Yes. You have to upload a link to your listing to join the group.
1 Like
Well, at least there’s that. Here there is no verification whatsoever and anyone can post any kind of baloney and we have no way to verify other than trust.
You aren’t wrong. It’s not a support group. Yes one can find support here. One can also find harsh criticism here. It’s a forum to connect hosts to others hosts. Trying to be civil doesn’t always mean remaining silent.
There is absolutely no reason to blindly support every poster just because they claim they are a host. In the good old days there was a host, I think her last known forum name was Chen, she was awful. And she made Airbnb host look like lunatics. Another fellow posted here that he didn’t allow fat people! Another only accepted straight couples. Are we going to support them? No. Another guy admitted that in his shared listing he never cleaned the bathroom, he left it to guests to do that. No, we aren’t going to support that.
4 Likes
A separate towel to sit on?? Hehehe…
Cant they just sit on a towel that goes over body?
I dont know how to answer if its strictly a discussion forum. My first post here in 2015 was about mad cooks who occupied my kitchen for hours . Being totaly new to the hospitality business and in my own home having for years being just my husband and me and my dog…hosting total strangers who acted like invaders …but not like guests…i came to this forum looking for emotional support mostly .
I didnt know if I am wrong or right to feel violated in my own home by this group. I didnt know how to even conduct myself with them…seeing them going through my kitchen like it belonged to them and doing whatever they felt like it in my own house.
I just didnt know if it’s normal and if this is how it will be and if there anything could be done about it .
I am not joking if I didnt have the support on this forum I would quit hosting the same day.
Yes it is a discussion but is it even possible ls to just " discuss" things without any emotional support for each other . I am not saying it should be blind support no matter what like you described on another forum .
If some here dont want to give any support then don’t …just stay on topic without any emotions . But its not the case…those who insist its not a support forum create hostile atmosphere for a person who may be lost or frustrated with particular hosting situation .
As they say life its not all roses
I get that you can receive support from this forum, which is a great side effect but I don’t think it was created with the sole purpose of being a support forum per se. More a place where hosts can bounce ideas off each other and get advice from different points of view. 
Sadly just as it is a great source of support for folk having problems it can also be a source of angst because some people tend to be ruder than they would be in a face to face environment - then we have arguments and the popcorn comes out. 
2 Likes
I’ve made 1000s of supportive posts here. Yes, because I have no life, I’m just a hobbyist, whatever.
No one is preventing anyone from being as supportive as they want here. Stating that it creates a hostile environment to not be agreed with all the time? Well, as you said life is not all roses.
1 Like
No that’s not what I said . Noone has to agree all the time …even on this thread there is disagreement but no hostility…
I am.not saying it was created SOLELY for support but when I hear " its not support forum" I hear " don’t come here to cry"
Which is kind of mean . This hosting business can be a scary and out of comfort place but if run properly and with proper SUPPORT of other fellow hosts can become fun and more on a light side and actually very much doable .
1 Like
@Snowdon I saw that post too! That was one hard-headed host. It definitely didn’t make any sense to have the guest wash one towel instead of just providing two towels - I think it’s a control issue and surely can’t make hosting any easier.
And, yes, I need 2 towels. One for body, one for hair. In my 2 2-bedroom apartments, I just fill up the towel shelf, providing plenty of towels for all types, because there is room (it’s about 10 towels, including a few peshtemals). Only once in a whole year has any group used all the towels. It was a group of 4 that stayed 6 nights so maybe they had one of these folks that needs to sit on a third towel. I don’t know but I’m sure it was still easier for us and them than having them wash towels every day. In my studio apartment, for 2 people only, there is less room and I present the towels on a little stool by the shower. I give 2 for each woman and 1 for each man plus 1 peshtemal and then leave one extra towel and one extra peshtemal on the closet shelf (cause men maybe want that second towel too!).
On the other hand, if a host makes it clear that they only provide one towel in their listing, I would just bring a hair towel with me 
1 Like
Bingo.
I just had a guest here who I’d previously posted about. He wanted a late check out or a discount in exchange for cleaning. I basically said no but did explain. Well he ended up booking the night of his arrival at 7:30 pm. He followed my advice to get a rental car and I let him have “late” check out of noon. In his review he said, in part, “structured guidelines and expectations.” LOL. In some reviews I guess that would be bad but he left a nice review and five stars.
I think it’s possible for host to meet their needs and still have a happy guest if they are clear in advance what’s on offer.
1 Like
But I think that is the problem, that you are booking before checking to see if you can be accommodated. It isn’t really any different than people who book and then later say they have a toddler, or a dog, or 3 cars or need a food processor, or need a walk-in shower, or require blackout shades, or and or and or. I firmly believe that it’s better to contact the host and make sure you can be accommodated, instead of trying to force them to accommodate you after you are already booked.
As I said, I could likely accommodate you if you contacted about it but would resent you having some specific needs that aren’t listed in my amenities or accessibility profile because you then put me and you in a bad spot. What do you do when you tell hosts what you need and they say, “oh, I can’t do that”?
I am truly empathetic to how it must be to have to travel with such allergies but I also truly want to provide a guest the very best experience at my listings and I can’t guarantee that without earlier communication and cooperation.
1 Like
It’s my opinion that this should just be considered best practices.
1 Like
The allergy is to dust mites. Specifically, to their poop. Which appears as dust to the human eye. Yes it’s a very real allergy; I have it.
3 Likes
I was going to reply to your similar post on the “Unnecessary friction” thread but that thread seems to have disappeared?
Anyway, I completely understand what you’re saying and what others have been expressing. I like this forum precisely because there are such differing views and it’s not an echo chamber.
However, I do think that the propensity to immediately jump in with declarations of ‘I’ve never had a bad guest, you must be doing something wrong’ is not great. It doesn’t help the person asking for advice in any way at all and can come across badly to the casual reader/poster. Probably it would be better to allow those of us who HAVE experienced similar difficult and challenging guests and/or circumstances to offer advice.
Unlike you, I came across this forum after I’d made every mistake in the book. I wish I had found it earlier, it would have saved me a LOT of trouble!
1 Like
Once I was much into raw foods and was teaching cooking classes. I had several times people who came to my classes, reserved seat ahead of time , paid money and then after class started asked me if I use any nuts …raw food is all about nuts especially desert.
How is it making any sense ? In my case the woman never even asked me about any detergents I use or any dustmites or actually any AC…nothing…al.she wanted is get in a room fast .
And then ridiculous request to pay for her meds. How does she even stays in people’s houses at all I wonder …without even asking anything or how does she stays anywhere when she travels
1 Like
Really?.The whole thread disaapeared?
Someone obviously didn’t like it and made it happen? Will this thread disaapear as well?
Most likely the author deleted it.
Yep. All gone. It didn’t happen. It must have been fake news.
2 Likes
Might be but not fact at all
The author did ask that the thread be deleted.
Threads can only be deleted by moderators.
And anything else that is “deleted” is really only hidden, with a few mouse clicks any post can be resurrected by a moderator. It’s wise for people to think twice before posting knowing that your posts are more or less permanent here. This is by design of the software.
3 Likes