Calling all lurkers

Hi,

I have read this forum for a long time and have occasionally posted something, but over the years I have felt like such an outsider. Everyone seemed to know everyone and the same people were always cropping up which I found intimidating. Except Kona; Kona we never talked but you were always this lurker’s favourite. I felt that I could approach you, even though I never did, and I am sad that you have disappeared just when I have found my voice!

I felt that everyone else here was so more experienced than me that I had nothing to contribute…so I didn’t.

However after a couple of glasses of wine late at night I hastily decided to list my " Airbnb hate’s, now modified to call my Pet Peeves" list and I have changed from checking in on the forum once a month or so to feeling like I am part of it.

I know there are lots of people out there like me, please make contact and I hope that the regulars treat you with kindness. If they don’t let me know!!!

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Hi Poppy,
I have been part of the forum for a few weeks, Started hosting in June this year and found the forum as well as you “pet peeves” post very informative and helpful.
Love reading about other hosts experiences etc.

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I will crawl out of the woodwork for a moment. I am a co-host for a triplex in Albuquerque that we live in one and rent the other two. The host is not into forums but I would not have survived the first year of hosting without the forums. . This is my morning paper as it were. I get some coffee and open the forums.

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I agree; I miss Kona terribly. I have always considered her to be a friend.

I have been a host since March 2017. It hasn’t always been easy on this forum. To make matters infinitely worse, Airbnb was changing the rules so fast that I’d come here sometimes just to stay on top of them!

In the long run, this forum has saved my bacon a few dozen times, and I am grateful. Kona was a huge help.

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I haven’t begun hosting yet, but have been reading this forum religiously as we are renovating so that I can hit the ground running when it is ready. I have found the information and idea exchange here incredibly valuable. I’m sure I will make some mistakes, but I know that I will make fewer of them as I have learned so much. I haven’t had much to say, but have occassionally asked questions. I’ve been treated well and my questions have been answered by several of the regulars like @konacoconutz and @KKC and several other. Everyone has been great to me. I see where some threads go off the deep end. I think some people are easily wound up and some people can be snarky when they could just be direct. I would like to think that if I was on the receiving end of a less than kind response, I wouldn’t let it bother me. At the end of the day though, I think most people are here for the same reasons and most posts probably prove helpful to someone.

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I’m still a newbie/lurker here so I’ll chime in and further introduce myself. We purchased our 2nd home at the beach in NC back in May and started hosting on AirBnb a few weeks later. Home for us is about 2-1/2 hours away and we bought it with the intent to use it when we wanted and help pay for it by hosting. It’s been a whirlwind of a learning experience, from hiring a cleaning crew, to those first few rentals with a couple panicked moments. One of those moments was when I found this forum!

We have the benefit of our neighbors and longtime friends - We own one side of a duplex, they own the other identical unit and have hosted for 10+ years on Air and VRBO. So we took lots of notes from them and mirrored their pricing a bit. That was invaluable for us.

I have found much great info here and good advice on how to deal with situations, so I appreciate that! This has been a great resource. 3 months into hosting so far, we have 10+ reviews with a decent 4.8 average, with a couple of dings we suspect from ‘taking advantage of the new host’. We have learned a lot, and have made enough to cover the mortgage through January. Now it’s almost like old hat. We expect next season to improve even more.

Love reading about other host’s experiences and find particularly interesting the stories from folks that host in their home. I wish we were closer to be able to interact with our guests, as we have had a few that have been great. We get numerous guests from our ‘home’ area, but have yet to meet any of them. One day we’ll retire to the beach, and maybe add a couple more places to host as our semi-retirement gig.

Anywho, that’s my story!

-lurker/newbie/occasional poster :wink:

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That is really nice to hear :slight_smile: I must admit that I’ve been a bit riled in the past by comments from some entire-property hosts such as ‘omg, I could never contemplate sharing my home with strangers’. It can often come across as very disparaging, albeit unintentionally.

I get it in real life too and it pisses me off because you can sense them looking down their nose at you. I’ve learned to shrug it off, though. Airbnb saved me from losing my house and, despite the occasional bad times (!), it’s still good for me. I’ve met some amazing people and have a store of fantastic anecdotes that will keep me going until my dotage!
I’ve learned to look down my nose back and say ‘Mmh yes, I really don’t think it would work for you’.
Code for: your house is a cesspit and you’re a miserable old sod :laughing:

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I host 4 entire homes and I keep them perfect! However my own home is starting to look like a potential hoarders paradise. My children have both moved out, but I still have their stuff… and having to be nice to people and be dressed and presentable in the morning…not happening!

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I am typing from behind a pile of laundry and various other stuff… it’s not ideal! But I never see guests in the morning. That’s the one thing I don’t do. I hate everyone in the morning and I tell guests that (in so many words). Recently I’ve had some very late risers which has had me cursing, though. Breakfast at midday, are you ****ing kidding me??
Two week break coming up, though. Plan is to paint and decorate etc. but will probably be spent being as messy as possible…!

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I wouldn’t judge. Everyone here has a different place and different reason for hosting. I find the experiences interesting and get a bit jealous that I don’t get to meet the folks. I’ve had an author leave behind a copy of her book, and a manager of a Maserati dealer offer me use of a loaner if I ever stop by. Wish I could have met them. May happen still.

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Thank you for popping your head out, please do it again, it’s not too bad out here.

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A lovely post, thank you!

Wow. The closest I’ll ever get to a Maserati is reading this post.

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I may have to take him up on that. He is local to home.

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I really appreciate you replying to my post. I have been hosting for 4 years and it takes a long time to learn all the ins and outs and I am constantly tweaking.

On a side note I had someone send a booking request yesterday, a newbie with no photo or info. I sent 3 messages over 16 hours but I couldn’t get a response. I had explained in a couple of messages that hosts are penalised if they don’t make a decision quickly. Finally I declined and explained why and said they could apply again when they had filled out their photo and profile. Interestingly they replied in 5 minutes and in the first message said, “I am well aware of how Airbnb works I use it every holiday”.

I felt like replying I have been hosting for 4 years and I don’t believe I know everything about Air and your experience is only as a guest!! But I bit my tongue, she filled everything out, I accepted her booking (4 nights which is long for me as most of mine are 1 night stays) and I am sure it will all be fine.

Anyway I was telling that story to show that we are all constantly learning.

Cheers

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You might change your mind if you actually had to live with them!! But yes, you can’t have everything in this game… you get the chance of a Maserati try-out … I get the offer to stay in Croatia one day. It’s all good :slight_smile: Sounds like you’ve had some great guests to date, long may it continue!

:blush: Love it!

We are a bit new to this too, having recently bought our dream home in NC but unable to permanently move until our daughter is out of school in quite a few years. I didn’t plan on getting into this so early but we have a great caretaker and a retirement dream now. Something to work towards :heart:

Welcome and best wishes to you!

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Welcome, Poppy.

I learned recently that guests can have multiple accounts. If this person had made a new account, it may be for the best you didn’t host them!

Sounds like we are in the same boat. We have 3 kids to cycle through - 15, 13, & 8. Waiting to get them through school. Where in NC are you? Cary and Carolina Beach here…

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Thank you Xena for your welcome!

No, he was trying to surprise his wife for their anniversary (we are a special occasion place) and use the referral discount but is a sheep farmer and was flat out, so in the end he told his wife and asked her to take over the booking, she was lovely to deal with.

I get using the referral discount, I have referred my husband and we have done it with booking.com as well, booking.com is great as both people get paid for the referral. In fact we mainly travel under my husband’s Air account as I worry sometimes that if something went wrong and a host blamed us for something it would not look good on my account. I only travel on my account when I have Air credit!