This forum is dedicated to connecting hosts with other hosts. Sign up to get the latest updates and news just for AirBnb hosts! Note that we are not affiliated with Airbnb - we are just passionate hosts!
I’ve searched for this topic and I haven’t found any posts on it. I’m wondering if any of you have had to handle a situation like this and, if so, how you did it.
I’m about to replace almost all the furnishings of the living room at Dasher House. Currently there are two recliners in a taupe-y brown color, a sleeper sofa that has a sort of botanical/Jacobean-ish print upholstery in blues and greens on a cream background, and a large area rug with shades of blues, greens, and browns in it. All very comfortable, traditional and grandmother-ish (not surprising, it’s my MIL’s furniture we inherited).
I’m replacing all those pieces with an L-shaped sectional couch in chocolate brown, an armchair in an oatmeal and brown graphic print, an oversize ottoman in the same graphic print as the armchair, and a new area rug in a dark oatmeal and medium mossy green.
This will change the appearance of the living room significantly. And it will change my bed count because I’m getting rid of the queen size sleeper sofa.
I’ve got guests who booked based on the current appearance of the room and bed count who will be staying after the furniture has been switched out, if the changeover happens when I have it planned.
The bed count is not so much of an issue perhaps because I have 3 twin beds, and 4 twin size air mattresses that are not even listed in the bed count. So if anyone objects because I’ve removed the sleeper sofa as an option, then I can accommodate them with the twin beds.
My real concern is that the furniture is going to totally change the appearance and vibe of the living room. Have any of you done any major redecoration while you had people that booked under the previous furniture configuration and appearance? How did you handle telling them about the changes? Did you get any pushback from the guests in terms of wanting to cancel their booking or wanting a refund because the pictures they booked under didn’t match the appearance of the place when they came to stay?
I wouldn’t wait until they came to stay and found it different. Why not send them a message explaining that you have “upgraded” the living room furniture along with a photo of the new look? The only thing I can think that someone might object to is the removal of the recliner chairs.
Personally I think LazyBoys are hideously ugly, but I know some people love them.
The furniture swap out hasn’t happened yet, so I can’t take pictures until it does.
The recliners are hideously ugly, but OMG, so comfortable! I don’t know what I’m going to do with them. They aren’t staying in Dasher House, but I want to keep one for myself—in spite of the ugliness—because of the comfort factor.
The sleeper sofa isn’t comfortable as a sofa OR a bed, but I like the fabric. Unfortunately, it needs to go.
The other “new” furniture is from another AirBnB we have that we are selling. The furniture won’t be moved until the house sells. So I’m not sure when that will be.
I don’t know your area, but here there are people that book places for recliners. I still don’t have recliners in my houses, they are not pretty, but I do understand it. Do you have a lot of older clientele?
Most of my guests—probably 80%—are in the mid thirties to mid sixties. A lot of my guests are here visiting family. Some are here on a work assignment. Once in a while they are here being tourists.
I have a bad back, and both knees replaced, so I’m always looking for chairs that are comfortable. Almost never do I find a recliner in an AirBnB. It’s not a feature you can search for either, unfortunately.
I have made upgrades but what I have done is send guests a message letting them know that they’re the first to enjoy the makeover and that we’re excited to get feedback from them.
We do upgrades kind of organically and make changes as to bed count in spring and late fall. So, I change my welcome messages seasonally. I guess if I think they are upgrades then the guest will be brought around to that idea with a little special wording. Or as I say "the outdoor bed is unavailable. "
I don’t worry about recent /non recent photos too much. But we are happy to be getting new photos from airbnbn after being “chosen” by them. I hope they are 1/2 as good as mine done by my high level photographer gf, as they WILL INCLUDE the new outdoor tub!!!
I your case Keugenia, I would just send an upgrade notice like Muddy said and hope for the best in the interim phase of timing.
Yes you should send them a message to inform them about the “wonderful upgrade”.
But I would NEVER put a light colored chair and ottoman in a rental of any kind. The first thing I thought when I saw the ottoman was RED WINE STAIN GOES HERE.
Seriously. Why my duvet covers were navy blue. If you didn’t buy them just for this redecoration, you might want to put them back where they came from and buy the same in a darker color. If you did, can you return and swap for something darker?
You simply cannot trust guests to take care of your furniture as well as you do, so any furnishings need to be a damage-proof as possible.
So when we were starting and we’re making changes - Airbnb CS just told us to contact guests and let them know of the changes and give them the option to cancel without penalty if they wanted.
I’d present it like - we are upgrading ! And just letting you know - but if it doesn’t meet your needs - I can let you cancel for a full refund
As discussed in other threads, finding an airbnb is a lot of work. I can’t imagine canceling my airbnb because the furniture changed.
@Keugenia I’ve done multiple changes in my Airbnb over the years and I’ve not always remembered to change all my pictures accordingly. I’ve never had a complaint.
Regarding the light colored ottoman and chair…they aren’t new! Not even close. They are newer than the recliners they are replacing, but not by much. I think the brown couch, and chair and ottoman are probably 6-8 years old. We bought them new, all at the same time, specifically for furnishing a furnished rental house.
The recliners are older—maybe 14 years old—and the sleeper sofa is really old, probably close to 30 years old, for a guess. My MIL bought the chairs new, and may have acquired the couch secondhand in the 1990s when she moved from Germany to Hot Springs, Arkansas.
The light colored chair and ottoman have no stains. This is because (1) I treated them with Scotchgard when I purchased them, (2) I keep up with any spot treatments needed immediately, and (3) I’ve been lucky with my guests.
I would not buy solid light-colored upholstered furniture but a graphic print or a floral print upholstery can hide a lot of signs of wear.
Also…if you have never used it, a product called Wine Away is a miracle solution for eradicating red wine stains.
