Prvate stuff

[Maribel179]

Hi there 🙂

I have been renting my summer house for 15+ years and always getting positive feedback on the cozyness and warm atmosphere with a real swedish cottage.

Recently I got a feedback from a lady who complained about everything including how much she hated to see my private stuff and pics in the house... after that a couple more has spun off with similar comments and giving bad reviews for that.

My understanding is that AirBnB purpose is to rent your house to let people has the real local experience and just mot coming to a sterile hotekl room, is my understanding correct?

Can you please advise...

Thanks

[Brian2036]

@Maribel179 

Yes, you are absolutely correct.

Guests are borrowing your home and they have no right to tell you how to decorate it.

If they want a sterile, anonymous accommodation they should go to a hotel.

Please understand that the review process is there to protect you and other hosts from undesirable repeat customers. You should always write an honest review.

[Gianni265]

@Brian2036...but they have the right to judge...so if you want good judgements you have also to follow their taste...

[Gianni265]

Hi @Maribel179,

You must realize that fifteen years of experience, or a medal here on airbnb, in renting the summer house does not make you an expert. Keep doing as you please, in small numbers maybe you will also have an advantage: the host who complains publicly about your photos is an idiot but sooner or later one like this comes along. It is a good idea to remove private photos, also for a matter of privacy and security. I would probably like them but if a couple comes to your house who has lost a child, seeing yours with your children gets demoralized and in the end they enjoy less their holidays and home. There are also many who don't like having other people's photos but they won't tell you anything out of politeness. The worst example is the identity swapping that anyone could put in place if in possession of your private photos.

P.s. above all, do what you want because it seems right and you feel comfortable! Especially here on airbnb this freedom is normal, and for many it is the beauty!

[Robert5501]

It is your house! The way you decorate it is your right. If your listing pictures are accurate and people see how you have decorated your home and decide to book then in my opinion they have no right to complain. 

[Jenny349]

@Maribel179 

What information do you give in your description? Maybe you need to spell it out that this is your home, at least some of the time, and personal things go with (your) territory. Your choice, but perhaps you can disarm remarks like these by making it very clear to guests what they can expect? 

[Flavia202]

@Maribel179, do what makes you comfortable of course but to squash future complaints I agree with the suggestion by @Jenny349 that you could spell it out in your listing, to manage guests expectations.

[Loni56]

@Maribel179!

respeito sua opinião a casa e sua!

mais no meu ver sempre penso que quando abrimos nossa casa para hospedar !

temos que se colocar no lugar do hóspede,qual seria minha expectativa ao chegar na acomodação!

eu particularmente gosto deixar limpo organizado

sem muita decoraçao!

para que o convidado tenha liberdade para usufruir do espaço não se sinta limitato!

Vou relatar duas experiências

que eu e meu esposo tivemos

alguns anos a traz resolvemos

fazer uma viaje de 2 noites

não muito longe de nossa cidade!

fomos para uma pequena pousada,parecia legal estilo colonial,mais nao era o que esperava para uma data importante!

cheiro de mofo ao entrar muita coisa antiga decoração,quarto muito apertado,

outra experiência foi em um hotel já conhecia o lugar e lindo

o café da manhã a acomodação era otima!

depois de algum tempo voltamos para desfrutar de tudo que era bom mais uma decepçao!

agora está sendo administrado por terceiros,não é mais tão limpo,não tem o café delicioso,

me deu uma tristeza ver algo que devia ser melhor estar desabando,

Maribel não sei se fui útil !

mais sei que cada convidado que chega em nossa casa e um desafio!

abraço Att Loni.

[Pat271]

I agree with most of what has been said above, in that as long as you set expectations in your listing, you should run your Airbnb in the way that feels right for you.

I did want to address your comment that it seems things have changed from the early days of Airbnb. I think you are correct in that respect, as more and more hosts are renting whole-home accommodations that they most likely have never lived in. In fact, many hosts and corporations have acquired dozens, some even hundreds, of short-term rentals, and they have never lived in any of them. They obviously won’t have their belongings and personal photos present in their rentals. Their places will more closely resemble hotels.

If more and more hosts are providing the impersonal hotel-type of accommodation, more and more guests will probably expect it as the norm.  That’s why you are probably seeing a change in guest expectations over the years.

Despite all this, you can build a thriving business doing what you are doing. There are still plenty of travelers out there that are specifically looking for the cozy quarters, the immersive experience, the unique abode. Just make sure you market and highlight those aspects in your listing to attract compatible guests.

[Brian2036]

@Maribel179 

I would suggest that all hosts post matters of this nature in the “Hosts Only” section in order to avoid being subjected to trolling by non-hosts.

[Gianni265]

@Brian2036 I'm the only one who doesn't have an ad visible. Are you referring to me? I am not a troll and you are very rude if you meant me. Also not at all open minded, luckily I'm not as many blah blah blah here. I'm proud of it and I'm not a troll and I'm a host more than you and with a lot more experience. And anyone can also understand it well from what I have written here. Anyone with experience, true. I am also touchy. Sorry

P.s. anyway respect my opinioni! Smart people normally likes different point of view! And reply directly to me if you want to tell something about me! Thank you 

[Linda108]

I can agree with both the host and guest in this situation.  While there may be some migration away from the cozy personal home to the professionally managed multiple listings, guests have always expressed discomfort with host personal decor if:  it strongly or blatantly reflects personal beliefs, religious or political, surrounds the guest with personal or intimate photos in the shared spaces, interferes with the function of the space such as over crowding of tables, dressers, cabinets or closets.  

Most hosts spend effort and resources in setting up comfortable space, whole home or private room, for guests to be able to enjoy.  However, there are hosts that allow guests entrance to their personal home while they are on a vacation without taking a good look at the space functions and appears from a guest's perspective.

If there is a way you are able to take into account these guests' feedback without violating your own sense of hosting, then I hope you will do so.  This is a business so like all successful businesses, listening to customers is a good habit.

[Christine615]

I  make it clear they are renting a home we use for family purposes. Honestly - Airbnb needs to have a "no rent" list for guests like that who don't get the whole purpose of the platform. There's plenty of sterile investor owned properties out there but these guests don't want to pay hotel prices so they want the Four Seasons for $1.99  😞