Do you allow guests to break house rules so they do not give you a bad review?

[Letti0]

I'm seeing a startling large pattern lately, especially since they changed the SuperHost qualifications on AirBnB. But it's not just here but on other hosting forums for other sites too. Hosts are over looking extra guests they can prove and not confronting their guests and letting them stay free when they clearly have a fee that should be paid. Guest check in way too early or check out way to late and they say nothing. Leave the place a total pigsty and they do nothing or say nothing. Guests bring vistors on to the property without permission; yet you look the other way. Allow the guest to control the environment, rather than the host this one is more related to shared homes than entire houses and appears to be happening to more and more hosts in the last 6 months or so. Guests asking for things you do not supply, but you go the extra mile and give it to them anyway to make them happy and it continues to happen again and again once you give in once. There's a lot more but those are the bigger ones. I been seeing a lot of. 

More than half of the hosts do not leave any reviews of the guests at all with the bad behavior out of fear of a retailory review. I have also noted that a lot of hosts do not actually understand the review process at all and think if they don't write one then the guests won't appear. Also that many host never leave a review for the guests good or bad. This is troublesome for a few reasons. One a guest rent out places from hosts that do not review at all and have issues renting with hosts that require reviews. Bad guest get to repeat bad behavior at another hosts place without any warning to future hosts. Some guests won't review a host that has not reviewed them first, the logic is if they can't bother I can't. 

For the first 10 reviews I let things slide a little, but not anything major. I also use the stategy of reviewing the guests immediately and usually get a review back within 1 to 24 hours, then I ask about the issues that came up on check out along with any costs involved if there were any there usually isn't, since it has to be a claim worth putting in the effort to get before I bother. This has been a very useful method, so far anyway. I am now at the point I will confront them during the booking stage or when they show up with extra guests issues, infants being paid for, vistors showing up, etc. Reviews be danged. I will not be abused or taken advantage of by my guests. I prove a great place with many extra amenties they will not find elsewhere for the most part. I let the place speak for it's self now. I understand all hosting styles are different, but why do so many hosts allow this abuse to go on and continue renting to the guest or guests and not get AirBnB or whatever site to cancel them and get rid of them? It just boggles my mind. 

The other thing I have noticed is very few hosts actually have rental agreements with their guests. I not only have the rental agreement I get a copy of the government ID. My guests do not really have an issue with this, out of all my guests on all the sites I list on only one has refused to sign it and return it. They cancelled. No big loss in my mind. Also surprisingly many hosts are not aware of the host and guests email's provided by AirBnB to send the rental agreement and ID back and forth via PDF and JPEG. 

So my question is are you one of the hosts allowing major House Rules to be broken for fear of a bad reviews and if so has it really stopped the bad reviews from bad guests? I personally don't see how it would, but I'd like to know what your actual experience has been.  

[Fred13]

Lock  the washer & drier, end of story.  Not worth it. Make exceptions as it strikes your fancy.

[Pete28]

Yup - the more you provide, the more that can get damaged, over used, or abused.

I had considered getting some kayaks (we are one block from water), but unless guests are staying several nights you know they wil, head off and not checkout in time, want more towels, want to dry clothes, want to use shower after checkout, leave the boats drifting etc etc. 

Just not worth it. 

[Victoria567]

Hi @Pete0 

you never know and they might fall in the water, drown andcsent you the lawyers letter from hell!

[Olivia215]

My review of guest trashing my house was removed as well.

[Alice454]

Thanks for your clear thinking.  I serve breakfast at my BNB and bend over backwards to make a wonderful experience for my guests, however, I don’t know how to say no!  So I agreed to 2 , it became 4 additional guests.   It was a birthday party for 97 year old grandmother, in a wheelchair.  Oh my liability was hanging out. They used my gas grill,kayaks,canoe and shower.  I mentioned this In my review and the guests were very unhappy.  

I wanted other hosts to know what to expect.  

I am sorry I even wrote a review.  

 I felt taken advantage of my kindness.  I won’t be doing that again.   

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Letti0

we ask all our guests to show us their photo ID on arrival and we had no problems so far. We wrote some bad reviews and didn't left a review sometimes , asked and got a damage refund, said NO many times... but we try to be flexible and we help if we can, if it is not to much trouble for us or if it is not our guest's fault (like when they check in very late due to traffic jam or delays)

It is important to find balance between a great host and a doormat 🙂

[Letti0]

@Branka-and-Silvia0  I absolutely agree a balance that works for both parties. Here's two cases in which I have gone out of my way on. If I can help I do, but they become demanding or abusive it stops now asap. No questions allowed. 

First one:

I have actually allowed 16 people because the guest was desperate his track team from Houston (all 7-8 year olds) had a final competition in San Antonio and his original host cancelled just under 2 weeks before. HA asked me if I could possibly take them in. He asked to bring in air mattresses, we supplied the linens and went out of our way to accomadate them. In return I got no review in either the guest book or online. Not even a thank you. He the coach was demanding and entitled as were the parents. The kids were great. They almost lite one of my huge Pecan trees on fire as they moved the charcoal grill underneath it and used too much lighter fluid, so a huge ball of fire went up into the air. Talk about panic from a short distance away. It's a huge caterers grill the Weber Ranch Kettle Grill we moved it over there from the Venue in addition to the Weber LP gas grill there already so they could use both to feed the 16 people (There were actually 19 we counted). This will never happen again. 

Second one last weekend:

Host cancelled right before their stay like 30 hours before that they booked months in advance 11 adults and children.  AirBnB called to see if we would take them as no other hosts were available for that amount of people for all the days they wanted. She communicated well and kept in touch. AirBnB actually did something for her I did not even know they did. They did not refund her money, but issued a travel credit as she did not have the credit card dollars to book another place without the refund that can take up to 15 days to get. There were 2 case workers in the 24 hours it took to do this and they both kept us both in the loop. I sent the pre-approval with a block tentative dates so no one else could book it while this was going on per the case workers request. They did not leave the place much just kinda hung out there for all the days. The place was so clean, basically all we had to do was change the sheets, she even washed all the towels (which we ask them not to do, but they were fine no stains). Within 3 hours after she left she left us a review that was 5* and wished it could have been a 10* review. So this experience gave me faith again that not all requests for special issues will work against me.  

[Chelsea117]

If you happen to have a template of your rental agreement I would so appreciate it if you would post it! I would like to know what types of issues I should address in a professional agreement etc. And personalize it. I'm new at hosting. 

Or maybe some quick tips?

Anyways your article was very helpful!

Thank you!

[Letti0]

@Chelsea117  Check you personal messages. I sent you one. 

[Tanika0]

@Letti0, I too would love a copy of this rental agreement.  I copied one from another major short-term rental site but I would love to compare both.

[Julie1194]

Hi Letti, I too would love a template of your rental agreement....I had a wonderful first summer ,  we have a beach house, this second summer ...not so and we did not have the support from airbnb.  They totally sided with the guest, who was extremely dishonest.  I feel a signed agreement, may have saved us from some of the problems we experienced with two other rental weeks.  thank you so very much for sharing your experience and for your suggestions, and insight. juliepeters99@aol.com

[Letti0]

@Julie1194  Check your email. 

[Tueykay0]

@Letti0 

Please add me to the list of grateful hosts who would like a copy of your agreement. Even though I have one, I'd love to see yours to make sure I've covered all my bases.

Much thanks for your kindness!

[Letti0]

@Tueykay0 Just seent a message for email address. 

[Olivia215]

Can I get a template as well please? 

I’m tired of people trying to take advantage of me.