See, it works out for both of us. Though I don’t think you and I get the same kinds of guests.
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Yes I think we are in the minority here! I’ve learned the hard way! I’ve spent a half hour this morning getting neighborhood maps for a guest who is coming soon as they want to hike.
He is delightful and happy to be on vacation. I also purchased more data for our internet because he says he will be working from home and we are at the end of the month for our data.
So it’s not that I don’t want to put in extra effort as I understand they are choosing to stay with us. I want them to make great memories.
But I’m not willing to host guests that give me a bad vibe right away.
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Yes I agree! I’ve had both kinds. Shared was much nicer but whole home is better income since we aren’t there anyway.
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I think that we all prefer to have guests who are happy and friendly. But for some of us, we simply need to fill those rentals and earn the money. The occasional grumpy person is going to happen but I don’t have the skills to recognise them from messages on the Airbnb platform.
Often people are booking or inquiring from their phones and they can be anywhere - apps tend to be making people more succinct and/or use textspeak.
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Yes I don’t catch them all either. But if my gut says hard pass, I follow it. If they don’t make an effort, are they going to follow our rules? We are on a septic system so severe damage can occur if a guest feels they are always right and ignore our rules and the 2 signs we have up to protect the system.
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You have said this a few times, but I never understand it. I’m not sure what’s different than any other guest suite set-up? I have never asked because I just assume there is something I am missing, but I am really curious. Because, all 3 of our listings would fit the description of “not a whole house, it’s a guest suite attached to my house but separate from me”. Two of them have full kitchens but are (unfortunately ,) attached to us but the studio is nothing more than a guest suite and is attached to us. I guest some guest suites aren’t attached, but I generally expect them to be. What am I missing?
I think it’s because they are on property so it’s harder for a guest to throw a party, ransack the place, etc.
I’ve been on site with shared homes and off site currently. It’s much harder to make sure you have a guest who will take care of the place.
Some of my worst guests have had a 5 star rating, so that’s not a guarantee unfortunately.
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Yes, but that doesn’t seem unusual. A lot of hosts live on property like we do. Guest suites I think typically have a host on property, but I don’t really know. Just from this forum, it seems a lot of us live on property, so I think it must be something else maybe.
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Yorkshire, and Scottish logic, you’re absolutely correct.
There are a few warning signs with Airbnb guests that bring out my I’m not sure I can be arsed with this one feeling, but ultimately it’s a case of Heads on Beds (© @RiverRock). We’ve used our annual three strikes twice that I can think of, to bump an IB, in the past three years.
I made some dates unavailable last week to effectively bump a booking request that I’d pre-approved, but that’s another story be told and another bullet dodged!!!
We list on BDC and VRBO, both are IB and it is rare, especially with BDC to have any of the “Hi I’m so and so and I’m doing this, that or whatever in your area” messages.
Ultimately, I don’t care who you are, what you’re doing here or how fuzzily happy you are to stay in one of my apartments. I only care that once you’re here you don’t behave like a dick, you look after our apartment while you’re here and that your payment has gone though successfully. End of.
Out of around 260 stays across all platforms, we’ve only had what could be described as a poor review twice (a 6.7 and a 7.0), both being BDC guests. And that is with essentially taking all comers.
Incidentally, our review rate on BDC is really low compared to Airbnb, a different mindset I think.
In home hosts, totally different scenario. As I’ve said before, no way could I do that, I simply don’t have the tolerance levels required and to be frank, I’m pretty grumpy most of the time 
so I’d probably get booted before I got to the magic three reviews!
You sir, are a picky host. Happy now 
That’s down to you not setting out the host/guest boundaries from the start.
To be frank, that’s something you should be doing as a matter of course, not being “willing” to do it. Guests often mention in their reviews the fact we have plenty of useful and up to date local info, it’s kinda Hosting 101.
JF
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Not sure what you mean by this. I can’t stand over a guests shoulder while they are in the home.
A guest who acts like they are the customer and makes demands without a greeting will be more likely to not bother reading my rules, the welcome message, or the signs regarding the septic system.
Then I have to get a plumber on their check out who tells me there was a whole garden down the sink.
Setting boundaries does not guarantee a guest will behave in the home.
No you can’t, but you can certainly lay out the rules before they are in the home, and even concept check to make sure they understand.
Well, in some respects they are.
JF
In what respect aren’t they?
I should have added and they are always right. Which they aren’t if they ignore house rules.
2020202020
JF
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Our rentals are not “most hosts.” We aren’t even most hosts who post on this forum. I haven’t done a spreadsheet but I’d say most hosts here and in Airbnb land have a separate rental. It may be a guest house, cabana pool house, an apartment across the way, the house across the street, across town, across country. “Most” is 51% + but I’m guessing here on the forum it’s higher than that. I’m absolutely willing to come off off that point if someone has data indicating that’s incorrect.
In addition my rental is different in that even though it is separate it doesn’t have a kitchen or kitchenette. It seems that most (dang there’s that very inspecific, guessy like word again) hosts with a separate space have a more substantial kitchen like set up than I do. I’ve stayed in 18 airbnbs and only 3 didn’t have a kitchen or kitchenette, provide use of the kitchen or in one case, breakfast was provided. Maybe what I choose to stay in has skewed my view of what’s out there.
Airdna said this for 2015 “Today, the majority of Airbnb rentals are in fact entire home rentals and not the private room or couches that many people still associate with the companies offerings. 63% (344,000) of all Airbnb listings are for the entire home, 34% (187,000) are private rooms, and shared rooms only account for 3% (16,000) of listings.” I’m not picturing that’s changed much and if the private room share had increased, covid must have put a dent in that.
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Okay, I understand now! I appeciate you taking the time. I thought more people lived at their listings, even here on the forum. Up here, it is definitely the norm, probably because the bulk of the housing is 3-family houses so it’s just common to live in one and Airbnb or rent the others. We had a new regulation that went into effect last November that makes it illegal to do STR unless you live there too so it is more that way than ever (I say “more” because there are still some hosts hosting illegally while not living at the property). I would think as more cities make similar regulations requiring hosts to be owner-occupied to do STR, the scale should tip that direction (depending on enforcement).
What you have, the shelf with the microwave, a little fridge and coffeemaker with a separate entrance is what all the guest suites do here, that’s why it seems common to me but I don’t remember staying in any guest suites before. I think it’s always been private rooms on my own or houses with a group and definitely not as many as you. And I only notice if there’s a coffemaker regardless. That’s all I notice in my own kitchen as well. Thankfully I’m not alone for the pandemic I guess 
I tried to find a definition of kitchenette and there doesn’t seem to be much agreement on what it entails. Some definitions say that a kitchenette is a small fridge and microwave (which means that both of us have one). But some definitions say that it’s just a small kitchen with small size appliances including a small stove (which means neither of us have one). And then some say that it merely doesn’t have a stove but would have a hotplate or other cook surface (which means neither of us have one still).
So, we have basically have the same stuff except that I do have an extra tiny little sink. I think it might have been a wet-bar or something once. So, I call mine a kitchenette though none of the definitions mentioned having a sink making any difference. I guess I am playing fast and loose with it, lol. I do mention several times in the listing that is no oven or cook surface. So far, no one has challenged me on it, I may just be lucky.
I haven’t ever been able to find what Airbnb’s definition is for a kitchenette (because we all know that that’s all that matters). But @HH_AZ has a plus listing and kitchenette is an amenity option on there. HH_AZ, does it give a definition for kitchenette on there? I’m really curious, I don’t want to have to refund someone someday 
To me a kitchenette has to be more than a small fridge and microwave. There’s no counter, there’s no dining table and there is only the bathroom sink. If I were to add the room next door and make it a two room suite I’d consider calling it a kitchenette. I don’t think I could add a small sink without considerable cost. But if I had a table or counter where people could at least make some breakfast and sit down to eat it, I might consider calling it a kitchenette. Or breakfast area. When I think of staying in a room as small as mine, especially in the covid era with so many things closed, it’s just not a good set up for most people (especially if there are two of them) to spend several nights in.
I don’t list mine as a “kitchenette”. It’s listed as a kitchen with all the expected full size appliances (ref/frzr, dw, cooktop, sink) with the exception of an oven*. I state in lieu of an oven, it has a built-in microwave oven, a large toaster oven, and access to a built in BBQ.
It has never been an issue because most of my guests are eating out, at least for dinner. Since my competition is primarily hotels, the kitchen is an extra convenience.
*In both places I’ve lived, California and Arizona, auxiliary structures (i.e. guest houses, in-law-apts) building codes have not allowed ovens.
I know I’m old and grew up in the olden times but my mama was never much on cooking in the oven unless it was winter. And winter is only 6 days in PHX.
Also, I realize now that you are fully booked even during the days of hell that I will probably never be able to afford to stay at your place but it’s still a hope of mine. Love this setup.
Ok. But you would have access to the “kitchenette” amenity in the settings. Some of those, when you click on them, or even before, have a description. I just wondered what it was, for reference.