What I need to know when hosting 28 days or more.

[Brian3741]

I am not sure what my responsibilities are when hosting 28 days or more:  1)  do I need to provide cleaning services, if so, how often.  2)  how much toilet paper, soap, shampoo, paper towels, etc. should I provide?  towels and bedding how is this handled.

Also is there anything else that I should?

Thank you

Rita 

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Brian3741 You can handle it any way you want. Just make sure it is clear, in your listing, what you offer.

You should, if it is a whole home listing, understand your local laws re tenancies. If you do create one and the guest stops paying or refuses to leave you will not have a contract to rely on.

[Alex]

Hi @Brian3741!

This is a great question! I'm going to tag some experts from the Community to see what they recommend to help you get ready for long stays: @Patricia2526, @Lorina14, @Shelley159 and @Joan2709. 

Hope we can help you! 

Best, 

Alex

[Joan2709]

@Brian3741 

I don't recommend Hosts accept long term stays on Airbnb. Airbnb does not provide protections for Hosts like rental agreements, background checks and security deposits. There are other platforms that do provide these protections. 

Airbnb will also not help you remove a squatter and lots of scammers out there. Per @Mike-And-Jane0 , please understand that in most states a guest becomes a tenant after 30 days (some much shorter than that) and you will have to go to court and evict them if they stop paying and squat. Do NOT offer more than a 20% Monthly Discount. Scammers will negotiate a huge discount in exchange for a multi-month stay, then cancel after 1 month.

Here is a Guide to Monthly Stays that outlines some of the risks:

https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Host-guides/Monthly-Stays-on-Airbnb-Guide-Revised/m-p/2066547#M2...

New Hosts - Caution

I don't recommend new Hosts accept long term stays. It will delay your guest favorite status which is key to the success of the listing. You also need to "learn the ropes" before diving into a long term stay.

Do NOT Use Instant Book for Long Term Stays

Waaay to much risk and many scammers look for long term stays that are instant book. Guests with a 3.5 overall rating can instant book. You need to ask alot of questions for a long term guest and I would NOT accept a new guest for a long term stay.

Consumables (paper towels, TP, soap, etc.)

Most Hosts advise they provide a starter pack of 1 week's supply of these items. After that, the guest must purchase their own. Be sure to put this in House Rules, Other Details and send a message to the guest prior to them booking.

Cleaning

Some Hosts require a mid stay cleaning at no charge (to get eyes on the property). Some require the guest to pay a extra cleaning fee. Some Hosts only use special offers for long term stays so they can add a higher cleaning fee to the booking. Again, be sure to put your requirements in House Rules, Other Details and advise the guest prior to booking.

Towels and Bedding

Supply what you normally would for a short term stay. At least 2 sets of all towels per guest (bath, washcloth, hand towels) one set kept in linen closet or bathrooms. Linens one set on the beds and at least one extra set.

[Lorina14]

@Brian3741 Hello Brian and Rita,

It depends on what you would like to offer.

1) Cleaning services: Some hosts like to include a once a month cleaning so they can do a spot check if anything needs servicing. Others including me, leave cleaning supplies and do not provide cleaning services. Make sure to schedule extra time after they leave for a deeper clean and/or repairs (painting, covering dings, etc).

2) Tp, paper towel, shampoo, soap, etc: Some hosts say they provide starters then the guest is responsible for their tp, paper towel, shampoo, soap and detergent. We don’t have a hard/fast rule though guests who have stayed beyond 28 days have not asked for any of those. 

3) Towels: We leave enough for the number of guests and a bunch of extras. Since we have a suite that has laundry, they launder their own. For the suite that doesn’t have laundry, we offer it for a fee (as I have to do their laundry and fold their clothes). I had some guests use the company Rinse that provides laundry services for busy professionals, or people who don’t like to do laundry.

4) Bedding: We provide an extra set of bedding in the space and can exchange bedding if needed and launder it for them (but we do live onsite, it would differ if you lived far away; depends on your set up and amenities).

5) Make sure you check your local ordinances about how many days gives the guest tenant rights. Some places it is 28 days others are 30 days.

Many hosts have a separate contract they make guests sign in addition to the Airbnb reservation. You want to protect yourself from potential squatters (I’ve read some horror stories about this online and on the CC for people who didn’t vet their guests right and/or bad luck or didn’t have a contract so they are having problems kicking out the guests).

Never go off platform from an existing reservation (extending it verbally) as that is how one host got a squatter in California (and how Airbnb said they can’t help because it was outside of their contract). Then the squatter claimed that they shouldn’t have to pay for staying there and should be refunded the fees they paid earlier as the space was not a legally approved dwelling by the town they lived in (the owner didn’t get the appropriate permits for creating an ADU). It got messy… I am not trying to scare but rather wanted to make sure you are aware why it’s important to protect oneself. 

6) Make sure the long term renters know the garbage, recycling, and compost/garden waste days. 

[Patricia2526]

Hi @Brian3741 

For long-term guests, I provide a generous starter pack that includes 30 rolls of toilet paper. I also leave extra linens and towels at least three full sets so guests can easily change them as needed.

Shower essentials and basic kitchen consumables such as cooking oil, salt, and pepper are also provided (these are optional and meant as a convenience). Additionally, cleaning materials are available so guests can tidy up during their stay.

If preferred, guests may request a full cleaning service for an additional fee. However, they must be present during the cleaning for security reasons, as I don’t allow our cleaners to enter the property without the guest’s supervision.

[Raya526]

I often host longer stays, 1-3 months.  Personally, I choose to include housekeeping every other week. It provides peace of mind because my housekeeper would tell me if the tenants smoke cigarettes or do anything else that damages the home. Secondly, it keeps my regular housekeeper as busy as if I have short term rentals, so I don't have to worry about her replacing me with a different client due to not getting work from me for a couple of months. Regarding toilet paper and soap etc. No I do not replenish it during the tenancy.  When they check in I have provided a few days worth of that stuff. Then the rest of their stay it's up to them to buy their own. 

[Raya526]

Also I agree with comments below that you should de extra screening because guests with that long of a lease get tenant legal rights and are difficult to evict. I always check their references/reviews and I have a conversation with them. It can be via phone or text, but they should be very open regarding who they are, what they do, why they are coming there.  If they don't have good reviews or I get a bad vibe, I don't book them.  But I normally get lovely people, for example elderly/retired snowbird couples who want to spend the winter in Florida. I can google them or do a background check to confirm they own a nice home so they know how to take care of nice things. 

[Rosemary-C0]

@Brian3741 One of the positive aspects of a 30 day stay is that the renter most likely doesn’t have to pay the 15+ percent tax. I find that longer stays, give more wear and tear to the property. As others have said you can let people know ahead of time they have to buy their own toilet paper. And in terms of cleaning, it’s up to you because if the people don’t clean it during the month they’re there you’re gonna have a mess When you book, you have to spell it out to the guests that you expect the place to look like they found it and if they can’t do that, they need to pay for an extra cleaning. Like I said, shorter stays, aren’t as hard on the property because most of the time the people are out and about. That’s just my experience. 
Rosemary

[Monika827]

Hi Rita,

First of all i do agree that its really a valid concern when hosting long stays.

I am just sharing what i offer my guests:

Cleaning Services: Allocate a time frame in a day in which the cleaning services will only be provided in  the guest presence only. By this you can save some days while upfront offer alternative days cleaning too.

Linens: They can be changes upon request only when the cleaning services are delivering by the staff.

Toiletries: They can be top upped upon request only when the cleaning services are delivering by the staff.

Hope this helps!

Regards,

Monika