I have a group staying at my house now. The AC has not been working well. But I did buy them fans and a portable AC to use till we get the AC fixed. The group politely asked for a discount because of the trouble. What % discount do you think is fair?
Where do you live, how hot is it? If the AC is being used 24/7 a bigger discount is in order than if it’s just needed a few hours in the hot part of the day.
I might even ask the guest what they had in mind as they might ask for less than what you were thinking. Then offer more than that and you come out seeming generous and helpful. That’s what I would do.
Edit: that’s what I would do as long as the figure they mentioned wasn’t outrageous. Let me also say that I have to be cool enough to sleep. When I pick summer vacay locations to book AC is a must. If I choose one that lists AC and there is no AC and it’s too hot to sleep, no discount is going to fix that. But why it isn’t working is a factor. A power outage the host has no control over is one thing. A poorly maintained or ancient unit is another.
3 Likes
If you’re in Europe right now, with “the hottest summer in a hundred years” going on, I’m not sure I would give a discount. Weather is not your fault, you should not have to pay for it.
If you’re in the States, where good AC is more or less the norm, and your AC is dying, you’ve already “gone above and beyond” by buying a portable AC and fans. There’s your “discount” – the portable AC and fans. But get your main AC fixed the day these guests leave and before the next arrive!
It all depends what people are used to. I sleep quite happily in South Florida temperatures with no AC (just a fan which isn’t used all the time).
But it would be interesting to know where you’re located. Here, AC repair people are fairly accustomed to emergency repair situations and can usually come the same day. I had this in one of our rentals just recently.
10% seems like a good amount
Good AC is not more or less the norm everywhere in the states! I’m in Seattle, and only about 1/3 of homes have A/C here. We are also having an extremely hot summer, but now way would I give a discount if the portable A/C unit isn’t keeping up. I will buy a pint of local gourmet ice cream, but that’s as far as my “discount” will go. 