Avoiding the party crowds?

[Chris2003]

Hi guys, I've been hosting for about 3 years now, but I've had some MAJOR issues with disrespectful guests/parties recently.

Last week the police were called by neighbours because there was a drunken pool party going on until 4am (only 4 guests). The week before, there were bottles, cans and nitrous oxide canisters overflowing the bins. (5 guests). We've also had issues with people playing loud music.. even though we've got signs up telling people it's 'strictly prohibited'.

We've got strict house rules, but it seems some guests are just not reading them or straight up ignoring them.

It always seems to be guests with no reviews - but a LOT of my guests have no reviews. I'm not sure I can afford to only host people with reviews? AirBnB penalises hosts who decline reservation requests?

Has anyone noticed a surge in this kind of behaviour post Covid.. any tips to prevent it? 

[Chris2003]

@Anonymous so we actually get about 80% of our bookings for the 'troublesome' property on AirBnB.. but we've 'only' had 2 or 3 issues.

There's a well known site beginning with V and ending in O😁 that apparently attracts 'better' guests. They do seem to be of a 'higher class' demographic.. but some of the behaviour was terrible - think Bullingdon Club.

I agree that some places just give off the party vibe.. so it sounds like it will be a tall ask to completely prevent them. I've ordered a sound monitoring device, so will hopefully be able to stamp out any trouble as soon as it starts.

Does anyone have any experience of actually removing guests for short stays? If they've all been drinking and it's late, surely you can't expect them to just drive off or lock them out in the middle of nowhere?

[Anonymous]

@Chris2003   I have removed intoxicated guests on the spot, in the middle of the night, for some pretty serious rule violations. But my location is walkable to hotels, hostels, and other public spaces open around the clock, so I didn't feel they were left dangerously stranded.

Your situation is quite different. I think it would be more appropriate to shut the party down and require the guests to vacate by a firm hour in the morning - or, if there's only another day or two left on the booking, require an in-person checkout by host at the originally scheduled time. The risk of damage and noise is a small matter compared to the risk of a drunk driver causing a deadly accident, and once the bats are out we have some responsibility to prevent our guests from wreaking havoc on our communities.

[Mikki0]

You are offering a beautiful place with 3 bedrooms / room for 6. All for $70 a person per night. That screams bargain shoppers / party house.

As an experiment, I selected the dates June 5 - June 10 for 6 guests. That totaled $1524, which is less than $50 per person per night! 

What kind of guest are you trying to attract?

Removing the twin beds and replacing with a third double, and raising your rate to <$500 a night, you'd be targeting more affluent couples that might travel together.

Removing an entire bedroom would be attracting a couple with children.

[Normen0]

@Chris2003 @Mikki0 I think this is excellent advice.  

[Chris2003]

@Mikki0 We've always tried to achieve maximum occupancy at the maximum prices. So people who book further in advance, pay more to reserve their place, and then the prices come down (to a point) until the less popular dates are booked. June is quiet this year, so prices are rock bottom.

I've never really looked at it as price per person, because i'd say booking the bungalow for 2 guests is fairly pricey (for the area), but it's quite affordable for 6. I'd say we actually get more couples because the prices are more affordable. There are places nearby that charge more.. but they don't get booked, so what good is that? 😉

The problem with reducing the number of beds is we'll be preventing families with kids coming. We get a LOT of 2 adults 3 kids etc. We also need to hit the 182 nights a year to qualify for business rates.

Does AirBnB allow restrictions on the number of adults/children?

[Mikki0]

@Chris2003 Well, you know your area and your place better than I do. While everything you said makes sense, it also contributes to the exact situation you're asking advice about.

If you've discovered parents with three+ kids is your target audience, then turn the 3rd bedroom into two more twin beds. 

Funny thing about pricing is the counterintuitive nature of it. Raising rates doesn't always equate to less bookings. Just a better quality of booker. Responsible families planning vacations rarely do it last minute. Party animals looking for a cheap place to get away for a few days will. 

After 10 years running my airbnb, I found that higher rates, strict cancellation, and no discounts, (as well as no additional fees) led to MORE bookings, and a better quality guest. Even those with no reviews. PARENTS booking for 2 adults and 4 kids look at the overall cost, and not the per person cost. Frat boys, bachelorette groups etc, ABSOLUTELY look at the cost per person. If they only have 4 friends going, they'll find two others just to lower the per person costs.  

As far as I know, ABB does not have any checkbox restrictions on numbers of adults and or children. Any host restrictions (ie no one under 25, no more than 2 adults, etc) will just mean you have to refuse inquiries. 

[Anonymous]

@Mikki0  I can't really get on board with the classist notion that "affluent" guests are fundamentally higher quality than people who happen to be less wealthy. I've catered primarily to travelers at the budget/backpacker end of the spectrum and have found the majority of them to be far more conscientious and well-behaved than the people I've had the misfortune of dealing with working in a luxury hotel. We don't want to have the lowest-price listing in town, as guests who book solely on price can be a problem, but being the right fit for guests who appreciate your quality and value is the winning ticket.

Location is not exactly a non-factor here as well; a pool house in Wales is not a likely stop for those who can easily jet off to Capri, any more than a guesthouse in Long Beach is paradise for a Malibu budget. We can only aim for the market that's likeliest to love the specific thing we have to offer.

As someone who frequently travels in adult groups without children, one thing that I see as a massive downgrade to the value of a home is a room with twin beds. It's somewhat default for vacation rentals in Germany, but my companions and I tend to pay quite a bit more per-person to book those rare spots where we can all sleep in big-boy beds.

[Pat-and-Cindy0]

@Anonymous  Agreed! about the guests on a budget- they seem to be more respectful of the place and much more appreciative of our service and amenities.  

[Laura2592]

@Chris2003 your listing is attracting exactly the kind of guests you say you want to avoid. 

Check out this thread in addition to the great advice you have gotten here. 

https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/New-to-Hosting/Is-your-listing-a-quot-party-target-quot/m-p/1487...

[Pat-and-Cindy0]

@Chris2003  I have found through 28 years of professional property management experience, that tenant (Guest) screening is key.  We have a 5  bedroom house that sleeps 14 at the Jersey Shore (not where Snooky lives, BTW!) 

We do not do auto-book so I can grill the guests before they come.  Mostly though online communications after they request, or sometimes I call.  I have told guests directly:  we don't allow parties, quiet hours start at 11:00, and so our place doesn't sound like a good fit for you.  Maybe it's our market, but the guests who are into having a big blowout usually tell on themselves:  "how old do I have to be to book?" "We are coming for a reunion/bachelor party/beach concert" etc.   Beach concert guests have been my biggest problem- they get dehydrated, drink all day in the heat, come back and vomit all over---yuck!  In 5 years, I have only had to ask guests to hold it down once when they were "loud talking" on the porch after 11pm.  I  also require a list of anyone who may sleep over--first name, last name, and age.  I tell them it is required by the town, which it is, sort of.   I am going to require ID for all adults as was mentioned here. Good idea- if nothing else, it helps them to think they are personally responsible.  

Marketing is also important.  I put in the listing that we are a quiet neighborhood and the vibe is relaxing and quiet-- we want to be respectful of our neighbors. After we started emphasizing we have baby and kids furniture and toys, 90% of our guests are multi-generational families.   (BTW, Kids are loud, too, but they go to bed early!)

- 

After 1 large party, our little town enacted a but of requirements and fees on Airbnb, so hosts definitely have to self-monitor for the benefit of all.  

My acceptance rate is not 100%, but my mental health is worth it.  Best of luck!  

[David8879]

No short especially weekend stays

no local guests - never

"Property driveway  are monitored by CCTV" (put few fake cameras here and there – hotel monitor – why should not you?)

"security firm on payroll"

IDs of ALL guest or no dice

"My brother lives next to my place"

"Smoke sensors adjusted to react to smoking"

Do not be afraid not to make yourself their "friend” - you are not their friend - you are their landlord

[Fred13]

"I've never really looked at it as price per person, because i'd say booking the bungalow for 2 guests is fairly pricey (for the area), but it's quite affordable for 6."

Why not try the middle? Try 4 people max and find a methodology in which you, in no uncertain terms, convey the concept that no loud neighbor-disturbing behavior is allowed. Why? Because you live obviously close enough to them. 

 From a cost point of view: $500 / 4 = $125, $500 / 6 = $83. It may make a difference, usually does.

Something has to give, but one thing for sure: if you do not change your approach, you may not be allowed to host for much longer.

Good luck.