To mention a possible ghost...or not?

[Laura2592]

We probably have a ghost in my condo building in New Orleans. Its an old mansion, split up into 4 units. We don't Airbnb but my neighbor downstairs does. 

There is a legend attached to the building about a missing necklace, rivalries between the 3 prominent families who lived in the 3 houses on our street (ours is in the middle of 3 mansions and the legend involves the houses on both sides.) Its an actual real situation as human remains and the jewelry involved were remanded to one of the museums in New Orleans. We have heard distinct knocks on our interior doors with no one there-- these are doors where it would be impossible for someone to just wander by and the building has been empty when it happened. We have also had friends who have stayed say they felt that a young woman was with them and dreamed (totally different people who don't talk to one another) about someone humming "You Are My Sunshine". We have never felt threatened or upset by any of this. To be honest, its kind of part and parcel with life in a very old building in New Orleans. 

My neighbor is including the house legend in her guide for Airbnb. She was asking if it would be a plus to mention the possibility of ghosts. Some buildings for sale in New Orleans advertise as being haunted as a feature! If this was your space, would you say anything? Or do you think mentioning the possibility would just create more issues?

[Huma0]

@Laura2592 

Interesting one. Seeing as you seem to attract so many odd guests already, I'm not sure it's a good idea!

However, you are right that 'ghost tourism' (just made that up, not sure what it's actually called) is a real thing. I guess think about the kind of guests you normally get and if you feel that's something they would find interesting and be attracted to or if they are likely to freak out and want to cancel and get refunded because they hear bumps in the night.

I've occasionally had people suggest my house might be haunted or finding it spooky, but that's just because it's an old house. Sadly, I have been able to find out very little about its history.

There are noises in the night, but that's just my cats pottering around or batting a Christmas decoration 🙂 The builders who I had in initially said there were ghosts because they would find tools where they hadn't left them, but my experience of builders is that they are always misplacing and losing tools. One cleaner said she saw a hand reach out in-between the floor boards. You couldn't get a little finger through the gaps between the boards, let alone a hand.

I had a housemate who said that someone would open her door at night (she tried to blame Airbnb guests). I told her it was my cat, the one who likes to open closed doors, especially that one. No, apparently, someone had come into her room. Later, I realised she was just imagining things because I knocked on her door one evening to ask her something. She didn't respond, even though I knocked and called her name a few times. She then messaged me accusing me of having come into her room without knocking. I never even touched the door handle, let alone opened the door.

I, on the other hand, have lived here for 12.5 years and never seen or heard a single thing to suggest haunting. Maybe I am immune?

So, if it's something that you want to market, I would do it in a way that's more about the history and stories, and not suggest that the guests might actually have some sort of ghostly experience or visitation. They might be disappointed if nothing happens!

[Laura2592]

@Huma0 we don't rent our New Orleans place out at the moment, but my neighbor and I have had a few discussions about this as she set up her unit for ABB. I kind of feel like mentioning it up front would lead to requests for refunds-- if people saw something and got scared or if they EXPECTED to see something and didn't. We had a couple disappointed that our cottage in Maryland didn't have any ghosts during their stay-- as an old house, that's what they were looking for, but we have never advertised or experienced anything there that would make us think it was haunted. 

[Huma0]

@Laura2592 

Well, guests will complain about the weirdest thing. Why would you expect ghosts if that had not even been mentioned? It's pretty odd to assume that every old building is haunted.

Yes, I think it's a risky move because it could go wrong in either direction, as you mentioned. 

It's great that you know so much history about your place though. I wish I did. I don't even know exactly when my house was built and it's such an odd, quirky place that I am sure it must have an interesting past. The only thing I know is that, at some point in the early 1900s, three ladies (with different surnames, so not sure if they were related) owned it. The rest is a mystery!

[Laura2592]

@Huma0 I have history on all my houses! I love it. 

My main house was in a book and on the historic register. Built in 1908 in a village of houses that sprung up around a railway station and a quarry. There were "fancy" places built by the owners and founders of what had originally been a Quaker community, and homes built for the workers. Ours is a Victorian/Edwardian built by one of the last owners. The village has 84 people and is a designated historic zone. We have to go to the post office to pick up mail. I look out onto a Christmas tree farm. Its idyllic. 

The cottage is a schoolhouse built around 1850 for the workers on the Francis Scott Key estate (he wrote the US national anthem.) It has 18 inch thick stone walls in a variety of granite that has been quarried out locally. It was built by hauling rocks on mule sleds one piece at a time. The school was in operation until 1929 when it was purchased by the last teacher for $375. She saved it from destruction! Its on the historic register too.

The New Orleans place was built by a prominent family of color in or around 1850. It is also on the historic register and in a book about the architecture of the neighborhood (the Treme.) The 'hood is right above the French Quarter and was the only zone in the city where free people of color could own land or property. There are some pretty mega mansions alongside more modest homes. The family that built that house, the Hazeurs, were frenemies with the Chalons next door-- one of the most well off and influential families of color in the city for some time.

[Huma0]

@Laura2592 

That's wonderful that you know so much about it. All three sound pretty amazing. I'm guessing you already include some historical information in your listing for your guests?

My house is in a conservation area (because of the architecture here). Almost all of the old houses nearby are listed (I guess the equivalent of being on the historic register) but not my little terrace (block). The terrace is formed of four houses (two of which are now divided into flats). None are listed, even though all the old houses on either side are and despite them being old and pretty interesting. 

My theory is that it's because they have been altered too much. The facade of my house has definitely been changed at some point. The section painted green that you can see above has been added. Below you can see this from the interior, where the coving abruptly stops. None of the other houses have these arched windows.

My next door neighbour's house seems very different to mine, but on closer inspection, that's mostly because the two houses have been altered in different ways.

A next door neighbour, who owned a building firm, told me he had found a book from the 1820s which described the terrace as one big mansion, with a sweeping driveway. Apparently, it was an ambassador's residence. He told me that the one storey part on the larger end house used to be a billiards room, with a beautiful ornate ceiling. He had seen this before the house was converted into apartments. This was the kind of room you would only find in a very grand, much bigger house. He also said he could clearly see where interior doors had been between his house and the one next door. Apparently, the Victorians had split the house into smaller ones, hence my Victorian staircase and some other features. This would explain why the houses are not listed. 

So, I believe his theory is probably correct, except that my house, which is much narrower than the others, was probably added on to the original structure and was originally access for the coaches and horses (nearby houses have archways which would have been for this). There are  several late Victorian houses built on what would have originally been much more expansive grounds/gardens.

Sadly, the neighbour moved out before I had a chance to ask if he still had the book. I've not been able to find it as I have no idea what it's called!

The only residents I am aware of are the three Edwardian ladies. I like to imagine them as either elderly spinsters (as they would have been called in those days) or Bloomsbury literary types or radical Suffragettes! Sadly, I have no idea 😞

[Laura2592]

@Huma0 gorgeous windows in your bedroom! This is getting off topic a bit, but here are some threads with pics of houses/decorating from our current projects. I know you are a kindred spirit (pun intended!)

https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Interests/Anyone-else-out-there-an-old-house-nerd/td-p/1500859

https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Interests/Condo-renovation-love-to-decorate/td-p/1453829

https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Hosting/What-kind-of-countertops-do-you-recommend/m-p/1501859#M3...

[Huma0]

@Laura2592 

Yes, sorry, going off topic but I am an old house nerd, as you've identified! I will check out those threads.

[Anonymous]

@Laura2592 I like the idea from @Huma0 about mentioning "ghost tourism," objectively. Most people who choose to visit or stay in historical homes seem to enjoy a colorful telling of their stories and don't mind a bit of embellishment, but any reference to the supernatural should be prefaced with something like "local legend has it that..."

Third-person ghost stories are good fun in the campfire sense but if you tell them like you believe them, you'll sound like a crazy person. And anyway, no disclaimers are needed; to date, the Guest Refund Policy does not consider ghost encounters to be a refundable Travel Issue. 

[Huma0]

@Anonymous 

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@Anonymous wrote:

And anyway, no disclaimers are needed; to date, the Guest Refund Policy does not consider ghost encounters to be a refundable Travel Issue. 

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Don't speak too soon. Stranger things have happened...

[Katrina79]

@Laura2592 It’s a niche market, for those who won’t believe in ghosts will not be bothered and for those that do they may be inclined to stay! If your friend has some extra time and like peopling, she could start up a haunted tour experience as well!! It could be spooktacular! 

[Emiel1]

I heard rumours it is more easy to be qualified as a Superhost if your haunted accommodation also contains a SuperGhost.

https://www.rd.com/list/haunted-airbnb/

https://nypost.com/2019/11/14/airbnb-ghost-not-as-friendly-as-advertised-guest-complains/