Excessive utility usage by guests

[Rozlyn3]

I've come across similar posts discussing this issue, but I'm not content with simply absorbing the extra costs, especially when there could be negligence on the guest's part.

Recently, we hosted a guest who stayed for a few weeks and worked from our home. It seemed they worked at night, so I anticipated a reasonable increase in utility use, which I was prepared to cover to some extent. However, the electricity bill tripled, and unfortunately, I didn’t discover this until after I had already left a review for the guest.

Is it possible to set up contractual expectations regarding utility usage—such as limits on electricity and water consumption—so that guests would be responsible for covering any excessive use? I’ve heard of nightmare scenarios where utility bills exceeded $1,000, and the homeowner couldn’t recover the costs. I don’t know the specifics of those cases, but the thought is concerning.

[Quincy]

Welcome to the Community Center @Rozlyn3!

Perhaps @Marie8425 @Patricia2526 @Shelley159 might be able to offer tips! 

[Marie8425]

@Rozlyn3 

Tripled even if the Guest worked all night, he slept all day.  I can't think of a way any guest has tripled my energy bill,  I have had increase sometimes because I do cater to mid ter but there increases I can explain and then I maybe a business decision.  If my utility bill was triple, my call would be to the utility company, do I have an issue that has nothing to do with the guest?  If you just had a guest that excessive ran the AC most of us control that by using a thermostat that has an app we can control.

[Shelley159]

Hi @Rozlyn3 

It's possible that this experience with the high electricity bill won't be the norm (unless there is a problem as @Marie8425 has mentioned). I see you haven't hosted many guests yet, so you may need some time to see how much the average guest uses. Once you get a feel for it, my suggestion would be to make sure that the average usage is priced into your nightly rate, instead of making a rule about utility usage.

Pricing in a way that covers your costs is far less stressful (as there is nothing for you to police) and less likely to cause conflict between you and your guests. It's possible that your price already covers average use, perhaps this guest used more while a future guest will use less. These things tend to even out over time. However, if you keep having problems with high utility bills, investigate whether there's an electrical issue and consider perhaps increasing the nightly rate.

[Patricia2526]

Hello! @Rozlyn3  Thanks @Quincy for tagging.

As a host, I don’t charge any additional fees. We’ve priced our listings to cover daily expenses like electricity and water. To keep costs down and be more eco-friendly, we use LED bulbs and energy-efficient appliances, including inverter air conditioning units. I hope this information is helpful!

Best regards,

Patricia

[Nagaraja2]

Hi Rozlyn3,

Managing utility costs for short-term rentals can be challenging, especially when guest consumption patterns are unpredictable. This often leads to hosts bearing unexpected expenses.

To address this, I’m working on a smart utility billing solution that integrates with Airbnb and other booking platforms. This approach not only helps hosts recover utility costs but also encourages responsible consumption—contributing to sustainability and reducing the carbon footprint.

Attached is a screenshot of an electricity bill example (water and gas can also be included). I’d love to hear your feedback on this solution, and I’d be happy to assist if you're interested in implementing it for your property.

Looking forward to your thoughts!

Best regards,

[Rose422]

Hi there, 

I would recommend adjusting your nightly rate accordingly to reflect your anticipated running expenses. It would not be right to rate guests depending on their electricity usage. Hosting should be about providing a memorable and pleasant stay for guests and Not controlling what they can and what they can't do, unless you have them listed in House Rules. If the government starts charging us for the amount of flushes we make for the toilet, should we start feeling upset how often guests use the toilet? We all should go beyond the nitty-gritty and concentrate on what matters, that is making sure sharing your space with people around the world adds a little value to their life. Have inspirational sayings, fun house manuals, great local tips, offer free extras, welcome drinks, etc to make people feel a little special or they will go to a hotel next time and I someone will eventually have one less guest because of your review. Many people choose to stay at airbnbs, so that they see character and the uniqueness of the host's personal space, get inspired and experience something other than a boring hotel room. It should not be a dry and boring experience and complaints about bills. I believe we should all rise beyond this and change our attitude to hosting because I have come across some discussions on different sites lately that ruin Airbnb's reputation. 

Rose.