HO-LEE-COW! What did you tell him?
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I actually made her cancel. I just knew no matter what I said she would try to fit them in. Thing is, I already say four is the max, and she originally booked for five (but one was a baby, sure) and then added another (now weāre at six, time to get out the air bed). I balked at six, said my insurance wouldnāt even cover it, thereās only one bath, blah blah blah. No no no. And then she asks for another sixāwait. SEVEN. In a two bedroom. With one bath. THIRTEEN PEOPLE. Oh, but they can sleep on the floor. ???
I was actually surprised that she cancelled so quickly after I asked. I didnāt even charge her, and I rebooked the same day, thankfully. For two. Ahhhhhā¦
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Discount room rental app BnB Chat was just released on iOS & Android and you can accept reservations via your PayPal Account. They donāt charge any Traveler Fees or collect any personal information from Hosts or Guestsā¦ This is a real game-changer! www.bnbchat.com
You had a guest who wanted to sleep 13 in a unit that sleeps 4? And another guest who wanted to host a dinner party for 16 people!!??
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OH yes. And the Thanskgiving people wanted to use my oven too! In addition to the kitchen in their own apartment.
These were definitely by far my most absurd requests in 2.5 years.
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Iām an over 50 host and I have to agree. Pretty consistently the guests in their mid 50ās + have had an adult child make the reservation for them, they havenāt bothered to read about the listing and arrive with unrealistic expectations. Theyāre are however a percentage of those over 50 who are familiar with communal living and are the best ever guests, leaving wine as a thank you or offering to take me to dinner in recipication for all my effort in making their experience a pleasant one.
Frankly I find the American millennials far more difficult to endure, treating my home as a cheap place to stay with no regard for my furniture, leaving wet towels on antiques, using every towel in sight, wiping lipstick on white hand towels, throwing dental floss on the floor, not using the coasters provided, piling dishes in the sink and walking away, treating me like a servent. Iāll take the old folks over the millennials any day, at least when their gone my home is still in tactā¦
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After several awkward experiences with older generations (Iād say over 60 rather than over 50 if I had to pinpoint), I cringe a little when I see profile pictures with obviously older people, but I take the time to chat with them because usually itās a matter of expectations like many people have said.
- Did you read what amenities were provided and not? You understand breakfast isnāt served, but there is tea and coffee at your disposal? 2. You understand itās an old farmhouse from the 1860s with only one shared bath? 3. You understand thereās a dog in the house? 4. ETC.
Less than 5 star reviews have only been left by older individuals who ultimately made comments like, āIf you werenāt going to serve breakfast you shouldāve said so,ā or āYou should have a hair dryer for your guests,ā even though none of these things are listed in my available amenities. Well, and one German guest who clogged my toilet, never said anything, then gave me a 3 for cleanliness!
My go-to guests are tourists and people traveling for work. I donāt mind older folks if they fit into those categories. I avoid older folks who are just passing through or visiting relatives unless they respond indicating theyāve read the ad themselves.
Iāll admit Iāve avoided a couple older, traveling, evangelical sorts that wanted to stay for several nights to a week. I was raised in a strict religious background, have had lots of wonderful open religious guests, but sometimes I just worry about combining what appears to be conservative religious sorts and the older generation and aspects of my lifestyle they might not approve of. I say this because my parents fall into that category and would totally leave a negative review if they felt āuncomfortable,ā even if what made them uncomfortable was that the person had different beliefs/practices than they do.
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My last ābad bad badā guests were a self described adventurous older couple from Albertaā¦ Gave the vibe of being easy going but got here and couldnāt wait to start nit picking ā¦ Tore me a new one about my budget beach listing which includes a kitchen as a bonus!!
Oh believe me, I heard about all the things they hated in a detailed laundry list in the private feedback. The first night she came up the stairs and made me take down ALL the windchimes around my whole house, none of which were by her rental.
The woman was a total twit and took a nasty, cruel, abusive tone with me. I tried not to let it bother me, but I confess it messed with my head a bit.
If you join the Bad Guest lounge, (you must be a host to be added) you can peruse her bad bad details along with the profiles of many other douches!
Come to think about, and I never gave it much thought until this conversation, 138/140 of my guests have ranged in age 30-55, except on two occassions, and yes they did come across a bit more expectant, but they were ok. In February I have a 73/75 year old couple coming, should be interesting.
I Know what you mean Kona. We just stayed at another hosts place recently. It was supposed to be a relaxing break, but there was always the review thing at the back of my mind! I was always stressing to make sure we followed the rules lol
Next time i think iāll go to a hotel ha!
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I know it is an outrageous thought, BUT I can imagine the day the whole review scene is dropped, for I am sure is taking out some of the fun from hosts and guests.
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I was willing to sign up to do AirBNB because of the review system. I guess I naively thought that Iād get to kinda vet most guests before I accepted them and have recourse for bad guests. Now Iām finding hosts are too scared to leave honest reviews, and Iāve always thought Iām an awesome host but now Iām stressed that Iāll get a string of petty jerks who make me sound bad. Ugh.
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I must say that what does bother me philosophically about it, is that it is indeed so typical of todayās āother-directedā society, right in line with the instant-opinion craze and where one must toe the line in order to be ārewardedā by acceptance and praise of others.
Hold that thought, maybe I will feel a lot better about it with a 2nd cup of cafe; be right back. Oh and welcome Sarah.
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Yeah, I havenāt had my coffee yet either. I just wish people had reasonable expectations, common sense, respect for others, and kindness. As hosts weāre expected to provide so much and then our āguestsā get shocked that they may be rated poorly too (or just donāt care and go cheapo).
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LOL! Sorry we wrecked your cheery outlook. But sadly it is true. I only leave reviews at the last minute so they cannot respond or only when they leave gushing and glowing. This is sadly the only way I have discovered to reduce the chances of not getting a surprise crack in return. They hurt and sting and you just never know when a guest will smack you over something you had no idea about!!
This is how they prompt youā¦ "What did you love about Sarahās place? What can be improved? "
Would you take the chance? Someone who has left, is long gone and will never see you again might love to tell you off.
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Yup, welcome to online short term renting. 
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@Sarah.you do sound like a good host. Remember, confidence is half the battle. Act like YOU are doing them a big favor by hosting them. 
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So, I keep hearing about your island, so I checked out your ling. OMG, I love it! I may have to find a way to take a family vacation there if you allow children. It would have to be years from now, so my youngest would probably be 6 or so.
New pictures going up in a few days, it has changed a lot after those photos were taken mostly by AirBnb back in December. Kids? They have an absolute ball, because the waters around the island are only 1-foot deep, and they get to chase the lobsters in the pond and its like an aquarium under the decks; parents put them on the paddle boat and drag them around over the surrounding reef.
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That sounds amazing. Now to plan it all out!