Guests who THINK they are ENTITLED

WHAT ARE some of your encounters you have had with guests who think they are at hotels, and they feel entitled to things just because they are paying to stay.

These people don’t realise that these are peoples homes and not hotels. Please share so that we might know how to deal with guests like this when and if we encounter them

My friend was asked for slippers and then for an umbrella when it was raining.

It probably depends a good deal on the pricing of your listing. At certain pricing levels, they may have been used to having a concierge desk in a similar tier of hotel.

Our most frequent requests are for phone and computer chargers. Phone chargers, I can understand. People are so connected to these devices that I can understand the request. After a while, I just started leaving an iPhone and MicroUSB charger in a basket on the display shelf with our travel guides, etc. Computer chargers, on the other hand, are a good deal more expensive. Not long ago, there was a guest who demanded we buy him one. Sorry, we won’t accommodate $85 charger requests.

The next most popular request is for a ride to the store, mall, etc.

After that come the requests to leave a car on the street or in our garage while they fly out of the country for a week or two.

I’ve had several guests who have helped themselves to food in my cupboards and fridge. I put in my rules now, that we only provide breakfast, not any other food throughout the day or evening).

I also had a couple of guests thinking I would be their tour guide for the duration of their stay. They were aghast when I explained I had another job other than hosting!

Oh and a silly one asked could I borrow her some sunglasses! Eh No!

This reminds me of the guest who thought everything in the house was free for having booked a night. Before this guest, we left out some various snacks. I kept extras bought in bulk in a supply closet. If the guest needed a couple extra bottles of water, they were free to get them responsibly. This particular guest made off with over 300 granola bars and several cases of water. Now, the door has received a lock as they have ruined it for future guests.

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I had a couple who I guess didn’t want to buy Thier food and ate the entire basket of snacks I lay out for my guests, granola bars, cookies, crackers, gummies, chocolate, ramen, and biscotis within a 5 min of me putting it out. It was supposed to be for all guests not just them

Folks, this is why I just don’t do extras for guests!!! Not only will they act like kids on the take, they will then thank you for the extras by leaving a crap review of something else they didn’t like.

Once a trans-gendered guest enquired, so nervous because she worried I wouldn’t take LGBT. I assured her I was gay-friendly and wanted to do a lot of extras so she would feel especially comfortable. I got her bagels, papaya, chocolates and Kona coffee to enjoy while she was here. Well she “thanked” me with a back handed review, along the lines of: Ks place was not what i expected and had hoped for gluten free breakfast items. Her wi-fi doesnt work well from the room (NOT TRUE AT ALL) but she is LGBT friendly!" Gee, thanks a lot.

No extras now.

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I believe it is expected in Asian culture for slippers to be provided. I bought a bunch from Ikea - cheap. However, many of my Asian bring their own, and pull them out of their suitcase the moment they walk in.

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What I get the most is folks wanting to check in early (mostly cruise ship folks) and if I can’t accommodate them can they leave their luggage in my part of the house. Sorry keep them in your rental car until it is check in time. I remind them that I am very detailed in my cleaning and want to leave the place for them like I do for my other guests.

Omg What a cheek!!!

The ones wanting early check in so annoys me. I get it all the time. Grr
I used to say we had other guests in, and they still say ‘well we just want to leave our bags’.
Now I say i’m at work.
One recent guest wasnt happy with this. She said, ‘really, what can we do, i guess we will now have to wait’! I dread them coming now (Theyre staying for 3 nights)! I said I make it very clear on my profile, my check in and out times. I also give them alternative places which have luggage facilities, a short walk from the apt.

When I first started hosting, I used to agree they could drop their bags off early. But everyone of them didnt just do that. They hung around, used the bathroom etc etc, all while I was trying to clean!

I eliminate the majority of these type of guests because of my pricing( about $50) and because i am super clear in my description. But i did have a guy once who literally refused to take shoes off in the house, and after telling him 3 times and having him get rude had to ask him to leave.
I also do not do early check in…“just dropping of a bag” does mean the room has to be ready and i have to be here and be ready to be a host and discuss the town and answer questions, so i do not have instant book on and email them to double check they are ok with all house rules( veggie kitchen, no shoes, cat, no smoking) and check in/check out times.
I do provide slippers for my guests, a local hiking book, and tea… i also have some foods other guests have left, and these are on the top shelf of freezer and in one kitchen cupboard… people can have these items if they are hungry and i also dont mind if people use some of my condiments, butter, spices etc…
i dont heat my house too much, so i also dont mind loaning people sweater and jackets, if they are not prepared.
I normally dont pick them up and drop them off, but occasionally if i feel like it, i will.

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You are very kind to occasionally pick guests up! I am lucky I drive a 25 year old car, which works great for me, but isn’t aesthetically nice enough to for guests to ride in. So I can turn down requests for rides (only got one request so far, and I declined the guest’s booking inquiry).

I do let guests drop their bags off in the garage since they can’t enter the space yet. Luckily they haven’t asked to use the bathroom or anything while I’ve still been cleaning.

Yup!!! Exactly my experience too…got here early, just wanted to drop bags. oh no they didn’t …wanted to take showers, go bathroom, change clothes, bring groceries in… Um, hello, that is a CHECK IN!

I’m here now and if they come, I say things aren’t ready. Leaving bags outside in the carport is not really an option, as it makes you responsible. What if something happened? they could still blame you because their bags were on your property.
When they come early, and you let them in, it’s like letting the genie out of the bottle. Once they are IN, that is a check in!

So now I’m hardline! No early check ins!

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I tried being flexible on when to check in and out, and it promptly bombed, now leave by 12:am NOON and don’t even think of coming before 1pm. Eliminated the hysterics instantly. (Yes, 1 hr is more than enough time for our particular place and logistics).

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How do you handle it if they aren’t out on time?

How about guests who fail to read your listing and then say “oh I thought it had a private bathroom " or " I don’t think your these where that pictures I saw”. I hate that because I feel they are calling me a lier. All my photos were taken by airbnb photographerst and I describe everything down to my sketchy neighborhood

When they have a late flight out and want to leave their bag, for some reason I find this irritating,
as I never really know when they will come back for it, I feel like I don’t have my house back yet.
Then sometimes they come back to pick it up and bring a friend with them - its just so weird.
Like they want to snoop around.
Then, as mentioned, one last bathroom trip, one last chat, blah blah. Endless.

@felixcat: How I handle it if not out on time? They have to, my boat leaves at Noon, no other way to get to the mainland. Most guests are taking the 1:40pm local flight, so always all packed up and ready by the island dock.

@Gandyv8 - it’s never happened to me, having guests say that the place is not like the photographs, but I have an icon on my phone’s home screen that leads directly to my listing. I always have my phone with me when I’m showing guests around the place so if anyone says it’s not like the listing, I can instantly show them the pics on the Airbnb site. End of argument :slightly_smiling:

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