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I do not “give” out a key. I have a lockbox attached to my front porch where it can not be seen from the street. I recode the lockbox for each guest, using digits from their phone number so that they know it is personal, and if they arrive home and we are gone, having locked the house, they have access to the key to get in. In general, we do not lock our door. And I leave it unlocked at night. Guests lock it when they come in after we are in bed. If they return before then, I lock the doors and turn off the lights. To date, this has worked and several guests have mentioned that 1. They like not having the possibility of loosing a key and 2. Don’t have to figure out a key after a few too many drinks.
Of course, someone could take the key and have a copy made. At the moment, I prefer not to think that this is likely. No key duplication services within walking distance of the house! This would take more effort than most guests have shown in general.
@GutHend doesn’t disclose in his listing that he doesn’t give keys to guests.
"Contrary to what some people have written here, we don’t have the key-rule in our house rules. Why? Because I consider it normal to not hand over any keys. It’s our home.
Do most live-in-hosts hand out keys here? "
Many realtors use similar boxes, correct. The difference is this one screws into the house whereas realtors use boxes that hang from the doorknob. I felt better knowing that someone would have to dismantle the porch to steal the box.
EDITED to ADD: And it looks much better. Neater and more permanent. And you can’t see it from the street which wouldn’t be the case with a door handle box.
Verified ID hasn’t scared away my guests. I only have only used IB for a month or so and after a year and half without it and had plenty of booking. I will stop in April when it become busier.
I ask all guests about their plans and why they chose my place and have rarely had whether on IB or without, anyone who hasn’t provided the information. I explain the context particularly for new guests. If they don’t want to provide information absolutely their choice but I don’t want to have them in my home. My safety comes first and I don’t want the risk of bad guests. Not failsafe, but has worked so far.
I never correlated people behaving badly with arriving late @GutHend. I just said I wouldn’t do it. Nor would I let someone check in 24 hours earlier or bring someone who hadn’t booked into my place. All of these are red flags.
I provide accommodation for young people experiencing homelessness. Only one behaved in a way I didn’t find acceptable and he broke the contract we both sign (similar to Airbnb rules) . I called the charity and they arranged for him to be looked after elsewhere. I made sure I had someone come over to me when I did this. There are two of you I believe at your place and you mention various friends over to help, so I know it’s not necessarily easy but perfectly possible, particularly as they broke your house rules. So yes I have done this, but even if I hadn’t I am still allowed to comment on what I would do.
It’s often said on this and other forums, some hosts need to get a backbone and manage their Airbnb as the business that it is. This means sometimes you have to do things you would prefer not to do like working with Airbnb to cancel a booking when guests behave badly.
I think your situation and experiences are very different than ours. I also believe that you didn’t totally grasp the situation. Putting it too black and white + simple thinking + undertone => I will not try to explain any further.
All praise for what you’re doing for those youngsters !
I make code or key available. I also tell guests they can leave the door unlocked if they want, I’ll be home. None seem inclined to trust that. Sometimes the door is locked into the guest room sometimes it isn’t. If I leave the house and lock the door I give them a code to get in. Once they are in I give them a key option. Yes someone could duplicate the key but between me being home most of the time and the doorbell camera and the barking dog I think there are many softer and wealthier targets in my town.
People in my home are also not good at keeping the front door locked. I’m constantly yelling at them about it. We do have security at the entrance, in theory, anyway. Regardless, I think the natural state of a door is to be locked. Otherwise why have one? Just have a big hole where anyone can wander in. But I have difficulty getting the point across.
And what is your location, if you don’t mind me asking? It sounds relatively safe, if you are so relaxed about keeping the front door open.
I would argue that the natural state of a door is closed, but not locked. The main purpose of doors and windows would be to keep the weather and the outdoors out. Honestly, unless you have a deadbolt, it’s pretty dang easy for most men to kick a door in, locked or not. Even then, someone who is determined to get into your house is just going to break a window.
I too live in a very safe place and leave my doors unlocked, day and night, whether I’m home or not. I do understand this is not really the norm, and I am grateful for this aspect of my location. I also consider the state policeman who lives across the street and keeps his marked squad car in his driveway a further deterrent against anyone who might have mischievous in mind.
I live on the outskirts of a sleepy in the winter, crazy in the summer, seaside village on the southern coast of Maine in the US.
Yes, I know that it’s possibly to break down most doors, and/or break most locks. But doing so would produce quite a lot of noise. We live on the second floor of a two-storey building. There are watchmen on the ground floor, not to mention elsewhere in the building. There is usually someone at home here. I think it’s possible that someone would notice.
It’s great that you feel safe where you live. But this isn’t a small village in Maine, it’s Bombay, India. Headquarters of Crazy. As I understand it, about the craziest Maine gets is Stephen King.
(Music for an early Thursday morning: the soundtrack to Gladiator, a film that I’ve never seen…)
Indeed, I wouldn’t argue that you should keep your doors locked. Even if that wouldn’t keep out someone determined to get in, it’s a great deterrent for someone who isn’t super serious.
In terms of craziness, I guess it’s all relative. While we are pretty safe right here, there are areas not 5 miles away that I’d not dream of leaving unlocked.
Off topic, are you a Stephen King fan? The Stand is one of my favorite books.
It’s our home.
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…losing the plot 
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