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A couple people have marked me down in review for my sheets smelling of fabric softener, although neither of them said a darn thing about fragrances before staying. I was hoping that by eliciting any requests for organic, free range sheets washed in Evian, I could accommodate anything easy and decline the rest. It sounds like I could just be sending out the Bat signal to attract more of them. Yikes!
Good points on the noise rules. I’ll think about whether I can remove that part.
My 2 cents worth, TP won’t translate (write it in full), delete the **** title**** and just say it. Ditto Delete of the MacGyver reference, although anyone over 35 who watches crap American TV and is cool will find it funny. Delete the respect the neighborhood bit. Put meters as well as sf as most of the modern world has been using the metric system since the 1960s
Your listing is amazing! So perfectly styled, I’m jealous
Thanks! It’s been a labor of love. I’ve learned so many new skills fixing up this place!
And thanks for your suggestion on things to remove. I’ll definitely drop the fragrance part. Regarding the internet, I suppose if it’s illegal I shouldn’t have to cover it in my house rules, right? So that might go, too.
I’ll work on the smoking part. I thought Airbnb’s generic “no smoking” rule covered it and this was just giving repercussions and where it’s acceptable, but I can see how it might be confusing. I’d originally had a $250 fee for smoking, but heard Airbnb won’t allow “punitive” fines. Do you know if that’s true? In the summer, that’s about the nightly rate, so went with that.
TC is at the pinky of Michigan’s mitten. We’re a few miles south of the 45th parallel, so halfway between the equator and north pole. It’s a beautiful corner of the world surrounded by freshwater lakes, and close to Sleeping Bear Dunes, with a growing wine industry and lots of microbrews/foodie places. Summer is paradise, although a lot of locals resent the tourists (known Up North as “fudgies” – they keep the fudge shops open!) who really push the infrastructure limits of our little town. We have just over 15k residents with about 3.3M visitors a year! It’s a good place to have a few rooms to rent. Winter is rough and makes me wish I lived someplace like Hawaii
I’m curious – do locals have a name for tourists in Hawaii? Fudgies is pretty affectionate term (most of the time).
I feel like I’m out of the loop on the fabric softener hate. Why is it bad? Was the Snuggle bear involved in a sex scandal, too?
Since the feedback, I’ve switched to a “free & clear” type and just use a little. The sheets feel nicer! I’ve always just used white vinegar on towels.
I don’t hate it and I’m not one of those people worried about toxins or other nonsense. It gums a lot of stuff up including the washer and it makes towels less absorbent. Since different people like different scents I just skip to save money. If there is a lot of static I’ll use dryer sheets sometimes.
Yes for sure, that smoking fine could get challenged and not be allowed to stand. I once had a guest light up a mosquito coil INSIDE the house. It has the same amount of toxins and particulates as smoking 175 cigarettes. I claimed on it and got $100 bucks for a new comforter and steam cleaning, but only because the guests agreed and didn’t fight it. You have to be able to prove damage if there is any… and odors are not provable. Better to remove all doubt and simply state absolutely NO smoking inside the home, and perhaps even in the yard. If they must they can certainly walk up to the street! Right?
No, you could leave your torrenting rule. I do! But if you think about it, most guests aren’t traveling with the sort of device that would allow a big download anyway.
I think when it comes to hosting, it’s about making life simpler for YOU… right?!! The fragrance thing is just one more hoop you have to jump through for guests, so I’d take it off and just address it if you get a request.
Your area sounds great in the summer!!! Never heard of it but sounds like a place I’d love to visit!
In Hawaii the main industry is tourists, so we politely call them visitors. Visitors who drive bright red rental cars!
The site is Shake by Legal Shield. I haven’t experimented with e-sending my contract for advance agreement. https://web.shakelaw.com
You need to set up an account (free) and they will try to sell you other services of course which you will ignore. You’re looking for Guest Agreement template.
Not rules related, but I looked at your beautiful listing and wondered if the guest suite door locks? (Sorry if I missed that bit if it’s in the listing.) Not that you wouldn’t have a key if it did, but I was a little put off by the statement that you might enter to open windows or for rules violations, Especially as it’s a whole space rental. Imagined myself standing there in my undies making toast and you popping in to do things with windows. Maybe you could just leave that sentence out entirely? Then it would be assumed then that it’s like hotel housekeeping – you’d knock first and only let yourself in in an emergency.
Thanks for pointing that out. I definitely don’t enter when guests are there, so I’ll clarify. What I was trying to cover are two situations: first, guests who left windows open and we get a rainstorm - I have to close the windows or it’ll flood the floor. Second, guests have left windows open while simultaneously running the window AC units (and mother nature weeps). One or the other happens a few times each season.
Is this better?
The upstairs of the house is your private sanctuary. I only enter if you’re gone and I need to close windows in order to keep rain out, or to allow AC to function properly.
