I’m now thinking of writing “redrum” on mine. 
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Thank you for sharing your tips! I must admit I don’t like being told what to do either because I prefer “trial and error” and “the Myth of Sisyphus” but I already follow almost all of your suggestions. I tried leaving chocolates after a previous suggestion but they were rarely eaten and I just ended up eating them and I definitely don’t need to be eating chocolate, just ask my GP. I have thought of printing off a 5 day weather forecast including tides. While I provide a local guide/rules book which is very popular with guests I don’t think I would put their name on it (they already get a detailed arrival email) or write on the mirror because “Australians” but I imagine in some countries that would not be seen as creepy at all :).
For new AirBnB hosts all your suggestions might be a bit overwhelming. I would suggest people get the basics right first which are really covered (both ways) in the reviews:
- cleanliness,
- communication,
- value,
- accuracy (as much detail as possible so there are no misconceptions).
And add go for the highest quality furniture/linens/appliances that you can afford consistent with your price level. Also as many posts here refer to: get you rules right, they are for the 1%, not the 99% who don’t need to be told to act like a decent human being.
New views are always welcome, to me at least, but don’t be upset if some people disagree with you.
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Thanks for the response! These are the types of responses I was expecting. I definitely don’t expect everyone to agree with me, but I much prefer constructive comments like this more than the initial comments that were posted.
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Can I include time spent on this forum? Is there someone I can send the bill to?
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Did someone bring the branding iron?
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I currently have a guest staying here for 4 nights to spend some quality time with her 14yo kelpie who is dying of cancer (the dog, not the woman). I may have something in my eye. 
I do leave a box of chocolate covered Mac nuts if they spend a certain amount. But I don’t pressure myself over it. Tonight’s guests deserve a box but I couldn t get to town with all the storming here this lady few days
Sometimes we board people and dogs; sometimes we do the work of angels.
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This has been our experience too. I like providing snacks and beverages; putting the basket of goodies together is one of my favorite things. Most people use very little. I think sometimes we might actually end up ahead as guests leave all kinds of good food and beer, er, beverages, behind. I can see why some hosts don’t want to do that though.
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I was given some individually wrapped cookies during the holidays. I didn’t care for them so I started leaving one person in the Airbnb room. At least half were untouched. I also have a small box with a few individually wrapped candies and it takes forever for those to disappear. I also provide instant coffee packets, green tea bags and sweetners.
For me, it’s not so much what it costs to provide it but how annoyed I am when one person takes it all. I recently put a small container of a plant based product (Nutpods, clearly labeled as a creamer) in the refrig to be used for adding to coffee. It’s expensive ($4) but I wanted to offer something to my vegan guests. It had been in there 3 days when one of the guests complimented and thanked me for it. Said he was doing keto. I was so pleased with myself…until I was turning over the room and I checked the container. The 11.2 oz carton had about 2 oz left. I guess he drank a cup of it for breakfast. The fact that averaged over several guests who didn’t touch it was irrelevant to me. One fellow ruined it for me. I’m not going to take the risk of feeling that cross again when I’m getting 98% 5 star without providing it.
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I guess it’s all a matter of how you look at it. We personally love when our guests eat the snacks and drink the drinks we provide (in any amount) because, to us, it shows that they’re enjoying what we put thought and effort into providing and it was worth while. I actually don’t like it as much when guests don’t touch anything. It doesn’t annoy me, but it just doesn’t feel as good.
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What is that in relation to how much the guest spent booking your place? If they spent maybe $60 booking your place, then yeah, that’s kind of a lot. But if they spent $300 booking your place, then meh.
Good point. It shows how blanket advice without regard to knowledge about the particular rental is of limited value. My room ranges from $35 a night, one person, no cleaning fee up to $69, two people for special event holiday weekends like Neon Desert Music Festival. The fellow who consumed almost $4 of creamer paid $39. I also get about 80% one night stays. If I could get an extra $20 a night for a 3 night stay I would feel differently about one fellow using $4 of creamer during that stay.
I stayed in a VR in Costa Rica last summer and paid $5000. I don’t think their $30 of beer, wine, coffee and fruit that was there when we checked in was all that. If someone gets $1000 on a booking and complains about $10 of snacks, that’s different.
When I had guests in my part of the house and provided breakfast I had a couple, father daughter who ate everything I provided and asked for more. They had hard boiled eggs, toast, butter, jam, fruit, oatmeal, coffee with everything conceivable in it and juice. He asked if he could have oatmeal and then asked if I had a “to go” container to put it in as well as taking an extra banana for the road. The daughter consumed a reasonable amount. I just had to laugh and say to myself “glad he enjoyed it.” He is the primary reason I quit offering breakfast though. My personality is such that I don’t like when people take more than their share. I’m willing to label it a personality defect and be done with it.
This is my listing now: no breakfast, no snacks, no problem.
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You had me with the photo of the dogs! Adorable 
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Karma you just brought back a lovely memory for me spent junior year in Europe eons ago. My friend and I were at an Irish B&B, they had two breakfast prices, continental and full Irish. We said no thanks we’re poor students we’ll just eat some bread we got at the market. The lady of the house was so dismayed that she stuffed us with oatmeal and bacon no charge. Then the hostel in London where you got exactly 7 slices of toast every morning. But the butter and jam were on the tables. You never saw toast so thickly slathered with butter and jam and you bet we ate every single slice every morning.
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Reverse airhostsforum jinx. Last night’s guest left a large aloe vera gel, two packages of snacks and a pack of gum.
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I offer a breakfast for guests. Unlike your previous setup, the breakfast is a defined list of items with quantities. They can also choose between a variety of dairy and non-dairy coffee or tea additions. I pour their choice into a cute milk bottle. I have tons of tops with the different options already written out. I started doing this to reduce waste, but it has also served as a way to make sure that no one empties an entire milk carton for their own cereal [which I don’t offer.]
When I took those food-safe courses in New York City, required for anyone preparing food professionally, one of the big rules was, once you give food to a guest and they have opened it, you can’t reuse at all. You just don’t know if the guest has drunk straight from the bottle or has licked the knife and then put it back into the jam.
These bottles have a cow. I use these for dairy. I have others without the cow for the vegan/non-dairy options.
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This is awesome as a guest. As a host, it sound like entirely too much work 
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smtucker also has a different set up than I have. I agree it’s too much work. LOL. I think I’m going to abandon supplying any creamer. The individual packets are expensive and wasteful, everything else is dangerous. At $40 a night they can go to Dunkin Donuts less than a half mile away.
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Yay! I’ve run out of aloe vera gel, and it costs an arm and a leg when you can find it.