How often do you really get "bad eggs"

[Heather1103]

Hello! This is my first time posting and I actually haven't even listed my property yet.  We have just started the process of purchasing a lake house and we're planning on doing just a few bookings a year to help with some costs. My question is,  I see some scary stories of guests being aggressive, having parties, not being respectful of property and then airbnb not following through with help when these issues arise.  

Just looking for some experiences on how often you've actually gotten such a bad guest and is there really not much help for us when that happens.  

[Mark116]

@Mike-And-Jane0   We have done it both ways, where the charge for the apartment is the same w/1-4 guests, and where there is a $15 person charge for more than 2. 

We found that when it was the same price, we almost always had 4 persons staying.  Once we changed the price to an extra guest charge it was more often 2 or 3 people, but not that often 4.  We're happy with that at present because 2 people is less strain on the house/water/damage than 4.  For whatever insight that is worth to anyone. 

[Kelly149]

@Heather1103 yes, there can be problems. The part about you being hours away (& then add in the new guy learning curve) is an additional burden. The fact that you're doing research ahead of time is a check in the plus column.

A couple of tips:

~ don't think in terms of what you and/or normal people would do. Set your expectations/rules/listing in completely clear, any 5 year old could not argue about what this means language.

~ set your mind that you have standards, you're in charge - not ABB & certainly not the guest. It will help in this regard if you know what are the ABB standard rules, bc no matter what you say there are some policies that you cannot override.

~ the money paid from a reservation is only worth it if your sanity and the lake house come out on the other side fully intact. To this end, be prepared to say no as needed.

Good luck!!

[Heather1103]

@Kelly149 Thank you so much for all of your help and that is so true. No guests are worth damage to my home...or sanity 😂

[Mark116]

@Heather1103   There is also a gadget that some hosts have which measures decibel level, in case you have close neighbors who might be disturbed and its another way to know something is going on.  We are on site so don't need that type of product, but it might be worth looking into.

You could also consider reaching out to the neighbors near the property, with the goal being putting them at ease about STR...you just bought the place, it will be rented on occasion, you want to be a good neighbor, etc. etc. and give them your contact info. ..this can also recruit them as your ally in alerting you to problems.  Of course it could also backfire as some people are pathologically opposed to Airbnb and they might then start complaining of every little thing.  So, some level of risk there. 

[Anonymous]

@Heather1103 I second all the advice from the fine veteran hosts who have already contributed. 

Some have mentioned the usefulness of having a nearby friend/neighbor on alert. I'd go a step farther and recommend enlisting someone who lives near the property to be on call as a co-host, for a reasonable commission. Even if you're happy to handle all the cleaning, maintenance, and guest communications yourself, it's a huge lifesaver to have on hand someone who knows the property well and can quickly be dispatched for all those little things that come up - the guests lock themselves out, an appliance breaks down, or some seemingly trivial detail that's really important to the guest isn't working. If you have to drive 2 1/2 hours to change a light bulb, it's just a pain for everyone involved. And if you're unlucky enough that you have to remove people from your property for breaking rules, you don't have hours to spare - you need boots on the doorstep immediately.

And while many people swear by smart locks/self-check-in, I think there's a lot of value to both host and guest if the guests are checked in in person. Guests appreciate a warm welcome, a helpful tour of the home, and insider local tips. And hosts who meet the guests in person can usually tell right away if there's going to be trouble; the initial check-in is the best chance to set the tone and influence guests' behavior.

[Heather1103]

Thank you so much @Anonymous I was really heavily considering a cohost for all of the reasons you suggested!

[Lisa723]

@Heather1103 we host two houses on a lake (relatively remote location) and live a few hours away. In five years we haven't had any disasters. We've had two smallish unauthorized parties with no serious damage but some extra clean-up. After that we installed a driveway camera and NoiseAware devices (must be disclosed in the listing!) and haven't had any more since. (We did discover that we had a local hot-tub bandit sneaking in on unoccupied nights to steal a soak, though.)

We had one guest who did some damage and denied it. Airbnb backed us up and paid.

We allow instant booking for guests with verified IDs and recommended by other hosts, and that hasn't been a problem for us. We do self-check-ins/outs. We do not allow same-day reservations or one-night stays.

It's my opinion that a reliable local co-host is a necessity.

[Heather1103]

@Lisa723 Thank you so very much. Many people are suggesting the Noise Aware device and I never knew there was such a thing. So many great ideas all of you have given. I appreciate it so much

[Sarah977]

@Heather1103  When you write up your listing text, make sure to word it with a personal touch. I see a lot of listings, many of whom report that they had bad guests who threw parties, whose listing description just read like real estate ad- extolling all the virtues of the place in an impersonal way.

Market towards the type of guests you want, make sure you get the point across that this is your own vacation home, and building on what Andrew said about having a co-host on call nearby, make that clear- that there is someone very close by to deal with whatever issues might come up.

One of the worst things you can do is highlight the fact that "you'll have the whole place to yourself, it's very private". It will already be listed as a "Entire Home" so no need to play that up. Guests need to be aware that you have someone on call who can be at the listing in a short time and leave them wondering if that person might even be driving by once in awhile to make sure nothing appears to be out-of-control.

[Heather1103]

Thank you so much @Sarah977 I really think I need to find a cohost for many reasons.  I really appreciate you taking the time to help me! 😊

[Ann72]

@Heather1103  Excited for your lake house!

I host three places 9 hours away.  However, I had the houses for some years before I listed on Airbnb, so I was already used to managing them from a distance.  I already had a caretaker, and I already knew who to call to fix anything that came up.  So I would recommend getting to know your house first and getting your list of trusted service techs in place before putting the house up to rent.

You don't need a one-week minimum but you do need two or three nights at minimum.  You don't need to have someone there to check people in.  When guests are going to a place like a lake house for a vacation or a getaway, they just want to be able to walk through the door and start relaxing.  

Most important is to show that you value your house by keeping the prices up.  When you demonstrate how you value the place, you'll get guests who value it, too.  Show a complete lack of interest in "working with" people who want discounts.  Every time I turn one of those away, someone better comes along.

As to your original question?  Like @Alexandra316 and @Ann489, I haven't had any nightmare guests.  A few have been annoying.  I can tell by your positive and upbeat communicating here that you'll be that way with guests, and that tends to calm their nerves and make them easier to deal with.  You'll be fine!  Just get to know your house first.

[Anonymous]

@Ann72  In-person check-in is not an absolute essential by any means, but one thing I would not recommend is advertising self-check-in on the listing. 

A predatory guest looking to bring unpaid extras, throw a party, or rob a property would already be targeting the less experienced hosts. You wouldn't want to add to that by promising that they can walk right into a stranger's house without having to meet the gatekeeper. 

[Lisa723]

@Anonymous Right now I would not book a place without self-check-in, and I always strongly prefer it. (And not bc I’m planning parties or have any other nefarious intent.) I don’t think I’m unique among guests in that. And of course there is the matter of listing accuracy. The listing should correctly state the actual check-in method. There are various means to prevent parties, even for new hosts. I think in @Heather1103‘s place I might try to find out from other hosts in the area how much of a party problem they have before drawing conclusions. In some places it’s appropriate to be very concerned and in others it is not.

[Anonymous]

@Lisa723  Sure, but how often do you book from a new host with no reviews?

I'm not suggesting that a new host shouldn't consider offering self-check-in further down the line, I just mean that you're in a particularly vulnerable position when you first start out and need a few extra safeguards to compensate. Hosts in the area who are established and experienced aren't quite as easy targets for those with nefarious intent. For the same reason, I would never recommend that you come right out of the gate with Instant Book turned on and a whole year opened up in your calendar. 

[Lisa723]

@Anonymous  I agree about instant booking out of the gate. Mostly bc it’s easy to make availability and pricing mistakes when you’re not practiced and get locked into impossible or money-losing bookings. 

Actually, I really like booking listings with no or few reviews. I think many enterprises are in some dimensions at their best when new. My best-value Airbnb stay ever was when I was the first and solo guest in a big Bay Area condo that was ultimately aiming for business team-building events. The price was low, the amenities and snacks were amazing and the hosts bent over backwards to make sure I had an amazing stay and left them a good first review.