Off season = bad guests

[Roberta150]

I'm a Superhost and have entered into my first off-season.

What I've learned is due to the lower prices because of so many available listings, the guests I've had so far are mostly (not all) horrible compared to high-season, high-paying guests. They seem to have the same mindset of those who want a discount, which is a major red flag for a bad host experience.

I've gone in and blocked off Mon-Wed in January through mid-March when good shoulder-season guests start booking. And I raised my low and high prices to discourage cheap guests from booking the available days. I'm taking a break, and plan on using the time to get long-awaited projects done. For hosts who need the income, I'm so sorry: It's much better to have another source of income during the off-season and enjoy the time off from hosting rather than deal with rotten, cheap guests who may cost you more than the booking fee to let them stay.

You may also make the mistake I made by politely but firmly reminding a guest of the house rules that they were violating - yep, they retaliated with completely unfair star rankings in every category when normally I get all five-stars. Luckily the comment was "Great host!" and I have enough five-stars that theirs was diluted and doesn't affect what shows during a search by future guests - it still shows me as five-stars in all categories.

However, newer hosts with few reviews would be negatively impacted by such reviews which I am convinced are much more likely during the off-season.

[Jiw0]

I'm noticing the same.  We don't realy have high or low seasons but there are of course times that I'm with some unbooked days, and everytime I lower prices for those days it results in a different type of guest, likely younger and more the backpacker type.

However I don't mind. Money is money, and it's more likely to 'wow' them with the fanciest place they've stayed at during their travels.   Be nice, mop up thoroughly after them and it likely results in a good review.

[Mike170 · Accepted solution]

@Roberta150 Love your post.

First, we get, almost without exception, wonderful guests.  

Our high season is December through February/March, when we can get very congested.  We sort of tag along through the rest of the year - but we continue to have a very regular number of guests.  Our price is relatively high, but we offer a very comprehensive package of goodies for it - you could stay with us for a month and never put your hand in your pocket.  Our prices stay the same throughout the year.  We have discounts for a week or a month, but that is it.  

I continually get messages from ABB saying

- why don't we reduce our price? 

- we are  more expensive than other establishments 

- why don't we do instant book? 

- why don't we change some of our criteria (such as minimum two nights booking)?   

I just wish I could reply to them!  

They are not comparing like-with-like!

And we want to remain in control of who comes to stay with us in our home.  

We are not income maximisers:  we are satisficers.

Good luck.  

[Alexandra316]

@Roberta150 I totally agree! We've had great guests since we opened with nothing but perfect reviews. Now that our pricing has dropped for the off season, we got our first less than 5-star review, and it was from someone who paid very little and got a lot.

She said she was a new parent neededing a getaway for the weekend with her husband. Great! Welcome! We'd love to have you! She paid the least we've ever taken for a Friday night booking, and we are already the cheapest self-contained Airbnb in our area. She asked for recommendations: we gave her a bunch of restaurant and winery recommendations. We gave her a bunch of free tasting coupons for local wineries, and made sure she could pick them up before she checked in so she could make the most of them. We let her check in early. We let her check out late.

Her complaint, and reason for giving us less than 5 stars? There was a bit of noise overnight from the plumbing when we went to bed at 10:30 pm and it "kept her up" (briefly running water for tooth brushing in another part of the house apparently kept her up all night). I found it really disappointing, and I haven't yet responded to her feedback. I think I'm just going to ignore it, because her public feedback was fine. Some people are just impossible to please, and it taught me a lesson regarding bargain hunters. I used to be a restaurant critic, and I heard the same thing from high-end restaurants: guests who come with coupons and discounts generally have the highest, most ridiculous expectations.

[Roberta150]

So I feel the need to amend this post. My last few guests during the off-season have been excellent, but I am doing certain things to help get a better quality of guest: I am not dropping my price too much so the real bargain hunters book elsewhere - but of course this means fewer bookings which I don't mind and have budgeted for; and the minimum stay is two nights so I'm avoiding the one-nighters who don't care what the host thinks or what the rules are because they are in and out quickly then gone. I'd love to hear tips from others on how to get good quality guests at any time, including the off-season.

I did have a couple groups back-to-back who booked for "2 adults" but each snuck in a third person without paying the extra fee for any over two - so the off-season does still bring dishonest bargain hunters that I only saw happen one time out of many peak-season bookings. I've added something about this to my House Rules since Airbnb allows the host to cancel a booking without penalty if guests violate any House Rules. 

[Ani44]

Hi Roberta, I'm new to hosting but I have just (unfortunately)discovered what you say to be very, very, true!  After a series of single and short or medium occupancies, from one or two nights to a week, and lovely guys who were polite, considerate guests who appreciated my kind gestures in return (picking them up and dropping them off to their transport points from and to their flights, making sure they are comfortable during their stay, etc, now i'm stuck with a three week stay with a couple that do not speak a word of English (a good lesson on communications for me there) and although seemingly polite and curteous at first, are taking liberties with using stuff from my weekly shopping without asking me, putting on heaters when the weather is not cold enough (one may argue that is personal preferences but believe me, it is not heater weather yet...).  They are going to cost me more in groceries and electricity than they are worth, especially that they got in at a discounted price! 

[Kathleen-M-0]

Thank you, Roberta !  I took a four month booking during the off season because Airbnb basically MADE me...I didn't want it, and now that it is ending I pray for deliverance.  I have contacted Airbnb about getting back to me before this person leaves i.e. destroyed property, etc. and breaking every house rule regarding cleanliness especially.  I have a feeling I will be penalized after waiting on this drip for 4 months if they leave a bad review.  I am really tired of the way Airbnb treats even Superhosts.  

[Christine615]

Oh my!

Set your maximum stay to under 30 days if you don't want long terms guests to even find you. And don't set your rates low. I have a 1500 square foot apartment with three bedrooms and I constantly get suggestions that I lower my price to $68/night. But they are comparing me to places with a futon on the floor (i.e. the algorithm is way off).

You want fewer guests that pay well, rather than be subjected to the constant wear and tear from bottom-feeders looking for a cheap motel price.

Decide at what price it is worth it to you to clean and reset the apartment and use that.

[Kathleen-M-0]

Airbnb put the boot to me last Feb. telling me I needed to try lowering my prices by $13 per night for my area.  I said I would do it for TWO WEEKS MAX as I had someone arriving in March for THREE months.  This other person SAW the low pricing and booked the room for 4 months. starting in AUGUST !  I ended up honoring it as Airbnb hassled me about it but I am getting $335 less PER MONTH that I would usually !  I can live with that but when someone takes a $15 facecloth to wipe up cranberry juice when there are paper towels under the bathroom sink, and NEVER RINSES OR CLEANS THE TUB, shaves OVER THE SINK and leaves it covered in hair, and on and on and on.  DON'T LOWER YOUR PRICE just because Airbnb tries to force you to take in people at a price you don't want.  Plus, no matter how politely I told the guest about house rules, it was like pffft !  The water dept.  called me after the first 30 days as they thought my meter was off or a pipe had a leak because my bill was DOUBLE.  I asked them if 40 MINUTE SHOWERS AND FLUSHING THE TOILET EVERY 35 MINUTES - YES ! - WOULD DO THAT.  YES, they said, that will do it !  Thank you for allowing me to vent, Christine.  Happy Holidays !  Live and learn, God only knows what the room will look like when the door is opened....

[Our-Charming-Retreat---R0]

I have been a host since 2012 and a Superhost since the program started in 2013. We have seen and experienced many different situation thru the years and overall enjoy the hosting experience. Until lately... Until today. 

Because it is a slow season, I did lower my rates and  booked a couple for 3 nights.. They invited a guest over to visit and use the hot tub which is for the use of our guests. They brought a dog. I noticed they took the dog in the house which we dont allow. I mentioned it to my guest who said it was a service animal and I need to allow the dog to remain in the house. I tried to explanin that we will/ are required to do that for our paying guests but not for a person who they invited and did not tell me they were having them over. 

My guest said she should be allowed to have anyone over that she wished.... I am so sad at this turn of events

[Our-Charming-Retreat---R0]

I love being an airband and b host  and this situation with the extra guest just got out of hand way too fast....

I am not kicking them out they decieded to leave but I fell terrible... any ideas?

[Kanani2]

@Roberta150  No doubt these are the same people who will next show up on my doorstep in Albuquerque!  Look, I don't think it's a good policy to rent the place out for below your daily operating expenses. It might fulfill the AirBnB algorithm, but it might not hit your business marks. In fact, the algorithm has nothing to do with business, rather all it's designed to do is crank out a percentage for AirBnB. Hope you're getting lots of projects done!  Enjoy the time!

[Manuel-and-Gregory0]

 I started hosting my extra room through Airbnb recently after my mom passeds away and I was hesitated on doing so but so far has been great. My first months I wasnt making that much money but I

[Manuel-and-Gregory0]

and partner are making a decent extra money but we mutually agreed not to lower the price. Thankfully we both have a good paying jobs and we use Airbnb income to spoil ourselve a little bit so if we don't host for months that is ok. We've worked hard to have a beautiful home just to be distroyed by some strangers.

[Yulianna0]

With more and more hosting experience I have to agree that low season brings more not so nice guests:( Just had 3 in a row! 

Common for them: not reading. Even the first phrases of the description (hi, we will be there before 11 am! When my check in time is from 8 pm!). Bad communication: not answering questions, no info about delays (not because of transport, they are just shopping or having fun). I’m not sleeping normally 2 nights in a row: first group were out till 6 in the morning and couldn’t open the door at return. Latest ones just decided that it’s ok to come at 2.40. Two out of three left the room dirty.... And all of them were one night guests! So, I’m really thinking about rising prices and starting claiming fines for eating in the room. May be I will not be fully booked, but I don’t want such disrespectful people in my home! 

[Nadia547]

I absolutely agree! 

I have been a host for less than a year, and I have had all kind of people staying at our house but Nov and Dec have been the worst. I have gotten low ratings in Value and Location eventhough my listing is described with details. I raised my price because I was getting a lot of homeless and "just for a few hours" stays that made me uncomfortable. I feel the same way as many other host , the location and value rating is unfair.  Our rating goes down a lot with one bad review but it take 3 or more good reviews to go back up. I have had declined a lot of reservations because eventhough I depend on this income I would rather not rent my room than be uncomfortable and not be able to relax in my own house.  

My worst guest have been one who brough a prostitute and stayed only for a few hours, he came out of his room to talk to me in underwear. I froze and felt so unsafe. That day I changed a lot of settings in my listing. I can handle that kind of situations but I have a teenager daughter and a teenager boy and I don't want them to start feeling unsafe in their own house. A lot of us do it because we lost our jobs or have health issues that doesn't allow us to get regular jobs. Because of that  we allow things or accept bookings that we don't really feel good about but even then I have come to the conclusion that peace of mind and feeling safe is more important than a booking.