I’ve never allowed this - only because I’m hyperly paranoid about a squatter situation occurring in my main residence. When I started 7 years ago, I only rented out an extra room in my home, and no longer do that now that I own multiple additional properties.
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I mentioned this on another thread but it might be worth mentioning again.
Lately I’ve been using homeexchange.com when I go away. I’m really curious to know if anyone else on this forum uses it. I love it.
I’ve had about 5 exchanges now and have more coming up. They don’t have to be simultaneous because you get “points” when you rent out your place and can use those points to stay somewhere else.
The guests are more easy-going than Airbnb guests as they’re technically not paying for it and I have stayed in some gorgeous places that I’d normally never get to experience.
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I’ve taken the plunge https://airbnb.com/h/northlainehome but how can I edit “doorman will let you in”? I can’t find the edit section to change it!
Will I have to wear a peaked cap with gloves and long shiny-buttoned coat?
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I rent my primary home, a cottage, out as an Airbnb and VRBO for the entire summer. I like to camp and fish, out of town, during the summer. My cottage is rented all summer long. Win-win. I do not have much stuff so there isn’t much to put away. I put my personal belongings in a friends garage for the summer.
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It’s an interesting point, but cruel to the hens
Joan, I’m in St Andrews and thinking of doing the same for the 150th anniversary of the Open in 2021. I’ve got a plan (the house painters are currently painting the entire interior and exterior of the house for a shoot an interiors mag is doing in a week’s time, should have some nice photos to use and the exposure won’t hurt), but I have to confess my heart is sinking at the thought of all the moving out of stuff we’d have to do. If we do, we’d pitch it at the level where I think we’d have to provide a daily clean & breakfast service, linen changes etc. Still in two minds tbh.
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Me as well. The reality of doing so is sinking in, particularly as Mr Joan is a bit of a hoarder, and the £sd does not compensate for the worry of leaving our home in the hands of strangers, particularly golfers!
I think I will just run as a B&B as usual but start marketing for the event more widely with separate listings, and with the local tourist offices. My usual calendars only go out six months anyway.
The Estate Agents in Sandwich are full of lettings for the period, but a lot of them are already holiday homes.
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Buy one down here, then you can employ me in the quality control department 
JF
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An interesting perspective from one of our frequent Airbnb guests, who rented a whole Airbnb house in a different state. She was surprised to find that it was the house the hosts lived in, and they had vacated it during her stay. But they left her no closet space, no bathroom drawer or counter space, no fridge space, and so many knickknacks that she had nowhere to set anything. There was a lovely den with a desk, but it was covered with the owners’ personal papers. The shower was full of the owners’ products, leaving no space for hers. She felt as if she were invading their privacy by being there. Said it didn’t make her feel at all welcome.
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Yes, I’m considering that element. The bedrooms, which I already do as ‘bedrooms + bathroom’ will have storage, and I will declutter (inc wine) before I hand over the keys
Yes, I’ve had this experience. It was a smallish, one bedroom apartment not a big house, but I was dismayed to find I could not hang my clothes in the closets nor put anything away in the drawers. I hate living out of a suitcase but I was forced to there.
It does make you feel as though you are intruding. I wouldn’t rent her place again, even though it was cute and the bed comfortable, for this reason.
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Our guest said the same thing about the other Airbnb house she rented. Beautiful house, great location, but she wouldn’t go there again. She had already made a second reservation there for a later visit, and she canceled it.
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That’s really NOT a clever hosting tactic and I’m surprised “whole home” hosts don’t always realise this.
We rented a family home in London when we had a big get-together for my 70th birthday at my daughter’s house. The home was near hers and the family (single mum with 2 children) rented it out sporadically to pay the bills. It was absolutely great for us (4 adults and 3 children) because it was the perfect compromise - it was comfortable but not luxurious, had personal stuff in but the bathrooms were cleared and there was plenty of cupboard space, so it felt homely but not as though we were intruding. The host told us to help ourselves to food staples for breakfast and that our grandchildren were welcome to play with her kids’ toys and games.
It was a perfect solution forour stay and I gave the host a glowing 5 star review. I was a bit worried about her review of us as my grandson the Lego-freak got up early one morning and put together the new Millenium Falcon set that had obviously been a Christmas present for the Hosts’s kids. Luckily she saw the funny side …
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Nice, Barns.
Technical point, I think you mean your dog doesn’t shed. No dogs are “dander free.” Maybe the shed hair gives the dander a better ride round the house, but having a non-shedding breed doesn’t eliminate it. Important point is that you’ve disclosed the beast in residence, of course.
I’m allergic to dogs, so I have terriers for that reason. After decades of allergy shots, I still get an allergic reaction to them, but it’s tolerable, at least for me.
Oops, just googled, and American Lung Association doesn’t distinguish between shedders and non-shedders. So maybe my terrier fix is just a placebo.
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I definitely notice some dogs here are less shedding than others. The Westies are some of the best for not shedding.
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yeah, there’s LOTS of reports online, none definitive, my ex-girlfriend was very sensitive to pet hair, but seemed to cope with the Bichon, one of the few recommended by many ‘allergy’ articles.
I’m never very far from an ‘emergency’
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How dare you post a private photograph of my office!
JF
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