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 have long term reservation guests coming for 7 weeks. She wrote and asked for the mailing address so that they can forward their mail. She didn’t ask if they could forward their mail here, she just told me they were going to and wanted the unit number.
I’d rather they not, but not sure if am justified in saying no. I don’t have anything in the house rules about it. It’s not really come up before. One or two short term guests have asked me if they could have a package delivered and I’ve approved it and they’ve had it sent c/o me.
It is a separate apartment in my house (multi-unit). Sometimes I have people in there that are mid-term tenants (e.g. they have signed a lease and paid a deposit to me, I’ve done a background and credit check on them) for a few months and of course they get mail. But this feels different. With Airbnb guests I don’t really know anything about them, I might not even have their real name. Honestly, I wish I didn’t even have this reservation. It kind of snuck-in and I think it’s best to only do 28+ days with a lease and not on Airbnb.
I know we’ve discussed this general topic before and I’ve reviewed it but, it is usually about short-term guests wanting to get a package. These are long-term and they want to forward their mail? Do I have to let them? If not, how do I get out of it? Should I let them and not worry about it? Ideas please.
Yes you are justified in saying no. I would tell them something along the lines of this:
Sorry but our policy does not allow for guests mail to be delivered to the apartment. You can get a post office box at (insert link/address here of private company) . Any violation of this policy will result in cancellation of your reservation.
There is no way we can have everything in our rules. I would stand firm with them and let the cards land where they do. If Air gets involved stand firm with them as well, tell them there is no way you are allowing a guest to establish residence/tennacy
Blame a third party. (I think this is a Jacquo recommendation.)
"In accordance with municipal regulations and upon advice of my attorney, regrettably I cannot permit guests to use the Airbnb property as a mailing address. Any mail received will be marked “Return to Sender.” Then yada yada yada about renting a post office box per RR
I’d cancel. “Based on advice from my attorney concerning mail and xyz issues, this isn’t a good fit for your STR needs. Please cancel.” Then call Air (haha) and say you’re uncomfortable with the guest so you don’t get dinged.
I’d throw it in the shredder if it came after I told them no.
Then cancel them, I am guessing this was not an IB since it is such a long stay so you may have to really work the CS person to cancel penalty free. Use your charm.
We would never do a stay over 3 weeks on Air, regardless (Tenant Law). With such a short-term stay, we would want all 7 weeks up front, along with the maximum security allowed by law in your state. A “Guest” who can’t do that is not worth having at all.
RE: mail. Heck no. Agree with someone else - blame the 3rd party. We like the faceless nature of “insurance policy” - rather than “our attorney”.
*Dear Guest, *
*Thank you for reaching out to us. We would love to accommodate your request but our insurance policy does not permit this. Sorry for the inconvenience. Please note that our nearest post office should have boxes available - you may reach them at xxx-xxx-xxxx. *
What is the big deal? We have had longer (one month or more) rentals and have gotten mail after they left. We wrote ‘return to sender’ for a couple weeks and then just pitched the mail after that. It is up to them to manage it. Not my problem.
Ok, what if they don’t leave? They are a tenant, not a guest. Air will not help. In some states, you are pretty much screwed. Evictions are on hold in many places.
I used to work at the post office. Just tell them your letter carrier has recently retired and currently they are only sending out subs who continuely mis-deliver mail.
Advise them as to the PO box rental, or a private mail box service, or just general delivery c/o post office in your zip code. General delivery is free and available on a will call basis. They just have to go to the post office and show ID to claim mail. Honestly, it takes 2-3 weeks, at least, to get mail started at a forwarded address. I use a mail box service in my home town. They collect my mail and send it to me in a single package every week or two. I email the address to them, sometimes it is “general delivery”.
I totally believe that you are an expert. Honestly. Truly. But, that language does not have a good ring to it for us civilian non-expert hosts and guests. It sounds more like "I do not want you to send mail to me and here’s an excuse that may sound weird.
IMO - best to “blame the 3rd party”. *i.e.: Thank you for asking. We would love to let you do that but our insurance policy does not allow us to do so. Sorry! Good news is our post office is exactly a mile away and you have access to a PO Box 24 / 7.
No925 is right.
Tell them they can pick up their mail at the post office, General Delivery. Send them this link: https://faq.usps.com/s/article/What-is-General-Delivery
A simple way for them to get what they want, without you the host being responsible.
Hosts have had experiences where guests used their address on official forms- to claim residency for visas, open bank accounts, apply for credit cards, etc. The hosts only realized because mail from those entities came to the house. When you’re dealing with things like immigration authorities and banks, the guest may be committing fraud and the host could end up being held liable in some way, or at least having to deal with some nasty business.
And if you allow a guest to use your address, they can use that to establish residency.
Jason, are you a very new host? You’ll find that experienced hosts DO see a problem with this. When a guest tells (not asks but tells) a host that they mail will be sent on to them, there are many things that can be a problem.
However, as you’ve read above, it’s easy to negate those problems by quickly and simply telling the guest that its not possible and that they can easily get a PO box.
