I have the same feeling.
They expect even more - for less. Complain on anything and everything.
I am going to lift prices therefore and set up even more strict rules.
If they don’t want to obey - they can go. I don’t need them.
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I agree that they have become far more difficult. I am UK based so I put it down to them wanting a holiday but not in the UK! I had one who described herself as a destination influencer who sent me 3 pages of suggested improvements. You booked an 18th century fisherman’s cottage, they are up steps, they do not have parking outside, they have narrow steep staircases and they are all small because people were smaller then!
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Yes, I have experienced the same phenomenon. This is my 8th year as a host and received more critical reviews this year than any other time.
Ah, yes, we too have received the list of “suggested improvements” to our historic beach homes, though they’ve been completely updated. People are here to enjoy their vacation but some prefer to spend their time finding little things wrong in the house. Here’s a suggestion: Stay in a hotel next time!
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Exactly, all fully renovated over the winter!
I must be blessed 
We’re coming to the end of the summer season here, one set of guests left today and the other apartment checks out tomorrow.
When I did my post check out walk through this morning, it was obvious that they cleaned the place before leaving. Towels were all neatly stacked, beds straightened up (but not stripped), the few dishes they’d used this morning all washed and the bin emptied.
The ones leaving tomorrow have been here for a fortnight, lawyer from Madrid and his Italian wife. When offered a change of bedding and fresh towels last weekend, she turned round and said “no it’s fine, I’m happy to wash them”. Excellent, you can come back.
I’d seen enough during their first week to know that they were looking after the apartment well, so wasn’t overly concerned about the mid stay nosey!
I’ve got no doubts that, tomorrow afternoon, its going to be a redux of today.
Other than one set of guests, who were a little bit messy (e.g. they didn’t take their rubbish out and left crumbs on the dining table) this has been our general standard of guests this year.
We’ve had no grumbles, no complaints, no moaning and more importantly, cracking reviews since June. On BDC it’s been 10’s across the board and on Airbnb cinco estrellas 
We’ve been completely rammed since June and at far higher rates than last year, and more importantly, than 2019.
Other than three sets of guests, since June it has been all domestic Spanish guests, and traditionally they were the worst communicators, the messiest and generally poorer quality guests than our international guests.
So, I can honestly say that from our perspective, the standard of guests has risen over the past year or so.
All you folks getting shit guests, my advice is to move to Andalucía, but just not too close to me 
JF
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Our guests have all been great, and happy.
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Here’s another planet heard from. I was chatting with my 20-something daughter and heard this.
“My friends and I aren’t really into Airbnbs anymore, we’re liking hotels better. Airbnbs are expensive, and with a hotel, you know it will be there and you know what you’re getting. It’s older people who like to stay in Airbnbs. Well, not really old people, they’re scared of Airbnbs.”
One comment doesn’t define a trend. And part of hotels’ attraction may be that rates are still trending low as they try to keep vacancies down during COVID fluctuation. I know they are lower than historically in my area. Still, food for thought.
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A friend that I’ve stayed in Airs with commented that geeze, they used to not cost that much. I pointed out the taxes, Air’s fees, cleaning and seriously something that starts out as $110/night quickly gets up to close to $200. You don’t notice it as a host, it’s when you’re thinking of traveling then you find how expensive it can be.
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This convo with daughter made me check on my main hotel rival, the Comfort Inn a mile away.
They are charging the same rate as me, they have dropped their parking charge (!), two queen beds to my one, microwave, fridge & coffee maker, continental breakfast, free shuttle to the subway, and exercise room that may be too COVID-scary to count.
It used to be the other, old, tired Comfort Inn west of me, in strip mall land and nowhere near the subway, that matched my rate.
Bother.
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As the mother of 3 myself, I suspect that 20 year olds might be “off” Airbnbs because they don’t want to be held to a host’s rules, don’t want to have to clean up after themselves, don’t care about having a kitchen or a yard, and get questioned a lot when trying to book.
Even with taxes and fees, Airbnbs are generally cheaper for what you get than hotels.
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I think the factor for my kids. who are late 20s early 30s, is that they finally have some disposable income, and they’ve upgraded from bargain lodgings. The Airbnb differential just isn’t there for them in urban or vacation areas.
I won’t argue about the no cleaning up aspect or preference not to spend time cooking (they have a list of restaurants they want to hit, or order takeout from, before a trip starts), plus having more towels mysteriously appear after going to the pool or drying long hair.
My clientele is definitely skewing older, as business travel has plummeted. I have a 2 person suite, so the family market was never my demographic.
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Hotel prices seem to be down here in Vancouver, by at least 30%.
I target families, and allow pets… I think it would be hard for them to find anything near the space they have here, at anything near the price. I don’t feel like I’m going head-to-head with hotels at all. I think those 20-somethings will be back to Airbnb’s once the babies start coming.
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As some one who traveled recently to New York (Long Island) and LA to visit children I can attest that sometimes hotels are cheaper.
In LA, near Hollywood, I ended up in a 5 star hotel that was cheaper than any 1 bedroom stand alone unit that either 1) did not look sketchy or 2) had no reviews and a generic descriptions made me believe it was a scam.
In Long Island the choices were more expensive than the comfort inn and looked filthy from the pictures.
I’ll still look on Airbnb when I travel, but it’s not a given that it’s a better value than a hotel.
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I find they are cheaper depending on the kind of travel I’m doing. If I’m sharing a room, or if I had a family, hotels would be cheaper in big cities like NY and Chicago. In NYC I can stay in a hotel cheaper and finding a place with 2 or 3 beds that’s affordable is impossible due to the regulations there.
I recently booked in Nashville and all the nice hotels downtown were $300 and up per night. I found an Airbnb just 3 miles from downtown for the same price but now I have free parking, 3 beds, 2 baths, outdoor space, kitchen lounge space. Given the returning uncertainty of the pandemic and that I’m going to meet up with friends, this is far cheaper and safer. If I wanted to eat out 3 meals a day, I’d want to be downtown though. In Denver I found an Airbnb suite cheaper and in a better location.
As long as the pandemic drags on, it seems wise to avoid the kind of mega hotels that are filled with a bunch of pro-covid tourists.
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I’ve had that issue, too, and I messaged the guest about it. He went mental when I asked him to clear up my questions “This host’s review seemed harsh; would you mind telling me more about the stay?” I told him to cancel based on his “I won’t share personal information on the internet and she/host didn’t behave like a lady.” That aside, I told him this wasn’t a good fit and to find another place to stay.
My most recent guests “announced” they’d at 2 (check in is 4). When I said I could accommodate them, the day before arrival they texted that they’d be here around 11.
I told them No. They turned out to be lovely, but it was touch and go for a bit.
As do I. It’s a great way to get a feel for what they’ll need and opens up good dialog.
Most of my guests walk in wearing masks. I’ve only had one couple pooh-pooh masks and vaccines and I kept my masked distance.
It does seem recycling is a foreign concept.
My guests are often snowbirds coming to/going from a destination and usually book for 1 or 2 nights. The RV folks don’t book here.
Ugh. I’m sorry.
She should meet my guests!! They’re all “old people” (old to a 20 year old) and do comment on the fees, but stay anyway (because of the cat, natch). The recent fees transparency has been eye-opening for me. My recent guests got slammed with USD$21 additional on top of my more expensive nightly rate in the 'hood.
I’m always checking my “rivals” in the area. We have a brand spanking new Fairfield Inn & Suites 3 miles up the main road now, I think they’re taking a lot of my business. But that’s OK as this isn’t my primary source of income.
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My guests have definitely changed, but for the better. Prior to the pandemic, I allowed 1-2 night stays, and got lots of people here for fun or work. Since re-opening, I allow 3+ night stays, and get mostly “old” people visiting grandkids in the neighborhood and the occasional small family here for a long weekend. For instance, during our big music festival (two consecutive weekends), I have two week-long bookings of grandparents, rather than the festival goers I would have had in the past. No complaints here!
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You just described coastal South Carolina too. 
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My previous rental was in SE AZ and obviously a snowbird hot spot and a birding hot spot. Got lots of older folks (well, my age) and plenty were there for a week. 95% quiet, not hitting bars, a few of the younger ones were hitting the bars.
In this Shenandoah rental, almost everyone is younger by a lot, not hitting bars and most have reviews on Air.
Attracting the outdoorsy ones is the best. (Not beach outdoorsy, they sound like they can be a big problem).
The youngster that was just here was volunteering at a local run and brought his bike. Self described running junkie.
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I will speak out and agree with you on the change in guests. I have been speaking with Airbnb due to a guest who stated all was good with the home, then put in a review that was negative on everything and on top of that they stained our rugs. 4 years in and the negativity of our guests is leaning us to sell and have a more peaceful life with our main plan b. Glad I am not the only one who feels this way.
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