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Good advice for sure, but this last guy was a rarity, and I was more trusting that I should have been because he came across as very well spoken and “together”. He actually was a very nice albeit immature kid, and very pleasant. Even with fabulous reviews–which this kid had none–it’s still no guarantee that the guest is going to be OK. We’ve seen some stories here on this board.
As for my prices, I’m right about where the competition is and I’ve been more or less 90% booked since before summer. Although when I check those other listings out I think my place is way nicer–even though it’s a shared space. Some of the others, even the ones offering private rooms, state that there will be other Air guests and possibly roommates staying at the property–all sharing the common spaces/bathroom. Some guests like that I think. Others don’t, like moi
I may toy with hiking my rate a little. But we are heading toward the end of summer. I’m not sure what’s going to happen since I didn’t have the place listed much at all last year. We do have the uni and convention center draws quite a few visitors.
Thanks for your curious question Nope Yana. No separate/private bedrooms. It’s a bed in the corner of my living room for one person. The room is over 400sq.ft (37sq.meters) and there’s a carved screen that shields part of it. It’s not your typical hotel/motel looking bed but instead one I built that looks like a Middle Eastern lounging sofa/bed. I modeled it after the beds I slept in at open air truck stops in Saudi Arabia. The “sitting” area in the room is completely separate so you hardly notice if there’s a guest there
And yes, there are guests who like the communal arrangement since I’m booked pretty much solid. It’s a bit like staying in a hostel, except there’s just me here and I don’t use the living room at all except to walk through to my bed/office.
There are quite a few places in my neighborhood that offer the same kind of arrangement I have: but most if not all offer just a regular sofa that the guest camps out on. There is a woman not far from me who has a sofa she rents out that looks absolutely nutty in that it’s in a tiny living room that’s adjacent to the kitchen. And you when you walk in the house–there’s the sofa right in front of you. So all the other guests (she rents out 2 rooms I think) traipse past this “bed” along with her dogs–she runs a dog walking/sitting business. It’s hilarious. Oh, and her rules state that the guest must “decamp” immediately upon rising. AND she doesn’t supply towels or sheets!
I love her rules, which I’d love to post here if anyone is interested. The crazy thing is–she’s got a 5 star rating from a gazillion guests! She was a Super Bitch …ooops, I mean Super Host for a while. Maybe she still is. I’ll have to check.
In any case, in my area anyway, there is a market for this kind of accommodation because it is cheap. And, at least in my case, the guest has access to some nice amenities: washer/dry, filtered water, shampoos, nice snacks, peace and quiet and the occasional gourmet meal. Also, contrary to what some people think, cheap does not always equate with jerk/creep/weird people. The majority have been wonderful, nice, clean, educated folks.
@J_Wang There a lot of places for under $50 in long beach and plenty of couches available. It’s not my style now but when I was trying to travel in my 20’s and 30’s and sleeping in my truck at roadside rest stops I’d have considered crashing on a couch with a chance for a shower in the morning.
That’s the beauty of Airbnb, anything goes for the right price. I really have no saying here because I never heard of such accommodation, may be because never looked for it.
I agree that my " cheap" guests mostly were wonderful, and when I hiked up the price for the season I had guests who gave me not so good reviews and a list oft things to improve.
Thanks for the comments. Yes, the higher the price the more apt people are going to crab about something, and in some cases I don’t blame them since they are paying more. But it’s still probably not as much as they’d be paying at a commercial place–motel/hotel so they should be GRATEFUL :), like just about all of my guests have been when they see my place and it sinks in that they are getting a deal, and they’d dare not b…th about the occasional ant or that everything is totally mismatched: sheets, silverware, towels, or there’s a few leaves blowing around on the deck :))))
Pardon me for boring everyone with this again, but my yardstick is the Motel 6 down the road by the university. It’s $90+ a night with wifi and sits on an island created by 4 major, multi-lane highways and the walls are like cardboard. It’s fully booked most nights. For a fraction of the price I’m offering peace and quiet in my funky but clean place.
I also have experienced not so great guests when my prices are higher. It’s often said that low prices attract bad guests but I think that is far too simplistic. So much depends on what type of place you have, your location, the ‘vibe’ you offer. I’m not totally budget but very much at the lower end of the market. It’s for good reason that my prices are lower than average, it’s a shared bathroom and the house is not in the best of shape (old and quirky, rather dilapidated) etc. But, like J_Wang’s place, it has it’s charm and the rooms are comfortable and quite spacious and my budget-conscious guests are generally very appreciative.
That’s awesome! I’m half-German myself, and even though I can cook it myself, how amazing it would be for my guest to offer to cook me up a true schnitzel!
Ya never know! :))) I got curious about Redondo Beach since my present guest is heading to an AIr place there tomorrow for one night before he goes back to Baltimore. It’s a gorgeous area, inland not so much, and they have the best beach. The Air offerings are quite luxurious.
Oh, I’m getting a scolding from this site’s robot saying I’m hogging the conversation. Sorry.
Let’s see if I get it again…Yes, it’s a popup saying I have made 22% of the comments in this thread and that I should hold off until others have had a chance to respond. Outrageous of me I agree! :)))))
Who’s listing is it? Thats so awesome!! 11$ you cant beat. If it comes with a shower that would be even better, but if not, if somoene has to just to spend a night few hours thats an awesome option. Is it listed under “shared room”?
Well of course my dear it’s listed under shared :)) The people look very normal, fun, young. It’s in a nice area, too. And of course there would be a bathroom for the guest to use! lol
Here is their own web site! Just for fun I’d love to go spend the night there! It’s just up the road from me. Looks like loads of fun. http://www.couchinthelivingroom.com
@Mearns and @Yana_Agapova i’m really intrigued - Mearns where on earth are you and this island? it sounds amazing? and Yana where are you to only get month long bookings?
I dont know if its that much “of course”. Because for this price i would not even expect shower privileges. Especially if its a nice house and in a good area, why this funny price? Is it just another version of couch surfing, i wonder. Whe it was always free but now people started charging for it
I checked their calendar and they are solidly booked with a few holes here and there. I would imagine they’d offer shower privileges, huh? That price would be a few dollars more with the fees and such, but still hilariously cheap.
Mearns had a gorgeous island in Belize. But its booked 2 years ahead:(. I would go there for my next trip for sure. Its such an amazing place.
I am in SOuth Florida. I switched for long term bookings in May from working very hard for more than a year with 1-2 days stays. I ve had enough of that. I am running another small business, and it became too much for me.
We are overloaded with rooms like mine. There are hndreds of them in my price range within 2 miles radius. To get any bookings at all i have to give big discounts on monthly rates and weekly.
I guess some people only give weekly discounts and cumulative for a month it becomes not cheap enough for those who look for a month or more stays. Not sure why, but all my few inquiries that i get now are all for a month or longer.
