You mean most people in other countries wouldn’t sue for falling down the stairs and much more? - lol. Yes, I am American and it’s disgusting. Good for you for taking out another policy, but sad you felt the need to do it based on one nationality. But I agree! It’s one thing if the owner is negligent, but people in America will sue when it is their own fault. Some attorneys look for people with money and try to figure out a way how a crime can be connected. It’s really sickening.
Alba, I am playing with prices to see what will happen. I don’t lower to what Airbnb tells me (38-48$) because I think it’s just ridiculous. For this money I am letting my rooms just to be empty. It’s very slow here during summer until December and I lowered quite a bit from March prices.,but even then I had mostly very young people. Once I got a couple 20 and 18, my husband was joking that our guests become younger and younger. I like young guests though more than older people.,
Oh, Cabin, that is just to much!!! You rent them a room! It’s not a cruise!!
There are way to many airbnb options in my town to even thing about ‘organizing’. But it’s true - some lovely places for very cheap - but I was very cheap at first - wanted to get some reviews - didn’t know what I was doing - But the gal nearest me has private entrance, full suite, and is only charging $95. I’ve got a private room, half bath- upstairs is a full bath that is shared with my son. I compensated by offering full breakfast, realized I’m not allowed (don’t crack that egg!!!) and she responded by offering coffee, granola bars, fruit. So I have to go lower than her because they have to walk upstairs to shower. But then some homes are going lower than me (I try to stay $15 less a night than my ‘competition’ though I’m closer to bus stop). It’s tough. I don’t want to be greedy, but I don’t want to give it away, either.
I wonder if, as hosts, when we’re feeling so angry at guests (and who wouldn’t be angry about some of those requests? More types of tea?!? Bring your own if you’re so picky - I know I do!!) if we shouldn’t block off some days for rest between bookings - if you can afford to - if it’s not your main job. It’s my 4th job, lol!!! It is a wonderful but also draining experience - hospitality involves the heart - interacting with new guests every few days - tuning your ear to their accent, getting to know how they are communicating, trying to be ‘on’ when you see them - it’s exhausting. Wonderful, but exhausting.
Many people do block, I had back to back the whole March but I was not bothered s bit. My guests were out all day on a beach and I never saw them.
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Thanks for this info, alba - I was wondering why Thanksgiving week was unblocked - and I had a booking request for that week - now I realized it’s because I changed my prices for the month so it unblocked it all…
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To the posters who are discussing getting together with the competition and setting a minimum for pricing; that practice is called price fixing and it is illegal in the U.S. Here is a link to a U. S. government website detailing the law.
It’s not illegal in UK which is where I am. Too many hosts are practically giving away their rooms/properties just to get continuos guests…I just don’t see how they make any profit, and after all isn’t that why we’re all doing this? It’s a business at the end of the day and should be treated likewise.
Ellen,
Getting together with the people in your neighborhood to discuss not undercutting each other for rooms to rent is absolutely nothing like a federal crime of price fixing in the big corp world. It doesn’t even compare.
Alba I think it’s illegal in the UK too! Lol!
In our city there are over 1,000 hosts. So an Organised price raise would just be absolutely impossible!
Absolutely!
As I once read on this forum, if you have (too) many bookings you just don’t charge enough… and thats so true. I get about 450 Euro a night for 4 person’s…in one large apartment en 115 euro in a smaller appartment. I know its not for everyone but its through Airbnb though, so not everyone is looking for a cheap deal. Then I am ever so fussy and difficult in my description of who I except and what they are allowed to do and more what they are not… so you would think people would all be running away, but quite the contrary… stand out from the crowd raise your prices add cool things so you stand out and do not join the spiral of cheap prices… there is a market for high end as well on airbnb. just my thought
Oh, I better go and check all my bookings now.
alba
You sound very sincere- dont worry so much about aibab or the guests, i can assure you airbab has no concern for guests when they send bad guests. Lets face it- airban are sending people to private houses without any police checks and i for one can tell you putting people at risk.
We had to delete our account after 3 in a row of just plain drama but airbab now say despite them knowing of airbab guests making ongoing threats- . they are not interested and not going to even bother to respond.
I hope you never and other experience the other face of this company. You’d understand after being great hosts you’d be hurt angry furious as we are.
A absolute disgrace = so just watch out for yourself ok - dont worry about anybody else too much love.
Dave you sound like you’ve experienced the worst side of guests on Airbnb, that’s so bad and I do sympathise. For all my complaints ( calendar unblocking dates resulting in double bookings, being prompted to reduce prices etc) I have to say I have had the nicest people book my space. Most have been foreign and the rest Brits. I’m a great believer that you get back what you give but as you say you just never know who is checking into your home. I live alone although have often had a male lodger renting one of my rooms long term which has been a comfort, but they go home weekends and there are times I’m totally alone. Most of my guests are families or couples so all has been well. However I live in a small town and have on speed dial the numbers of other Airbnb hosts ( now friends) who can be here in seconds if any problems…there’s also the police! From October I’ve had few bookings ( it’s very touristy in this part of Scotland) and I’m assuming things will pick up about April again. Having only been on Airbnb since last May I’m hoping I get the back to back bookings again this summer again.
And I totally agree Dave…do your own thing. Experience will keep you right and I don’t go by Airbnb advice at all…they do not know my area or type of guests I attract, or indeed what I offer, and the Superhost status they gave me is only based on figures, it has not changed anything for me or given me any advantages! I may have changed my opinion after another hard slog this year ( and it IS hard work!) But all I can say is I meet new people locally every week who have just signed up to Airbnb as hosts. It’s a no brainier that if nothing else it’s a booming business!
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To be fair, Airbnb is one of the few platforms that actually has guest profile available, and asks guest to verify with personal info or ID, not mandatory though.
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I was told that the ID check is now mandatory, gettingBetter, and I think that’s so. I had a guest that I agreed to allow to circumvent my required ID process and airbnb said they now required the check.
Anyone else know about this?
The last booking I accepted, the guest did not have offline ID or personal info verified.
Thanks for that info! I want to look into this further.
alba hi,
Actually no i didnt but my partner and her friend are still experiencing these ongoing calls at 3am, 5am in the morning and this is weeks later. Think its time the AU gov introduced some minatory laws enforced by ombudsman office .
Look forget about bead hosts - just look at the zero support from airbab.
They refuse to call or email- or discuss it and btw these guests were here obviously on a working visa from the UK.
So airbab should have imop banned them contacted immigration— most certainly supported the two ladies who were terrified. and yes before you ask police were notified BUT airban were the only;y ones who knew the whereabouts of these two criminal grubs.
Airbab actually put them in another house close by sop they could continue their drunken drugged violent behavior .
When airbab were contacted at least ten times informing them these people were still making death threats airbab have refused to discuss it-- help - or contact us.
So if you think customers are a problem - airbab are a bigger one.
You might be ok for YEARS. I hope you all are- but just wait until they send you a bad one.
See how much airbab care then!
Sorry about the typos,
airbab pushed these pre approved bookings and from what i have seen thats a huge error. They pushed and pushed this on new hosts and everybody i think needs time to exchange emails - or talk on the phone first. Alba, your correct about the area too. We are on the Gold Coast, so very much a club drug you name it area. Of course you can get nice guests looking to see the hinterland and beaches, but people need time to check out whos coming . I do feel both hosts and guests should be made to supply police checks. That ought to be mandatory. After saying that its not a guarantee. After all these guy got a visa into AU so there’s proof we failed again.
Somebody was saying they find Aussies users etc-- . Are you sure they are real Aussies? Or just some of the riff raff the AU gov allow to migrant here and call themselves Australians, sounds more like it.
I wish you all the very best and hope you enjoy hosting while making money.
Pls remember though its your home not airbab and without all of your hard work they wouldnt have a business.
Dont feel beholden to airbab and make sure you get respect from them because we didnt…
They haven’t even banned this guy and his girlfriend who made the threats - and continue to make these threats by phone all hours of the night weeks later.
So now you know how much airbnab care.!