Just this week one of my neighbors started a second story on his house. Construction crews start around 7:30 or 8. Done by 4. Should I warn potential guests? The guests staying here now aren’t bothered by it.
Hi Cliffkeller,
I was in the same situation this year with a neighbour’s home undergoing a large outdoor
renovation.
I did alert guests to the potential for nasty noises, gave the hours it would take place, and none retracted their reservation request.
Perhaps they believed it would be tolerable because it was summer and doubtless they planned to be out exploring.
Our neighbors across the street just finished building a house from the ground up. We didn’t warn our guests as it wasn’t that loud. None of the guests complained.
It all depends on how loud it is. In my opinion it is better to disclose it then to have some a**holes using it as an excuse for a refund if they don’t like the place/decide to cut their stay short.
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Warn future guests and give them the chance to cancel without penalty. It’s the considerate thing to do, and you will protect yourself from someone arriving and cancelling after they arrive because you did not disclose it.
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Definitely warn them so your aggravating guests can cancel – I really dislike being next to a construction site when I’m on vacation.
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I second that emotion! Forewarned is forearmed.
Some people don’t care but I’m a light sleeper (even with earplugs) and if I’m on vacation where there’s construction (this happened in a hotel in Europe) I’m NOT happy.
People who don’t care will still book and you won’t be stuck with unhappy (and possibly exhausted) guests!
On a related note – I was able to cancel a booking (as a host) due to next door construction under extenuating circumstances. I explained the work that was going to be done, how much noise and dust would be directed towards the entire side of the unit, submitted a photo, and AIRbnb didn’t penalize me. I didn’t want guests staying there under those circumstances (houses are less than 5 ft away from each other).
It’s funny if you compare this a hotel asking that question. You booked a stay in a hotel somewhere and there’s going to be construction next door, or even in the hotel. Think you would hear a word from the hotel warning you beforehand?
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You’re right about that, and its happened a bunch of times to me. but then again, hotel owners traditionally haven’t been as concerned about a very negative review about noise. I am. Want to keep my high rating and Super Host status.
thanks for the input.
cliff
True, but it was a small hotel in a small village - not a big city one. I think that makes a difference.
Your dead right, stayed in 2 hotels with electricity black out’s, it was years ago, it never even entered my head to complain, all changed now. I had a guest complaining that she could hear sea gulls, and dogs from her bedroom, she put it in her public review
This is where it is getting soooooo ridiculous!
At the risk of outing myself as a truly annoying guest, way back when I used to stay in hotels, I did complain once about construction (that was going on inside the hotel right outside my door) and I was comped a meal in the hotel’s restaurant. Another time when I found myself staring out over a really ugly tarp (there was no noise) I asked to be moved and they did. My most recent stint at a hotel was at the Fairmont in Maui and the hotel room hadn’t been completely cleaned. My husband used the bathroom before we realized this and something very, very gross happened. The resort immediately upgraded us and then sent an inexpensive bottle of wine to our room. It wasn’t enough to erase the very gross thing that happened and which marred my husband’s first hours of a very expensive vacation but I appreciated the resort’s gesture.
I also recall reading a very long post on flyertalk about some guy who basically got blackballed from a Hilton because he complained that his AC unit was so loud that he couldn’t sleep. Hotel was booked completely full and he couldn’t be moved to another room and when he asked to be comped a night, the manager called him a fraud and grifter and this dude was embarrassed and a little traumatized (he was a frequent business traveler with the highest Hilton status).
I just want to add that I don’t do any of these things at vacation rentals (where I now stay almost exclusively) and I’ve never asked for a discount based on some grievance. I understand that a property owner is distinctly different from a billion dollar multinational corporation like Hilton.
Yes you should warn. Part of your success is based on managing expectations. Underpromise and overdeliver should be part of every Airbnb’s business plan.
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Hotels operate on the principle of: “it is better to seek forgiveness than to ask permission”. I always check recent comments on TA to see if anyone has been complaining about construction noise.
I have often seen a construction disclaimer on hotel listings. Sometimes I choose to stay there anyhow since they have lowered the price; other times, when it is pleasure travel, I elect to move on.
I’m concerned about travelers believing that they have the right to be warned about construction noise. My neighbors don’t tell me when they plan construction. Do most people here know when their neighbors will be doing construction?
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I agree. I think my neighbors will be building a deck but I have no idea when. Do I write in the listing copy… “neighboring deck construction noise possible in the next two years…”
Also, construction is sometimes noisy and sometimes not. Demolition and framing are noisy. Interior work isn’t as noisy. Also, in Los Angeles, CA construction stops and starts while contractors are waiting for approval from the city. We have three houses a block away that have been demolished down to the framework. No work has been done for months. I think that construction is one of those things that people want to have magically happen. Nobody likes the noise or dust, but nobody likes neglected buildings either.
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