Blood thinners or hypothyroidism are common reasons older adults run cold. We’ve all seen the tiny 80-ish lady wearing a winter coat in Mid-summer at the grocery store.
4 Likes
Interesting point.
My guests this summer have been delightful but I’m a small condo 2 guests max.
A Facebook group for my area connecting rentals (owners) & renters, consistently has unhappy postings from renters of large oceanfront homes/condos. Some of the complaints are valid but sometimes you have to roll with it.
One I saw yesterday left me ambivalent. Guests arrived at a large beach house (sleeps 16 so easily >$5,000 USD) & found bags of dirty linens. The service did not pick up or deliver. Short version is the linen service shut down due to employees having Covid.
I understand expecting better service for that kind of expenditure BUT restaurants & cleaning services are reporting closing due to staff exposure.
The home has a washer & dryer. To me, just start washing & drying what you’ve got & ask for a refund. Go to a laundromat to get it done quickly.
The guests were posting awful things any place they could. Most responses were, “guess you need to start washing & drying”. Not much sympathy given.
3 Likes
My recent guests have been very pleasant, but there does seem to be a trend of feeling free to ask for more.
Lots of requests for early check-in, or late check-in, or both ( I already have pretty generous 2 pm check in and noon check out) and not wanting to pay extra for it.
Lots of requests for more than what I consider to be generous allotments of towels and bedding. Wanting more paper towels (2 rolls for a 2 night stay of two people?!)
I didn’t see these types of requests before we took a covid-break and went to long term tenants for 18 months. Now they seem to be the norm with my airbnb guests. When I can, I accommodate, but I don’t feel bad saying no.
4 Likes
Hey, @RobR , I found a little of the same. After many years of hosting, I got very discouraged a month or so ago, but guests are getting better (reading when directed by me to read, not being so terribly messy) now.
I cannot say whether I did something differently or had a different attitude a month ago when everyone seemed to be careless and inept and unable to read or communicate. I put it down to new-user locals who maybe wanted to be vacationing in the US but were stuck here behind the closed border and not really making the best of it.
I may be back to discouragement soon, though. My next guest, due tomorrow, booked back in February. No flags then, but yesterday I noticed that she has a new (June) review that calls her a nightmare…
2 Likes
Ditto. For example my guest checking in yesterday, texted at 9 am “we’re here We know check in is between 3-midnight. Can we check in now?”
When he made the reservation the day/night before was available.
A surprising number of guests flew this summer. Spirit offered super cheap rates. They all asked for early or late in/out.
When Spirit had massive flight cancellations I flexed as much as I could for my guests with cancelled flights and no accommodations available. It was crazy. Rental car shortage meant people rented Uhauls so they could drive home.
I have a lot of sympathy for people trying to deal with a long stretch of time between an early flight arrival and check-in, potentially with lots of luggage and dealing with ubers and such. It’s doubtless more complicated now that there are fewer public spaces where travelers might feel comfortable hanging out. But between the early check-ins and the late check-outs, and the desire for increased cleaning and sanitizing, there is a big time crunch.
2 Likes
I had someone who did that. Asked for early check-in. I said I’ll see and then I was nice and said, okay 1 pm like you asked for. Then they just rolled up at about 9 am and parked on the street in front of my neighbors house. Then they texted me after I left to the store. So I didn’t know they were there until I got back around 10;30. So I walked up the their car and asked if they were my guests and gave them a pretty hard time about it but ultimately let them go in because 1) the room is ready so it was petty not to 2) they had a dog 3) they were Asian and I honestly think what happened was they were afraid to stop overnight in an AZ reststop which was their original plan.
But when people act in that kind of entitled way, no one likes that. That’s definitely one thing I like about the smart lock. I guess I could say, it will be $5 to re-progam the lock, lol.
1 Like
I’ve noticed three trends in my guests this year:
- I received a LOT of inquiries asking to flex on the “no pets” rule. I kindly let them know that my place just doesn’t support their dogs or cats. Super polite people who understood; which I appreciate.
- 90% of my guests in previous years would send an intro message at time of booking (I do instant booking; always have). Just introducing themselves. This year is different in that most guests don’t send an introductory note. It doesn’t bother me, but it’s different.
- Everyone asks for early check-in. Everyone. I try to accommodate if I can, but I’ve now built a Quick Reply to let them know that there’s a single day turnaround (which is true 95% of the time) and I’ll do my best, but can’t guarantee it. I get it: travel days can suck and asking is for free–I’ve done it plenty of times. I’ve had early check-in requests previously, but never this numerous.
What hasn’t changed? Polite, friendly, interesting, and lovely people from all over the country. Full stop.
1 Like
Why not add that as a hard requirement for booking?
@Rolf, is there a booking setting that you’re referring to? Unaware of how to make this a hard requirement.
I have this in my ‘rules’ section - which they have to agree to before IB or requests:
“BEFORE REQUESTING TO BOOK, fill out your profile and send us a message telling us the reason for your visit.”
2 Likes
I have not had that experience at all. However I vet like crazy and although my place is constantly booked, it is often not with the first request. Airbnb gives me grief occasionally regarding my declines, but I would rather live with their grief than guests that make me count the minutes until checkout. I also undersell my home in the description so they are not disappointed and grumpy.
3 Likes
I agree with you Rob. We have properties in Florida and the last several months we have had several bad guests. I have been a Superhost on Airbnb for the past 4 years. My neighbors across the street who also does Airbnb noticed the sane things, he has had very bad guests, he says we don t get the same clientele as before Covid.
We still get some good guests but do have undesirable guests who brakes things and leave tons of garbage.
Yes!..we are in Florida as well. Maybe the problem is specific to this destination. And, I hear you on the the garbage comment. Why is recycling suddenly such a foreign concept to some people? Trash cans exploding at check-out, baby diapers and half-eaten casseroles in foil pans inside the recycle bin. Jugs of milk thrown in the trash without pouring what’s left down the sink. I’m now asking people NOT to empty the refrigerator. I’d rather do it myself than deal with the thousands of maggots each and every week. As an aside, it seems FL seems has become the place that people from the northern states travel to, hit all the bars and restaurants then go back home and talk about how careless people are being. But you can spot the locals - we’re the ones wearing masks!
Not specific to Florida really, but there do seem to be areas that attract more bad guests. For instance, I’ve noticed there seem to be more hosts who have issues with out-of-control partiers in LA than in other big cities. But that may also have to do with the type of homes- pools, hot tubs and huge houses, with lots of outdoor space, are more common there than say, Chicago, and attract party animals.The median age of guests that travel to certain places might also be a factor.
I know Florida has tons of snowbirds, but they tend to live in their RVs or rent something for 6 months. The short termers are likely younger people, no?
I completely agree with this.
1 Like
I would bring it up with the guest when she arrive.
Hi welcome! I see you had a host back in June who was not happy with you, let’s work on getting that bad review buried under a new five star from me, whatever happened in June lets not let it happen again.
RR
7 Likes
I feel the very same way! After 45 years of dealing with tenants, I decided to try the BnB business. I started 4 years ago and it’s been great until recently. They act like tenants now, but at least it’s only a few days and not months.
5 Likes
Yes, same here. I have had some wonderful guests but sadly the vile ones with a sense of entitlement. People who break things you thought were unbreakable, then deny it, outweigh the good. I am moving on soon. It is just not worth it, although I will be sad to no see returning guests who have become friends over the years.
1 Like
Great idea, I hope it works.