Weirdest/Most Insteresting/Ballsiest Guest Request

[Alexandra316]

I had an inquiry this week that really made me scratch my head. The guest sent an inquiry, asking if they could check in late, at 11 pm. I said absoltely no problem: we have self-check-in, and you can check in anytime that suits you after 3 pm. They went ahead and booked, adding a second night to their reservation. Then I got an email from them, saying oh no, we weren't asking if we could check in late, we were asking if we could check in the night before at 11 pm. I was gobsmacked, and responded that it wasn't possible, because we have someone staying the night before they arrive who will be checking out at 11 am, and the earliest they could check in would be 1 pm on the date their reservation starts. I also let them know that if that wouldn't work out for them, they were welcome to cancel the reservation, as the free cancellation window is still open. 

I just can't believe that someone would ask to check in the night before they booked for, and I was wondering what kind of weird, interesting, or cheeky requests you've received from guests, and how you've dealt with them. 

[Victoria567]

Hi @Gray-And-Ally0

drum roll............and now for my next trick.....Out of the magic top hat, after the white rabbit........hey presto a pool!😉. TA Dah!

Perhaps throw in an Aussie unicorn in budgie smugglers serving some ice cool Fosters!

[Lynn295]

Hope I haven't made a mistake starting wit Airbnb

[Sandra126]

@Lynn295, don't worry, this is just a fun thread. Most guests are as awesome as the hosts who continue to host them, day in and day out. Laugh at the mad requests and be prepared to get some of your own. Occasionally 🙂

[Victoria567]

Hi @Lynn0

You haven’t made a mistake starting with air bnb.

Just keep your wits about you, have a super crystal clear description of your accommodation and house rules.

Also please may I respectfully suggest you consider having have a clear picture of your dear self, instead of that grey outline?

I as a prospective guest hate corresponding with grey outlines, plates of spaghetti, pets, cuddly toys etc!......just a thought.😉

[Alexandra316]

@Lynn definitely not. My guests have mostly been amazing, and I'm well over 100 trips at this point.  Keep a sense of humor as a host: it will be invaluable! Crazy stuff will happen.

I took a peek at your listing, and it defintiely needs some attention. Your pictures are brutal: your cover pic is nothing but ashphalt, and you need to add pictures of the interior of your home. Airbnb works best with landscape format pictures. Your written description also seems to cut off mid sentence. If you want any more feedback, if you start a thread, you're bound to get a ton of responses.

[Adam470]

Once was asked to go to the store and get a "fresh" bag of ice because my guests husband didn't like the ice currently in the freezer and needed it for his before bed drink. I provided walking and driving directions to the store. Should have provided a hotel brochure. 

[Victoria567]

Hi @Adam0

Maybe you should have offered him a maid service !.......my reply would have been.....Er excuse me Sir, but what did your last domestic servant die of?

[Yadira19]

my check in/out is pretty flexible, so long as I can manage it. I try not to double book a check in/out on the same day, as it turns out to be more work for me. But guests' request can be commical. For the most part, people ask to check out late. If i can, i do, as it makes it easier for me. But I did have one couple that stayed until super late as their bus back was at 11p. I finally had to tell them that I had to leave for a gym class and would appreciate if they could start heading out. It was about 7pm and they were still showering and packing....eek...During their stay, they also used EVERY pot and pan in my kitchen. They pulled out dish pans, I didn't even know i had. I guess i have a french press, I forgot i had, and they found. They were also "naturalist"...at the end of their stay I had to air out the room and have everything laundered....yucky...

I also had someone ask if I could wave the deposit for their stay, seeing as she was a poor college student and could not afford it. lol I wanted to repond, then you likely should not go on vacation to one of the most expesnive citys in the world -NYC. I politely let her know that the deposit is returned to her and it's to ensure the keys are returned at the end of the stay. (eye roll)

[Sarah977]

@Yadira0     Actually, Airbnb doesn't collect a security deposit when guests book. It is just there as an "if they damage something". Hosts have to claim on it if they need to, but otherwise it is not charged, so there is nothing to refund.

I love the young people who plead poverty, but they can afford to go on vacation, they all have $400 iphones, nice clothes, expensive haircuts and manicures.

[Francisca16]

I received this request from a guest, who incidentally is a fellow host:

Guest: Hi, Francisca! We are a couple and looking to stay over night as we are planning to surf on Saturday and Sunday. We are looking for a place to leave our stuff in the morning of July 14th (Saturday) and come back later in the day overnight. On Sunday we would leave surfing again and would need a room to leave our stuff for the day. Please let us know if that is possible and we will book. Thank you!

Me: Why don't you book for 2 days then. Monday is still available. Since your flight is Sunday night.

Guest:  Basically we are only staying on Saturday and wanted to know if we can have our luggage there while we are at the beach before check in and after check out. Whatever you can do will be great.

My check in time is 6pm. They wanted to come Saturday, at 7am, leave their stuff with me. Then Sunday leave their stuff with me and come back to pick their stuff to meet their Sunday night flight. What actully pissed off was that the request came from a seasoned host who expected me to provide a storage or a special room for her and her companion stuff for just one night pay. Just go figure! I declined for sure.

[Thomas-And-Lydia0]

So...we had guests that asked if their daughter could maybe stay a night as they were checking her into the nearby college, but they were not sure she would be staying or not...I said OK. I did not charge the extra $10/person a night, Mind you that this requires additional linens for futon couch/bed and other launderable stuff.  They booked again for "parents weekend" at the college...and low and behold the daughter stayed again (two nights)....

I did mention that having their daughter stay for free was "discount" or payback for the smoke detector beeping (low battery) in our section of house on the previous booking (we were away). 

What gets me is that they just assumed that their daughter could stay for free. They will probably book again next year (senior year for daugher) so I don't want to lose return business...but really...The $10 does not even pay the cost of washing sheets and towels!

I don't get people!

[Kelly149]

@Thomas0and Lydia. 

Those are not guests I‘d want back!

[Alex801]

I have had someone ask that as well, Alexandra. But the weirdest inquiry/request by far, was from a woman who said she was pregnant and wanted to book my place for a maternal photoshoot, but asked if she can just reserve the place for 2 hours and if so, can I offer a discount, and her exact quote to end her message was "we will most likely not damage any of your furnitures or floor if we need to move things around."

I was baffled at this ridiculous request lol what host would think that would sound reassuring if someone writes "most likely not damage" in a message haha

[Kelly149]

Oh wait!! That reminds me... a guest wrote to say they’d love to rent the barn in order to home birth deliver their first kiddo!!!

i never figured out if she was serious or just trying to drum up a discrimination complaint. 

What she couldnt have guessed was that my last kiddo was born at home so I knew exactly what a home birth entails and wrote just about my longest email ever explaining why a home birth is supposed to be in YOUR home not someone else’s!!!!

[Sarah977]

@Kelly149   I had two home births- one in a teepee!

When I lived in Canada, I had a friend who asked if she could do her home birth at my house, because they lived on an island that required 2 ferries to get to. It was fine with me, and it's a good thing she did come to my place, because the labor dragged on and on, the midwives suspected something wasn't right and transfered her to the hospital (midwives in Canada are part of the medical system, have extensive training, hospital priviledges, and come to a home birth with oxygen tanks, and other medical supplies- it's not a hippie-dippy affair, and they have no qualms about moving to the hospital setting if something seems not right). After a 50 hour labor, the baby was finally born, with a birth defect, had to be air-lifted to Childrens' Hospital in Vancouver where the docs managed to do corrective surgery immediately.

And I had another friend who rented out her place for exactly that purpose- people who lived on one of the many islands off Vancouver Island who wanted to do a home birth, or even a hospital birth with a comfortable place to stay both before and after the birth.

But I can certainly see not just wanting some strangers to stay in your barn to have a home birth.