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

[Matthew112]

[Inappropriate Content Hidden] Your are a Vacation Rental. Not a B&B and or an INN. You over stepped and now you got bit. Lesson learned. Don't try and over please a guest. Where I come from if serving meals then the Dept. of Health gets to step in. 

I'm not trying to be mean, but you over sold yourself and this is how we learn. Focus on the vacation rental and what you have to offer. Most people generally want to get out and have a taste of the town and what they have to offer on their own. 

Off the subject but feel it has merit....... My friends own a vacation rentel up in Utah. It seems some international guest assumed that the hot tub was okay for bathing and took to the tub, a bar of soap and all had a bath in it. Now the tub is out of service due to the suds. Live and learn folks. Hollywood could NOT ever come up with the experiences we as host will have to endure on a REAL basis dealing with guests. But I can say is this.... Welcome to our world. Don't forget to laugh over moments like this. Because I can assure you....... Only you will see the humor in this later. 

[Helga0]

@Gabi27, it happens, when you are enthousiastic with a nice guest. 

Just sit down with her next breakfast and say calmly : " we have to clarify a thing. As much as I enjoyed our dinners, you rented a room with breakfast and the price is based on that. So I have to ask you to prepare your own dinner with food that you buy and not with my food. It is not included." Or else you offer cooking / occasional dinner against a fee or send her out for dinner, whatever your preference. 

I like to cook for company sometimes, as it's not possible to prepare some dishes for one person. After that, I have a technique to let them slide off. I'll go out for dinner, eat early or eat in my room. Pretending urgent work or a call I have to get, if they are nice, just saying "I want to see a film tonight." Nobody ever tried to invite himself in on that, but I'd propably say "it's in German / trying to learn Chinese by watching films" whatever language they don't speak. 

Next breakfast, I'm very nice and busy next evening. That works. 

For the food, if she goes on using yours, you can directly forbid it and then forbid fridge use, with a chain an a lock around it 

[Jose-and-Nisha0]

Hello, my husband and I will be hosting our first long-term guests (2 months).  What do you suggest as far as amenities/food/coffee?  Is it appropriate to keep them comfortable for the first 1 week and then let them know toilet paper/coffee is their own responsibility?  Thanks!

[Jose-and-Nisha0]

Hello, my husband and I will be hosting our first long-term guests (2 months).  What do you suggest as far as amenities/food/coffee?  Is it appropriate to keep them comfortable for the first 1 week and then let them know toilet paper/coffee is their own responsibility?  Thanks!

[Helga0]

@Jose0 Nisha, if you have a monthly discount, a small stock to start seems fair. If you have no discount for the week or month, it would be fairer to provide the same amenities like for short term stays. 

When I rent the apartment, I don't count items for numbes of days, as it's my home, I stipulate to use what is there and replace what needs replacing or what they used a lot, to make sure the place is functional for the next occupants. That works mostly. 

You can write to the guest, that there is a small stock of profucts for the first days, leave a bit more than that, and tell them where the supermarket is and its opening hours. (If they arrive à Thursday and

[Helga0]

... sorry, phone limits

when they arrive on a Thursday and the supermarket is closed on Sunday, make sure the products will last to Monday for heavy consumers 😉

If you get an outcry, you can always say that you will provide a limited stock for a week every week at a given hour (make that hour inconvenient for tourists out on activities), but you did not want to interfere with their privacy. If they accept your dropping off the goods and entering alone in case they are not at home, then of course you will provide them. But most people prefer to do their own shopping. 

If you have adiscount, you can say that's what the discount is for. 

There is another view amongst hosts: some prefer to deliver a bit of paper and coffee to have a weekly look on their apartment. 

[Suzanne213]

In LA we usually have guests stay 10-90 days. We are thinking of changing that to 29 days max so they don’t infer renters rights. Good idea?

 Also,  during their stay are we obligated to clean the room/linens regularly etc? 

[Matthew112]

We love long term renters. We get several temp doctors for the local hospital, house hunters shopping the area and our yearly snowbirds. Four months is our maximum stay. 

In regards to cleaning and cleaning fees I came up with this and it works wonderful for us!

CLEANING RATES are set at $39. However, we reserve the right to have this readjusted (uncontested) under certain circumstances if the guest leaves without attempts in putting effort towards maintaining the condition of our facility, i.e. leaving dishes piled in the sink, undisposed food which we have to remove, over-spills/splatters on or in any appliances, excessive garbage strewed about the place and large amounts of trash we have to remove. This also includes stoppage of drains without us never being informed to resolve. We reserve the right to charge additional monies from your security deposit in order to collect for this.

For our long term guests we offer housekeeping services with a couple options.

If you wish to have housekeeping on a regular basis then you will need to inform us of a schedule which will work best for you. The fee for this is $39 per visit and is payable directly to us at the time of service.

If you wish to do your own housekeeping then just let us know and we will provide you with use of any additional cleaning agents and the vacuum.

Each bungalow includes basic cleaning agents for guest use throughout your stay.

Changing of the bedding and rotating fresh towels is provided at no extra charge.

LEASE AGREEMENT & TERMS. I understand Blue Moon Bungalows, LLC or any of its acting booking agents will authorize my credit card for the full stay plus an additional $150.00 at check-in/on line booking to cover any cost incurred during my stay including any items damaged or removed from my bungalow. The signature below is accepted as an agreement that you permit “signature on file” without dispute for any incidentals occurred or unapproved late check-out past the noon hour. Blue Moon Bungalows LLC. assumes no responsibility for loss of money, jewelry, or other valuables. We are not responsible for contents left in the bungalow or automobile and there is a minimum $150.00 fee for smoking inside any bungalow and open doorways of any bungalow. This also includes  eCigs & Vapor.

With all our guests, even if booked through a 3rd party VR site, they must sign our agreement upon arrival. The key word is "uncontested" which allows me to go ahead and make any adjustments if need be down the road. Thus far, we have yet had to charge for damages and non-cleaned bungalows which I feel is because of this form we have our guests sign.

Feel free to copy any of this information and make it work for you. Let me know if you find it helpful. 

[Matthew112]

One other thing we have on our check in agreement is late checkouts. Because we have a limited time window in cleaning with perhaps another due arrive coming in on the same day, I came up with this. Again, it works like a charm.

CHECK-OUT IS AT 12:00 NOON.

If needing a late check-out, please check with us first to insure it does not interfere with another incoming arrival on your departure date. Unapproved late check-outs will be charged $18 per hour with a one hour minimum rate.

Lost or unreturned keys will be charged $40 per key set.

[Judalon0]

I'm also in LA and have mostly 30-45 nights stays. I state on my Airbnb page that any guest booking a stay over 14 nights must pay for additional cleaning and cleaning will be mid-stay on 15 to 30 nights or every 14 nights for more than 31+ nights. My cleaner charges $85 for the larger cottage and $55 for the small guest house so that's exactly what I ask the guest to pay and the cost of washing linens is just absorbed by the nightly rate. I have them pay the additional cleaning fees in cash at time of check-in and the departure cleaning which is a higher rate is collected via Abnb. I wish Abnb would have a way for us to collect it through their site, but this has worked for me for about 3 years now.

I have also stopped trusting guests to clean in place of my pro-cleaner because either they are not good cleaners and think hanging up their clothes and doing the dishes is cleaning or they are good at cleaning but don't have the time to do it. Plus, the last guest I allowed to do it broke my steamer so that cost me $200 to replace. I also do not like guests to wash my sheets and linens; one guest returned grey towels that had been snow white! And it takes just 1 red item to turn your white sheets pink... most people do not know how to do laundry. So, we change out linens every 14 days and if they want every 7 that's fine with me as long as they bring the dirty linens to the laundry room and pick up the fresh ones, so in that case 1 week they make the bed up and the next my pro-cleaner does it.

[Matthew112]

We just completed the building of a laundry facility on the property last spring. For us and for the guests to use. Guest use is at a two-tier fee base. 1. If you provide your own laundry agents, it is a lower rate. 2. If you elect to use our selection of laundry agents, it's a higher rate for your wash and dry. Works very well with guests. Long term guests generally will provide their own laundry agents. It's the short term guests who go for option #2. 

We have it clearly posted and guests are informed to NOT wash our linens or towels. Upon request we will be happy to provide a fresh set. 

[Sylvia-and-Rick0]

We have a waaher and dryer and supply laundry soap for all our renters to use no charge

[Christine1]

@Judalon0

" I wish Abnb would have a way for us to collect it through their site.... "

This is a very common lament by newer and more experienced hosts alike and applied to an endless variety of items that hosts would like to levy and collect on. 

The resolution tool can be used as often as desired by hosts and guests to collect, receive and send funds throughout a guest stay and at the conclusion. 

There is no problem with billing guests for extra items or services which have been clearly communicated.

The timing and location of this communication this should be in writing via your listing description.

For extra services and special items; it is always advisable to re-emphasise these at the time of booking and again prior to arrival. 

The bonus for everyone in using the resolution tool is that the charges are itemised and receipted for both parties and the transaction is transparent for Airbnb and demonstrates your responsible practice and creditibilty as a host.

Hosts and guests are advised not to levy or pay offsite. 

I hope readers can now see a way to keep all transactions online.

Best regards, Christine

[Christophe259]

Hey guys, we would like to rent our 2 bedroom appartment in Brooklyn for 6 months as we are going to live in California from November to May, it does not seem like this feature is available as I cannot set my dates after March 2019...anyone ever rented for a long period of time on Airbnb?

[Matthew112]

In some states and cities long term rentals could lead you into problems due to squatters rights. I would suggest you communitcate with whoever is wanting to rent it long term and tell them you only offer 30 day rentals. However, at the end of that 30 days they are welcome to SIGN A NEW LEASE AGREEMENT with dates showing only for that 30 day period. Then repeat the process after each 30 days. This will protect you, but I would suggest you look into your laws for your area first.  

If the first booking is handled through Airbnb, that's fine. But let the guests know any additional time is dealing directly with you.