That or the Salvation Army cots.
actually felixcat, i am also a long time member of couchsurfing⌠and i am both a host and a surfer⌠the people i host have also hosted before so its like as pay it forward thing⌠i usually only host one or two people for a couple days a month.i have been hosted all over the world.
This is true, but at least there you know the model and it isnât a paid site trying to push you to rent your place out for less than it costs in taxes and supplies.
Yes, you will get lower quality guests if your prices are very cheap. You will get people who will most likely be difficult and nitpicking, They will be on a tight budget and they will expect a lot for their money. If you donât meet their high expectations, expect the bad reviews to follow. I am a professional B&Ber and I have been in the business for 13 years. Cheap people are not pleasant people, you are better off without them.
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@Cazz I think the typical professional B&B is a different experience than the typical airbnb. In the B & Bâs Iâve stayed at prices were high, typically in an historic older house sharing the house with several other people and of course, a wonderful breakfast typically provided. The airbnb brand doesnât require breakfast of any kind and lots of people only host one guest at a time. I have low rates that compare with Motel 6 and I have had wonderful guests, not lower quality at all. For my taste I guess I prefer people in my social class which is middle class (income around 50,000$ a year). Iâve got 97% 5 star reviews and I feel genuinely appreciated. Iâve hosted a lot of military and many, many students.
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I am glad you have found a model that works for you.
I am in England so things may be different here.
Oh yes. I am not in a tourist town, most of my guests are just passing through and towns large enough to have air listings are literally HOURS apart (Iâm in El Paso, TX). My least favorite guests have both been people who stayed more than one night so they end up being very needy. So I think the question about lower prices producing lower quality guests is entirely dependent on the MARKET not the PEOPLE.
This is so interesting - this was totally not my experience - my prices we so, ridiculously low that my guests were telling ME to raise my prices - but they were wonderful, appreciative, and usually brought gifts.
Now that my prices are at least doubled, I worry much more, and itâs not nearly as much fun.
But so far, my guests are still, for the most part, pretty nice.
Why do you worry more now?
because they are paying ârealâ money, so I feel more pressure - at first it was an airbed with old bedding, and old school desk, old lamps - just stuff thrown together - and the price was super low - and everyone was happy. Including me.
Now itâs real beds, a private bath, etc. Now Iâve invested, itâs not a hobby but a business.
Iâm still having fun, but itâs not as light-hearted as it was before we got serious about it.
Does that make sense?
It sure does dc. I have gone through the same experience; because of its popularity and advice from guests themselves that many felt it was way too cheap, I went up 50% in price. Only to turn around and improve the place immensely (solar and wind generator, better mattresses, better transportation) and the whole place now is functioning smoother. This June is upstairs lookout bar, a saltwater pool and small sandy beach.
The place (island) has morphed from âfunkyâ to a bit more upscale. Previous guests have been thrilled, I hope future ones hopefully are just as appreciative. I am doing one thing subconsciously, surprising them with such additions. I love when they arrive and say, that it is a lot more than they expected.
I suppose as long as our fun and friendly clientele thus far doesnât change abruptly, it may indeed be just as fun, for us.
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It still is fun - and Iâm enjoying continuing to improve the space - but now Iâm like, in the middle - not just a fun relaxed comfy place but not quite all put together either. Iâve had two contractors quit and I donât have the energy to pursue another one.
I guess itâs common for us hosts - the more we improve, the more we see that could be improvedâŚ
Improving is indeed fun, though I hear you on the frustration with depending on others. Actually, 4 previous guests are coming for a month (teachers with summers off) ) and helping me with the two new features.
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For Airbnb the gains of a lower cost is more than money, I guess⌠The cheaper prices are, the most people can afford it, so the community of users increases, and Airbn gets to be more rooted and solid. Another different but related matter is the kind of tourism lower prices are pushingâŚ
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I think there is a lot to consider here. With the legal problems and new regulations, having a solid and large tourist clientèle must be a true advantage for Airbnb in the negotiations with local authorities. However, the kind of tourism that lower prices is pushing is also a thing being discussed in negotiations with authorities, at least in my country. The quality of urban life in Barcelona, for instance, has considerately decreased due to low cost party tourism channelled by platforms like Airbnb. Nasty events like young people in their 20s vomiting or sleeping off naked in parks, boulevards and traffic circles -or throwing themselves to the pool from windows!- have been often reported in local news and social networks last year. Nobody mentions the other side of this urban decay: the awkward experience that hosting this people may be, or how it might influence the quality of the offer in Airbnb in the long term. If they keep pushing host to lower the prices, the accommodations surviving the fierce competence will be more trashy as well. So, if yours is not trashy, donât set its price it like if it wasâŚ
Low cost tourism trend is here to stay, indeed, but if Airbnb wants to play the card that they are bringing something good to cities, if they are interested in gaining a public better image, they would have to re-adjust their service to avoid some of the collateral effects of lower prices. Balancing the experience by distributing their assets to match potentially low-quality users with low-quality accommodations might be one of their measures. Being steady in a fair price will make a listing stand out as a quality place for people looking for a great stay in the near future.
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An example of them branching out from low cost tourism is their business-ready initiative. There are also many hosts like myself who donât host tourists on holiday as much as they host travelers passing through who just need a place as they drive across the country.
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@KKC thanks for noticing, very interesting⌠In my city there is a terrible new law, however, that forces you to register, qualify and run your business according to the law that regulates hotels and tourism-apartments, no matter the reasons for travel, founded on the simple fact that you have your place listed it in an on line booking platform 
Oh - I think we are agreeing with each other 100%. Air does not give a shit about those issues. They donât care about the impact on the cities, and they donât care about quality. What they do care about is having milllions of listings, and keeping those listings at the absolute lowest pricing. The goal is mediocrityâŚand quick booking.
and the more hosts that have IB on the better.
why is that terrible? Your city has made it possible for you to continue to rent. It is a business, because we accept money.