Absolutely No Parties

[Sudsrung0]

Absolutely No Parties, 

This is for my fellow Host you can use it just add it to your photo's on airbnb

It works guest have even commented on it one lady said that is why she booked my place,

Let me know if you use it,

[Laura2592]

@Sudsrung0 nicely done! I did find that adding rules and info to the pictures in the listing increased the chances guests would actually read them 😉

[Sudsrung0]

@Laura2592 

That was my idea as it seems people dont read the listing these days, Now I think they cant miss that

[Wende2]

@Sudsrung0   Hello...I have a sheet on the refrigerator with them listed, next to all the "important" info.....WIFI password, police phone numbers, address and my number, and so on.  They obviously don't read or care about the rules.  I'd love to add that I get to write a review about them too, but I figure that would just have them get mad and leave me a bad one for being honest.

[Huma0]

@Wende2 

Yes, that's a tricky one, but I wouldn't mention it as I think that most guests are perfectly aware that you get to write a review for them too. What they are not aware of is that you get to leave them star ratings! 

It's rare, but I have occasionally had guests who complain in their reviews that I have too many rules or that my rules are strict but, you know what, I don't mind when they do that. I hope that it deters any future guests that think they might be able to completely ignore the rules. 

The real problem is getting people to read them in the first place...

[Wende2]

@Huma0   You're right about future guest, if anything maybe they'd be curious and read them.  Maybe I'll mention they get a star rating as well. 

My last guests stayed a week, very nice older couple, older not old.  They made it a point to say they don't text, they didn't answer me in the ABnB messages either.  I like to greet people, answer any questions straight away.  I did leave a nice review, said even tho there was no communication, I'd be happy to have them visit whenever they get the chance.  I kinda felt like I should have told them communication is a star rating for them. 

[Huma0]

@Wende2 

I had a similar experience with an older (not old) couple but they were not so nice. 

For me this is a bit of a problem. I do not like getting blamed for things because the guests actually can't make the effort to read or reply to stuff. My mother is nearly 80 and she checks her emails. Why can't they?

The couple I mentioned arrived in a bad mood and I was guaranteed a bad review before they even stepped through the door? Why, because firstly they didn't read the listing properly before booking and expected three meals a day to be included (!!!). Nowhere on my listing does it say meals are included, not even breakfast. 

They ignored the house rules before they even arrived, by having packages sent here ahead of the check in date. That is something I clearly state NOT to do. They wanted me to help with their car rental for a future trip and with numerous other things that had nothing to do with the stay. While I tried to accommodate as best I could, I am not someone's personal search engine/concierge/maid, which is how they treated me both before the stay and for the duration of it. 

They ignored my very clear directions and only acknowledged the message when I chased. They then turned up hours after the agreed check in time and didn't answer any messages in the meantime. Eventually, I messaged them again to say I needed to pop to the shops for five minutes. I also left a note on the door just in case. Of course, this is exactly when they eventually showed up. They were flustered and frustrated. Even though they were standing outside my very distinctive house, the exterior of which is shown on the listing, they were stopping random people in the street to ask how to find my Airbnb. 

Turns out they had not only ignored my request to please let me know if they were running late, but had turned off their phones (they bought a new phone to use in the UK but were waiting for me to set it up for them). They claimed in their review that I never sent the directions until after their arrival, which was a total lie because, not only did they acknowledged they had received them after I chased, but they were holding a print out of them when I found them outside the house! Everything was clearly my fault and they spent the next eight days punishing me for it.

So, guests' communication is really important to me. I am glad we get to rate them on that. Perhaps it would be really helpful though to make the guests aware that we do!

[Wende2]

@Huma0   I have never heard of a more ridiculous thing, having packages sent to your place, that's just beyond. 

I've had those guests too, no communication after booking.  The ones that really irritate me, they want to check in early...or better yet tell me what time they're checking in, then show up hrs after check in.  I had 2 guys ask to check in, then never a word, 10pm i sent a message asking if they were alright, no answer back, they arrived at 11pm.  Better yet,  I had hosts ask to check in a few hrs early, then show up hrs after 5, and didn't bother to let me know.

Sometimes it's hard to keep faith in humanity. 

[Huma0]

@Wende2 

The packages thing is not as uncommon as you might think. I've had several guests do this. Also, a lot of people do not seem to appreciate the difference between asking and telling. A guest would say they are having a package sent to my house and that it might arrive before they do and is that okay? When I would remind them that it's not okay and that that's specified in my house rules, they would seem surprised and respond, "But it's already on the way..."

So, how are they 'asking' exactly? They are not asking, they are telling me so that their package becomes my responsibility. And what are you supposed to do then? I have had to make it very clear in my house rules:

"Guests may not receive mail or packages at the house, give the address to any companies or in any way communicate that it is their residence. There are many services in London that you can have mail/packages delivered to. Any unauthorised mail will be returned to sender."

As for communication, yes there are plenty of guests who book and then go completely silent. They may or may not have their notifications switched on, or may simply ignore them, I don't know. The guests I mentioned above though were very communicative after booking. They sent me lots of questions/directions about their needs, e.g. "What food is included? I can't find that on the listing." "I am having a box of craft materials sent to your house. Please look out for it." "We'll be renting a car from X company when we leave London. Which is the best office to pick it up at?" And on and on. 

Where they didn't communicate was when I asked them anything, e.g. to confirm they had received the directions, to let me know if they were running late for check in etc. etc. That was not important to them. This is a lack of communication that doesn't come from cluelessness (although they were really clueless about a lot of stuff), but from sheer entitlement. 

[Wende2]

@Huma0   I guess if people booked here for 4 days or a week, maybe they'd have something sent here.?  It's never happened, yet.  I agree it's not asking when it's already on it's way. 

And couldn't find the food included on the listing, wouldn't think it would take a genius to figure that out.  Most questions I'm asked, the answers are on the listing, some people make it really hard for me not to be rude...go back and read why don't ya.?

I had a couple book for 4 days.  Very nice, the apt was well taken care of, no communication, and they were proud to say they don't text.  Apparently they don't anything, abnb messages went unanswered as well.

I swear, I just can't get it out of my head that people have packages sent to your address.!!

[Huma0]

@Wende2 

I posted this when I was still hosting short term guests: https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Hosting/Do-you-let-guests-receive-mail/m-p/964607#M242042

And while I can be more flexible with long term guests (depends on what they are being sent), I do not want people registering bank accounts, credit cards and social security to my address and, yes, some of them do exactly that!

And the food thing. Yep, that was particularly idiotic. I clearly state on my listing that tea, coffee, sugar, salt, pepper, oil etc. are included, so, if I offered meals, would I not mention this?? These guests were ridiculous though. They were 'don't cook, won't cook' kind of people (couldn't even manage to microwave a ready meal or make themselves some toast), but also 'won't pay to eat out' either. They were very resentful not only that I wasn't providing meals, but that I wasn't making them meals. At the next listing they reviewed, they wrote, "There was a kitchen we could use but we had to buy our own food." Really???

Luckily, most guests aren't that stupid. I only had one similar incident which was a younger couple who kept helping themselves to my food, e.g. making themselves a full on breakfast with my eggs, avocados etc. etc. but they broke so many rules that I had to call Airbnb about them so the food was the least of my worries. They wrote in their review that I had a very well stocked kitchen!

[Wende2]

@Huma0   I think people think, because it's air'bnb, they may expect breakfast.  And since they don't bother to read.!

So how many guests expected a well stocked kitchen after that review, or did you leave a public message, it was stocked for yourself, not guests. 

I live so far out in the country, it's a running joke here, if someone moves farther down, they must be running away from something.  I have a post office box, so in my case, my mail lady would be on the phone telling about them.  Plus I live 2 doors down, I can walk there in 2 minutes.

[Huma0]

@Wende2 

To be honest, most guests do not expect breakfast to be included at an airbnb in London. It's actually not the norm at all. Now, if I was running an Airbnb in the countryside, where it was a mission to go out and get breakfast, it would be something that I would seriously think about providing. However, where I am, most guests neither expect it, nor want it and do not want to pay for it. Most of the food would just go in the bin.

I tried fruit bowls for a while and that is exactly what happened. I do actually supply some unadvertised extras, such as breakfast cereals, honey, this that and the other, but very few guests use it., so again, it just ends up in the bin and I hate unnecessary food waste.

I've never encountered any other guests except for that particular couple from Orange County, who were expecting me not only to provide groceries, but cook and serve them three meals a day. I don't get it, because they had stayed already in about 25 Airbnbs and I am yet to come across one that offers that...

[Clara116]

@Huma0  I'm NOW convinced people do not read....they skim....glance...glaze over words.......maybe look at a photo and a video with music and action is how to get attention. = TikTok....ta da!!!

I wish we could put videos on our photos with Airbnb.

I have this sign (with PICS OF NO SMOKING - with pic of cig/vape/dope all in circles/crossed thru-  in my photos on my listing....and I mean it. I also only send a question of "are either of them smokers and the name of the other guest" before accepting a reservation. I want them to know I am serious about no smoking. So far good - 5 yrs.  

[Huma0]

@Clara116 

Yes, it's weird that we can't have videos on the listing. I know a lot of hosts have requested this. 

Your visual sign (like the OP's) seems to be an effective alternative, but no one wants to fill their listing with those, so I guess one has to decide which rules are the most important to communicate for that particular listing.

It's less of an issue now that I host long term stays so don't have to do check ins that often, but I think in the past, I might have chosen to highlight the check in and out times as guests ignoring those used to be a constant source of frustration.