When the guest gets up at an unreasonable hour, coughs all night and is reserved for 10+ more days????

LeeAnne25
Level 2
New York, NY

When the guest gets up at an unreasonable hour, coughs all night and is reserved for 10+ more days????

Not sure what to say to a guest Who guest gets up at 5:30-6:00 only to "hang-out" in a space specifically described as "semi-private" and "for the guest on the go." He is sitting in my living-room where I ordinarily work, only interrupted by several cigarette breaks out in the front to talk to my neighbors. Then coughs all night and...... is reserved for 10+ more days. Is there anything that I can do besides sit him down and tell him that our schedules are a bad fit? 

 

I hate confrontation and found him a different place in the same neighborhood and for less $$ but I know he wont want to move on. (Even though he keeps telling his mom (loudly) that he has no money, because the place isn't nearly as nice as mine.

14 Replies 14
Emiel1
Level 10
Leeuwarden, The Netherlands

@LeeAnne25 

 

I fear "sit him down and tell him that our schedules are a bad fit? " is still the best option.

Otherwise shorten the reservation (so he can move to the cheaper place !) and if not accepted, cancel the reservation (with penalties !)

 

@Emiel1  Thank you so much! This makes me feel much more confident. I will let you know the outcome. (I'll speak with him tomorrow afternoon if tomorrow morning is a 6:00am repeat. In and out all morning smoking is a little much when it begins at 6:00 on a Sunday.)

Jennifer1897
Level 10
Irvine, CA

I looked at both your listings and it seems like you include the kitchen and living room in both as "common areas" so I am not quite sure what "Simi-private" space you are referring to the guests spending time in.  Also "Guest on the go" can mean different things to different people.  If you are specifically looking for people who are out and about most of their stay, you are going to find yourself getting frustrated or annoyed quite often, as some guest like to hang around, especially during these times when a lot of things are shut down. 

 

With airbnb it is good to have very clear cut rules. Do not leave anything to interpretation. If guests are not allowed in certain areas, make that very clear.  If you have quiet times, make that very clear.  

 

Lastly, you say your living room is your work area, but it appears you are renting a bed in your living room, that has privacy screens around it. You really can not expect your guest to sit behind the privacy screens  their entire stay.  Of course they are going to step out into the living room or other accessible areas. 

 

As for the coughing, there is really not much that can be done about that. It could be related to his smoking, but it could be other health issues as well, which may be beyond his control.  

 

If you are really set on him leaving, then your options are to sit him down, and let him know that you feel your place is not a good fit for him, or like you said your schedules are not a good match. It doesn't sound like he specifically violated any rules, so it would be unwarranted to kick him out. It sounds like you have already researched other options for him, and since they are available, present them as a positive, such as "I found a place close by that is less expensive." If worst comes to worst you may have to bite your tongue and endure 10 more days. 

 

Good luck. 

Nana-Marie0
Level 2
Quebec City, Canada

Guests come from all different backgrounds and have varying habits that may conflict with hosts.  Rules are the best way to keep the peace, speaking your mind and communicating is very important.  

Mark116
Level 10
Jersey City, NJ

@LeeAnne25  Not really, you can't really make 'common areas' off limits to guests in a shared listing.  You can't really regulate what time a guest gets up, but if you don't have it, you can add 'quiet' hours that would at least things quiet.  I'm not sure if talking to the guest will help much, you may want to just suck this one up. 

LeeAnne25
Level 2
New York, NY

Thank you all for your help and advice. You are all right of course. I've just had such great "touristy" guests up until now. People who have stated that they are coming for sightseeing and when I asked about his general schedule he never replied. Now I have a feeling that I know why.  I have definitely learned a bunch from this and from all of you. Thank you so much for your time and input!

Robin4
Level 10
Mount Barker, Australia

@LeeAnne25 

Not sure which of your listings this guest is renting....private room or shared space!

LeeAnne when you list a property with 'common' areas you are implying that the paying guest will have the use of those areas! You can't say they are 'semi private'.....it's available for a bit of use!

Hosting compromises your privacy and you have to be prepared to accept that.

 

I do not list a shared space, I list a self contained cottage but, the fact that it is on the house property means I do feel like something of a prisoner in my own space. I can't go out in the yard and drop a fart when I feel like it, I have to all the time consider the guest. This is the price you have to pay when you host in your personal space!

 

You do state in your listing description LeeAnne that your property is non smoking, and you can say to him you are concerned about the residue of that smoking that he is bringing into the apartment and the effect that will have on your furniture and future guests. You can also say with current COVID-19 infections the way they are, you are very uncomfortable with his persistent coughing and suggest to him that this might not be the right property for his stay.

But you can't reprimand him for using the space you advertised was available to him before he booked.

 

Some guests are going to be better than others LeeAnne,  hosting is something of a lucky dip but unless he specifically breaks your house rules, it may be best to weather this one out! You don't want a bad review this early in your hosting career!

 

Cheers........Rob  

@Robin4Thank you. Yes. I get it. I will focus on the Covid and smoking. Thank you.

 

 

Sarah977
Level 10
Sayulita, Mexico

@LeeAnne25 Hating confrontation and being a home-share host don't go well together. It's really important when sharing space with guests to be upfront about your expectations and boundaries- that's not what I think of as confrontation, just clear communication.

 

And you should never let your annoyance with a guest's ways fester- that just builds resentment and will make you feel like a prisoner in your own home. Always try to address issues right away. The sooner you do it, the easier it is, really.

 

Of course if we are home-sharing, we have to be somewhat tolerant of the fact that not everyone does things like we do. I like mostly clear countertops in the kitchen, so when a guest leaves a little pile of their food supplies out, it offends my sense of aesthetics, but I decided a long time ago that those sorts of things aren't anything to fuss about, and now I just don't let it bother me. But if a guest left their dirty dishes there,  I would definitely tell them the expectation is that they clean up after their meal before leaving the kitchen.

 

And don't be shy to use some humor, it can lighten the mood. " Hey, man, I couldn't help but notice your poor aim in the bathroom- we gals sit down to pee, you know. How about wiping down the seat with the Clorox wipes under the sink before checking out of the bathroom? Much appreciated."

@Sarah977point very well taken! Thank you so much! I should have nipped this in the bud 2 days ago and will from now on be an over-communicator (with humor!) Tx again Sarah!

@LeeAnne25 I also find that a good psychological tactic when you have to mention some behavior to guests is to just do it casually (unless it's some serious violation), and move right on to something else, rather than making a big point of it, so they don't feel like they are unwelcome or being attacked.

 

"Oh, I meant to mention to you earlier that..... Say, did you get a chance to check out that good bakery down the block I told you about? I'm gonna make some coffee- you want a cup?"

This is awesome @Sarah977 thank you! I'll use this if I host again but this  guest had me up until 2Am with his coughing and phone alerts going off and he just woke me up at 7:02 for his first cigarette break. (I counted over 20 breaks yesterday ... of them he washed his hands upon entering: twice) I'm afraid to leave me bedroom. I am literally at my wits end.

Sharon1014
Level 10
Sellicks Beach, Australia

@LeeAnne25   At risk of stating the obvious, go have a C-19 test, both you and your house-mate.  Bit gob-smacked frankly that you are home-sharing at all in this current climate especially in NYC of all places.

Marit-Anne0
Level 10
Bergen, Norway

@LeeAnne25 judging by all the smoking, your guest probably has a chronic lung disease rather than Covid19.  He could have both of course, but a chronic disease is more likely.  Perhaps he is staying away for 10 days while someone in his household is sick - a chronic lung disease would put him in the high risk group.  

Getting up at 6 or 7am is not uncommon, especially not for older folks.  

Having guests in a shared setting would put you at risk no matter how careful you are.