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I have often opined that a host needs to frame decisions based on what is best for your business, not to take things personally. Heads in beds.
So my guests who checked in tonight, my 4th guest in my new cabin and the first to bring a dog arrived a couple hours ago and brought a 3rd person to my 2 person only no kids allowed listing. The group consists of two women, a 7-8 year old child and the dog.
I have concluded that there would be no good outcome for me if I enforce my rules and kick them out. I am assured a bad review on my brand new listing. Now I can take a bad review and still keep SH but it would still hurt my listings overall rating.
I feel like we are being extorted by AirBnb to put up with shit like this under threat of a bad review.
I really had to step back and think about this, what is the best business decision? and in this case for me it is to let it go. I will suck it up and not say anything. I am guessing they will leave everything in good order and in the end it will not matter that this kid was there.
I saw them on the driveway camera and the kid was having a blast sledding and building a snowman. I do not think kicking out two women a child and a dog would be good for business or for me personally.
I will review honestly, and even if they leave no trace that they were even here I would not host them again.
So We will see tomorrow how they leave the place and I will seek input on the review.
Well, it is annoying that guests can get away with reading nothing and breaking rules. We as hosts are at a disadvantage. I understand why you’re doing nothing about it.
Maybe the best business decision is a 3rd person charge that “allows” 3rd persons but discourgages them from booking. And then when they don’t read and book anyway you say with a big smile on your face, “I love that your kid is having such a great time. I’ll submit the change request for the 3rd person.” The take the extra $120 or whatever and have a nice dinner.
I list our three-bedroom home as sleeping 6, but we have four queen beds. We aren’t a “cram-'em-in” kind of place.
But occasionally we get a request for seven or eight. Gives me a chance to put out the requirements (every one must sleep in a bed: no air mattresses, no sleeping on the sofas) and charge our “over-occupancy” fee. That varies, depending on how I feel about the group - the parents in their 50’s with three kids in the early 20’s that want to bring Mom’s 75-year old parents: $50 a night. The six college friends in their late 20’s that want to bring two more buddies? $120 a person a night sounds like a great number!
I too have made similar decisions. I no longer confront guests with their bad behavior but do review honestly. Unless they are doing something illegal or dangerous, I bite my tongue and just tell my self it’s only a couple of days. Honestly though, since I added rules about guests having to be pre-approved, note that I live below in a separate apartment and post a surveillance camera sign in my photo section (besides in the listing where indicated), I have had very little trouble with guests.
Well the decision came down to what would be gained from enforcing my 2 person limit? Since I do not allow more than two there is no extra money to be had so no gain there. The only remedy would be to kick two women and a child out into the snow and ice covered roads and suffer the bad review just to be right, to enforce MY RULES. That would be taking it personally and as we said in the Navy stepping on my own D**K . This is a brand new listing, 4 stays and only one review so far. A bad review now would have a bigger impact than a year from now.
Well that is another story, checkout is in 2.5 hours and I will be giving them an honest review. The dog was paid for, the kid is the freeloader for the record.
Guest brought unauthorized 3rd person and did not do a good job cleaning up.
2 stars for rules
2 for communication
3 for cleanliness.
thumbs down
The private feedback was much longer and more detailed.
As a host my public review tells me what I need to know.
I was nice as pie to her, told her thank you and I would review her in the afternoon when the prompt came from Air and that this was a brand new listing and I really needed to rack up some five star reviews.
No, thats next on the list. I am building the bathroom and kitchen right now that will serve the Glampers… Airstream, then a tent, maybe a A-Frame tiny cabin…
I saved that for the private remarks in the review. In the end they were mediocre guests, if not for the dishonesty I would have had them back with a cleaning charge and extra person fee.
I recently had a couple with a dog here. They are only my 3rd would not recommend and would not host again out of 700+ guests. The dog peed on the bed. Luckily it only necessitated the washing of duvet and cover, it didn’t get down to anything else, and I wash those anyway. But there were multiple pee pads and even some poop stained jeans in the trash. I’m not sure what happened in there but I don’t want it happening again. I had no problem posting the review right away and stating plainly in the recommendation that I wouldn’t host them again. I think I see now why almost every stay in my area is with a different host.
