private bathroom vs. personal use

[Heather368]

We rent a bedroom downstairs right next to the bathroom. It is the only bathroom downstairs. We do not use this bathroom when we have guests (unless they are gone.) Otherwise we go upstairs to use our master bathroom. Can we count that as a private bathroom? Or do we need to totally avoid using the downstairs bathroom when we have guests?

Would we need to put up a privacy screen to keep our upstairs guests from using it?

Thanks for any insights you may have.

[Alexandra316]

@Heather368 I think if you're advertising it as a private bathroom, you can't use it yourselves when guests are staying, even if they're not there. 

[Heather368]

@Alexandra316 Good point. Thanks!

[Sarah977]

@Heather368  The only way it counts as a private bathroom is if it is for the guest's exclusive use. If there are 2 separate guests in 2 separate units using it, or if you use it as well, it is classified as a shared bathroom.

I have a set-up where I have a bathroom that has a door on one side of it that opens into my bedroom, and a door on the other that opens into the guest bedoom. When I don't have a guest, I use that bathroom very minimally, i.e. to answer the call of nature first thing in the morning. So there is nothing personal of mine in that bathroom except for a hand towel. When I have a guest, I lock off the bathroom door that leads to my bedroom, remove my towel, clean that bathroom for my guest, and use the other bathroom, on the downstairs floor, exclusively. So the upstairs bathroom then does become a private bathroom for guest use only.

You can't call a bathroom private if there are other people using it anymore than you could call a bedroom private if there were other people sleeping in it.

[Heather368]

@Sarah977 Thanks for helping me think this through and better understand the logistics!

[Linda108]

@Heather368  If the bathroom is available for the exclusive use of the guest during the time they are there is a private bathroom.  Many hosts have entire homes that are available for exclusive guest use during the time of the booking.  If the space is used by the host for unbooked times, that does not negate the private aspect of it for guest use.  Hope this helps. Linda

[Heather368]

@Linda108 That makes sense to me. Thanks for your insights!

[Jessica-and-Henry0]

@Heather368

I have a similar set-up and while we have a guest staying with us, Henry and I do not use the bathroom designated as the private "guest" bathroom (which is across the hall from the guest bedroom). Every couple days, we go in to check if there is enough TP or to provide new towels and empty the trash bin but do not use it at all (not even to wash our hands when the guest is not home).

Of course, when we do not have a guest staying with us, we just go to whichever bathroom is nearer.

If it is called a "private bathroom" for the downstairs guest, no one except the downstairs guest should use it for the full duration of their reservation. A screen or a sign on the door sounds like a good idea 🙂

[Heather368]

@Jessica-and-Henry0 Thanks for sharing what you do. That makes sense and we will start doing that too so that the bathroom can be considered totally private.  I will get more exercise that way by going upstairs! 🙂

Plus, that way with the private bathroom the room will qualify for the Work designation.