but they aren’t reading the listing
Ah yes. But why are so many not getting it? Is her listing available to see?
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It’s not always because the host isn’t clear enough that the guests don’t “get” what’s in the listing. It is one of our house rules that you have to tell us what time you will arrive. If they Instant Book they explicitly agree to the house rules. It is in the final message they get when they book that they have to tell us what time they will arrive. If they don’t tell us, we ask. Still, most of our guests don’t tell us what time they will arrive.
I believe that a lot of guests only read the parts of the listing that let them know the price and the availability.
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I hear ya. I generally have to push the issue of arrival time because it’s just me running the shop. I have to alter my day to accommodate. Some guests see us as hotel/motel operators that are standing by 24/7. Although I am pretty flexible if I can be.
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What about half star ratings? I had a guest manage to get chicken mole sauce on a white throw rug. I was able to get it out and would like to take 1/2 star away. Giving anyone a four stars in this tit for tat system seems harsh.
I just tried to look at the listing that brook2adks posted, and it isn’t listed anymore.
Or Lori a 10star system, so differentiates it from the 5-stay hotel standard system. In this way ‘9’ would be considered in essence a ‘10’.
Sandy, I have combination of 5 and 4 stars ratings. I did receive even from one guest a 1 star once. This guest was asking and negotiating discount, until I gave in and he got a ridiculous low rate. He was arrogant and a pig.
I had someone else that I gave low, low rate who almost broke my AC. At least this guest rated my place as 5 star.
I learned a huge lesson: my best guest were the ones that pay’d full rate, were absolutely delightful, respectful of one’s property. I no longer will extend any discount, but that 1 star is hurting and I should have warned other Host. This particular guest got a bad review from next Host where he stayed next, but I am still stuck with 1 star that he gave me.
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I’m so sorry! Big learning curve in the beginning. I wish I had known about this group when I started almost two years ago.
@Martha (sorry for my horrible English)
When you rent rooms and not a whole apartment entirely for the guests you have to set an independent listing for every room, specifying in each listing if the bathroom is shared (and between how many guests and residents) or not and if the bathroom is directly accessible from the room or not.
I think that this could be the problem and I think (I’m not sure) that in their reviews guests can comunicate in a secret way to airbnb (as we hosts can do in our reviews for the guests) possible problems.
If so the problem is not for having 4 stars but for an inaccurate listing.
Finger crossed for you!
Best
Claudia
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I have just added a third room to my listings, my old bedroom. I had to think a bit of how to list it as it does not have a bathroom. So I have linked it to the one non en suite room I have, and tell people if they want it, to book for 3 people and they will automatically get the second room (and be charged for it). So far it has worked out fine. I am still a bit confused about being suspended for 4 stars. I have never, ever seen anywhere in the T&C where it states that you must maintain 5 stars to maintain your account. That kinda defeats the whole purpose of the Superhost scheme…?
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I just found out about a ductless system that is called a mini-split. Check this option out for your rooms; http://www.ecomfort.com/cooling/ductless-mini-split-systems.html?utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=style+mini+split&var1=ecomfortusa&var2=msnsearch&var3=mini%20split
copy and paste this link. It is the newest way of central air in each room with a remote control for each room. One unit costs about 1K, but you can also buy a unit for 2k which covers 4 rooms. Each with it’s own remote control. It also heats the room. No way can they complain with this system and since bedrooms are relatively small each room doesn’t cost as much as central air to cool. Use your fans for the main part of the house. They are renting a room after all. 
This url doesn’t work for me.
Yes. I’ve always used the app and was able to but I just did another review yesterday and that screen isn’t coming up.
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I belirve it is the only way for understanding and change to force the guest to write an explanation if they give a 4 or lower. That way at least the host can improve their place if they want for future guests. What good does a low rating do anyone if the host has no idea of the reason! This just rubs me the wrong way
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Guys. I share the frustration here. Martha has listed her place correctly by using Private Room.
“Shared” means you share a bedroom with a stranger! She hasn’t got that.
“Private” means you have your own private bedroom, and the bathroom & common areas are also used by people you don’t know.
“Entire Home” is that nobody will be on the property except you.
Not only has she listed these things correctly, it appears that a guest has dinged her because THEY don’t know what “private room” means despite Martha even mentioning her son will be there in her ad.
I’d go after that one - perhaps inbox the guest and ask if it was unclear - then take their answer to AirBnB and see whether they’ll change the rating.
(As an aside, I used to rent a large room inside my apartment which had its own kitchen and balcony. It didn’t have its own bathroom. I spelled this out in my listing, made it crystal clear that the bathroom was outside in the hall and also used by me. I listed this as “Entire Home” and triple-checked with each confirmed booking that they understood they were sharing the bathroom with me, explaining that AirBnB didn’t actually provide any way for me to list a bedsitter apartment (which are considered self-contained despite the bathroom situation).
I was never sanctioned, got excellent reviews, and I had a grand total of one set of guests who misunderstood and got a surprise when they arrived - and it turned out I would be out of town after 6 hours anyway so they’d have the bathroom to themselves - they were so pleased with the apartment they booked it again a week later.)
Eliel, are you in Europe? When I did a student semester in Paris, I had an apartment on the sixième étage – the floor where, formally, the staff (maids, cooks, valets) had rooms. I had a little room with a tiny balcony, a tiny fridge, sink, and a hotplate. There were two bathrooms down the hall – one was a disgusting WC (no one ever cleaned it) and the other was for those of us who had a key. The toilet didn’t have a toilet seat but it had, in addition to the toilet, a sink and a shower. Those of us who had keys took turns cleaning this shared bathroom.
I was a poor student, for sure, but I traveled a bit on weekends and found out that is wasn’t just my situation in Paris; if you rent “rooms” in Europe, most likely, you will share a bathroom. Be aware that so few Americans have had this experience, so please, for your benefit (and your reviews) make sure you are extra clear with us Yankees when it comes to the sharing experience
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I am in Europe yes
And it was beyond explicit in the ad. It even had a floor plan so you could see for yourself (with my room marked off as my own) and info such as the fact the bedsitter was lockable.
Ironically, it was a set of French guests who got confused! It was potentially an issue because for medical reasons they really needed an own bathroom and it needed to be spotless - he took one look at the (spotless!) bathroom and said it was absolutely fine. They were one of the best sets of guests I’ve ever hosted, too, I found them vacuuming on their last day when I arrived home!
Now that is very French! My cousin does the same thing on her last days of vacation.
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In my experience in landlording, you have to provide air conditioning. Not providing it and disclosing that, and charging a price commensurate is not an option, people will still be unhappy. It seems that in the last 15 years people are no longer to live with hot days like they did when I was a kid.