Controlling Behaviour? Am I becoming neurotic?

EllenN I’m sure you’re not really saying a guest can turn your heating up and open all the windows or have 4 30 minute showers are you?

Yes, they’ve done both.

And you weren’t in the least bit bothered ? If it cost me more you can be sure I wouldn’t be happy…

It doesn’t matter if I’m bothered or not. I don’t have the right to control other peoples’ behavior because it bothers me.

I don’t think I would have that attitude especially in the context of high utility bills. I’m glad you’re relaxed about it :slight_smile:

I know if I was paying extra for it it would upset me to see windows open and the heating turned up to max. Space heaters are especially expensive over here, seeing all the heat fly out into the 5 degree air would make me see red. If only I lived in LA where the sun shone daily.

The only reason I am not kicking a fuss up about the long showers is because it’s not metered.

Yes, I have. It is my house, my rules.
If things bother me, I will correct them.

If guest do not like it, they should find another place that will take them (chances are very slim around here).

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No I don’t think you’re being neurotic. These are all genuine concerns about things that are causing damage to your property. Once damp starts to set in it becomes a very expensive fix. And terrible for your health.

I would say keep going in and checking but try not to let it make you angry - don’t dwell on it. Move what you need to, turn off the things that have been left on and then forget all about it and enjoy your day.

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@Gardenhost thanks for taking the time to comment. I agree being angry isn’t good; I do understand how easy it is not to be aware …

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@EllenN I have to push back on utilities. I expect my third floor, while hosting with AirBNB to increase my utilities 30%. [When I had long term folks up there who cared, the increase was about 18-20%.] I also expect my guests to wear at least a sweater if not two. It is not up to them to touch the house thermostat which controls the entire house. We have increased the temp by as much as 2º for guests that came from much warmer climates, and turned our own radiators down in order to push more heat to their floor. But I will not introduce a space heater or any other electric warming item into the rooms.

And, yes, I go into the guest rooms daily to refresh their breakfast, replenish the coffee [freshly ground is so much better], and make sure they have enough toilet paper and tissues.

This is all upfront of course. My listing is clear about what temperature we set in the house, and that New England houses are drafty, creaky, and cold. I actually suggest wearing two sweaters, as I do daily [along with two layers of pants and two pairs of socks.] My listing also states that I refresh the breakfast, etc daily.

My heat bills are bigger than many peoples’ mortgages and I can not possibly charge what it would cost to keep these rooms at 80º or some such absurd number. Water is also very expensive [we are still paying to clean up the Boston Harbor], but I don’t see how to have that conversation with anyone who wants to take a 30 minute shower.

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This is absolute rubbish and nonsense.

Every bloody hotel I’ve stayed in had a chamber maid entering the room around 11 am to clean and make up the beds. In fact, it happened that I went to bed late got up late and had to actually shout to stop them from entering since I wasn’t yet fully dressed.

So if an Airbnb host wants to do the same, there is nothing at all wrong with that. To be honest, I don’t do that myself, but if a host feels like entering a guest’s room, for valid reasons like the ones Zandra described here, let her do so.

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@EllenN, with all due respect, it sounds like you may not have a lot of experience living in a cold climate, nor with the astronomical costs of heating a house situated in one.

My house was built in 2006 so it is relatively new and energy efficient. It came with a liquid propane fired forced hot water baseboard heating/hot water system. When fuel was at near $4 a gallon, it cost us $1600 a month in January and February to keep the 2300 sq ft house at 70 degrees. Yes, you read that right. $1600 a month.

When the outside temperature fluctuates between -5 and 15 degrees for a week straight, heating systems run constantly. Those of us who live in the northeast dress in layers all winter long, and keep our houses uncomfortably cool. We are all, as one might imagine, VERY sensitive to lost heat.

Let’s say my room rate is $40 bucks a night, which is about what someone would expect to pay off season where I live. A careless individual who felt entitled to walk about in a tee shirt, and who kept the temperature in their room at 78 degrees could easily eat through half the room rate in a day, at which point it becomes pointless to host (which is part of why I don’t in the winter).

Yes, a space heater will shut off when the room reaches the set temperature, but if it’s cold enough outside, and the heater is set to a high enough temperature, it will never shut off.

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@Chloe A $ 1600,00 bill is quiet outrageous, for the square feet and temperature you mention. I don’t think your house is anywhere near as energy efficient as people have told you it is. If it where energy efficient it would cost you $ 160,00 a month.
By the way, 70 degrees is considered a normal healthy temperature for living spaces, that is not uncomfortably cool.

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We have similar issues, smaller scale here in the scorching desert in summer. I have window AC units in the the bedrooms to supplement the central evaporative cooler. When guests turn theirs on and then go out it drives me nuts but I don’t go in their room and turn it off. There are have also been times when it wasn’t very hot at all but I could hear the unit in the guest room running all night. In the winter I unplug it and put covers on the interior and exterior so some nut can’t turn it on. Thank goodness energy prices are down right now but it still adds about $40 to the summer monthly bill.

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Is it your view that I made up the review I saw?

Let’s be clear. If you have not told guests that you need to enter their rooms during their stay, and they can prove to airbnb that you did, and they are unhappy about it, they can get their money back, and you will get a bad review if the guest is so minded!

I know some of you wish it weren’t that way. But such is the life of a host!

For those that wish to take on Airbnb for that, go right ahead! And I wish you all the best with that!

To be honest, if you really feel that you must do it, then just let the guest know in advance, and call it “room service” or whatever. If you are not comfortable letting the guest know in advance, then better to just not do it!

Peace!

Is it possible to change to a ducted system? That’s a huge bill…

@AquaticQuests I’m not in the least bit worried about whether a guest will try to claim that I shouldn’t have entered their room as I actually don’t think guests have that right. I’ve always assumed hosts attitude towards this was one of politeness and a respect for privacy but I’ll be honest I don’t know where the history of it comes from as it’s not what happens in the hotel industry. The idea that you can’t access a room to make safety checks etc is ridiculous. So you should let your place burn down first because you can’t enter the guest room… nope I’m not going to wait for that to happen. Nor am I going to look the other way if people cause damage by putting dripping wet items wherever they want to.

And if a guest is worried their host is going to steal from them or snoop through their stuff then they should stay at home. A guest is in my place has access to my expensive belongings… trust has to go both ways.

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My contract says explicitly that we have the right to enter the house for purposes of maintenance, inspection, cleaning or repairs, but that we will exercise that right in a reasonable manner by giving prior notification unless there is an emergency. I completely agree with Zandra that it is my property and guests don’t have the right to bar my access to my property. That said, if I unlocked the door in the middle of the night and walked into their bedroom simply to see what they were doing, then that is inappropriate.

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Lol! @PitonView yeah that would be pretty unreasonable and a guest would have the right to be upset. I’ve heard stories of that happening …

I think it comes from boundaries rather than a right to privacy.

I know when I go to a hotel that I will have a housekeeper coming in to make the bed. So, as long as it’s clear that something similar will happen then I’d be cool with it. I would be very angry though if a housekeeper or host went through my stuff.

I don’t know if this thread is advocating going through anyone’s stuff. I don’t even see how that would be justified.