Should we accept this Guests?

[Gail-And-Rod0]

We are new Hosts.

A Guest with 4 other people requested to stay at our place however she has no profile. She's been a member though since 2015.

She said no one in her party has ever used Airbnb. We declined her however she's back again and wants to know if letter of references would be good enough to stay at our place. Is there a contract that we can ask that her and the other guests to sign?  

They are coming for a 2 day music festival. Some in the party are college students.

Would you accept them to stay if you were us?

[Keith39]

Hi Gail,

A few things to be aware of:  First, know that in Palm Springs you're actually *required* to have a contract that guests sign.  So, do look into that. (More on this below.)

As for these specific guests: There a couple of common issues that come up around festival season in Palm Springs.  Especially for the second weekend of Coachella, attendance skews pretty young.  It's not unusual for inquiring groups to be under the minimum age for renting a vacation rental in Palm Springs. (Our ordinance requires the "responsible guest" signing the contract to be at least 25 years of age.) Every year, I find I have to turn a couple of such groups away.  

It's a total pain, of course, but basically one has to explain to inquring guests in Palm Springs a couple of things:

1. That, whether or not they're comfortable with doing verification on Airbnb (and why would they not be?), you're going to have to get a copy of the responsible guest's government issued ID for compliance with our rules anyway. 

2. That they are going to be met at or shortly after check-in to have rental rules explained to them and that all adult guests will have to sign the City's "Statement of Rules" as our regulations require.

3. That the responsible guest must meet the minimum age requirements.

4. The whole - "hey, Airbnb doesn't properly compute or display tax so we need to collect that via a reservation change or money request" thing.

5. In addition to any other important house rules you might have.

If you'd like more info on contract and guest meeting requirements, see the VRCD's "Education" page at http://www.palmspringsca.gov/government/departments/vacation-rentals/education-and-training

The videos are admittedly a little hokey, but it's actually pretty good information and very helpful to newbies! I'm a fellow PS vacation rental permit holder as well and you might also find my page on "Resources for Palm Springs Vacation Rental Owners" useful as well. It's at http://www.evillapalmsprings.com/vacation-rental-owner-resources-palm-springs.html

Best Regards,

Keith

[Keith39]

Oops, I also meant to add: Don't feel awkward about having to turn a guest away if you're not comfortable with their reservation or they don't meet our local requirements. Inventory is so tight now in Palm Springs that you are almost sure to get another inquiry for those most popular dates.

It's a bit surprising to me... Because of the new-ish rules in Palm Springs the number of permitted homes has been steadily falling since April of last year.  We're down about 7% from the peak.  This doesn't sound like much, but it seems like inventory of available homes was only *slightly* bigger than demand when permits peaked at slightly over 2000. Now it feels like there's a relative under-supply of short-term rentals. 

[Gail-And-Rod0]

Hi Keith,

Thanks so much for the valuable information! We are so new at this and we've learned so much from you in such a short time. 

Is there a meetup group in Palm Springs? We live in L.A. however would like to get involved with a group so that we can help keep/support PS Airbnbs going. Our place is in Demuth Park.

Thanks again Keith!

[Helen3]

@Gail-And-Rod0 have you looked at what others are charging in your area for comparable properties. This will give you an idea of what you should be charging. Obviously you put rates up when there are big festivals or events in your area.

Someone mentioned you don't have your licence number showing on your listing.

If this is a legal requirement in your area then you should have that on your listing. It instils trust with guests and if you don't have it could lead to your listing being removed.

[Gail-And-Rod0]

Our license number is on our listing.  It is at the bottom.

Thank you Helen

All the best,

Gail

[Denny75]

I have 3 of those with no reviews. 1 just checked out & paid with no problem. The 2nd checks in today. Supposedly from Canada.