@Sarah977, thank-you for your nice response!
It is fair to suggest that there is nothing morally wrong with what the Host is asking for or considering.
It is in fact a great question that @Steve482 has posted because this is a situation that almost all hosts will face at some time. So it's an excellent discussion point.
My only intention was to highlight a range of issues related to business considerations and the potential implications that flow from our choices.
I am a pretty cautious Host, but overall I have a great time, and I am busy enough with guests who book through the site.
I have had these enquiries a number of times from guests who book long stays and repeat visits. In all cases where I have politely explained that I only do business via Airbnb, and explain a couple of the benefits to guests and myself, guests have continued to rebook online.
One time that was not the case, and I thought a little about the reason for their alternate venue. But then the guest rebooked all subsequent stays here, explaining that my rooms were temporarily unavailable, so now they have returned to booking with a larger lead time.
Slight change in topic:
For what it's worth, I don't favour last minute discounts as I am of the view that they encourage a trend of last minute bookings across all platforms and for smaller operators that's not a helpful situation. If we want to promote ourselves as a premium high value product, then no matter what your basic seasonal price point, try to stick to it. Overall, this will demonstrate that in order to secure a booking with your listing or any Airbnb listing, it's best to book earlier as your booking will be secure and you won't save anything by waiting till the last minute.
It takes a bit of nerve to stick to this policy as an individual operator, and certainly I speak from experience here. But at least it means that if I do get later bookings they are at the full tariff, and if not I can enjoy a short rest myself. Try to build your business over the long term.
All hosts need some breaks if they are to protect themselves from burnout. Burnout can destroy your enjoyment in hosting and lead to resentment towards guests. This is a dangerous situation to be in. If you receive a healthy fair tariff from your guests, then you will be more philosophical about their needs and conduct at all points of the experience.
For me, I see a connection between all these issues which are related to tariffs and services. So I try to maintain and encourage a healthy balance, I avoid competing with other hosts based on price, while at the same time, if the need arises, I will educate guests to recognise and respect the fullness of what they receive in return for the payments they make to myself and Airbnb.
Get to know your target market, and be confident in developing and delivering your product and services. you will enjoy feeling successful as you see your decisions have a positive effect on your enterprise activities.
Best regards to all.
Christine at Wombats Studio_Glenbrook