, you would almost certainly still have to go to court, but it would probably be some level of deterrent for bad actors.   

[Ali-and-Sade0]

@Mark116 "sign a waiver of their tenant rights" - that seems something that could be helpful. Airbnb doesn't seem to be providing any information or promises of protection if a guest decides to squat. I can't find any info on this on Airbnb site, even though Airbnb in encouraging hosts to allow long-term stays.