I feel your pain. We purchased a home in May and have been hosting since then, so it’s been only three months. We’re booked solid and love the extra revenue it generates but it’s frustrating to constantly clean up after messy people. I realize that what is acceptable to them, is not acceptable to me. I simply was raised to be neat and considerate and realize that this is NOT the the case for most people. So I have decided to compromise since I like the extra income. We will only host from May to Sept. Then take a break because by Sept I’m sure we will feel burned out. I’m also downsizing guests. The house sleeps 8 but we are changing it to 6. Need to hide the other bed LOL. We are also blocking a day before and a day after guests to clean. We can’t stand having to clean in four hours and stressing that guests will soon be checking in and we’re still cleaning. Yes, it means less money but my sanity is worth more. So my advice to you is, make small changes along the way until you find what is right for you. Don’t be in a rush to “close the shop”. Give it a little time and experiment with scheduling less guests and maybe adding a 3 night min. stay.
Best wishes.
I would love u try to collect on that = totally unlikely
Ken, did you mean worst kind of guests?
I think clearly that is what Ken meant. LOL, I got a review last week that said something like, “We were SO pleased with our room! This was our first Airbnb experience and it will be our last!”
Yeah… I originally meant “guests”. That was my Senior Moment yesterday, I guess.
That’s too, too funny!
I had one of those yesterday too. Spent hours looking for my specs, made a cup of tea in despair, and found them in the fridge when I opened it for milk. Ho hum.
Whaaat?’
3 Day minimum?
Raise it to a 7 night minimum for 2019 now.
You can always drop back to lower minimums later.
We have our peak weeks for the next 3 years already set at a 7 day minimum.
I normally drop back to a 5 day minimum 4 months in advance, and then to a 3 night minimum 1 month ahead (but only if I am desperate). For our smaller listings I even use 2 night minimums to do last minutes.
But 2 or 3 night minimums in large listings is just the same as putting up a sign with: “Please abuse my house for parties”, because that is the crowd you are aiming at.
).ROCKS in the garbage disposal? That’s evil.
Guests knowing they are going to be monitored (even to a basic extent) really helps. Once in a while we will get a reservation from people who don’t get that we are RIGHT THERE. Separate house, sure, but they have to walk past a big bank of our windows to access the cottage. I had a bad batch of bridesmaids a few weeks ago try to sneak their late night hookups past us…“no, your cottage for 4 won’t “sleep” 8, no way.”
Just don’t make the mistake that ‘new policies and rules’ will apply to the already existing reservations.
Since you check in personally, perhaps you can invent some insurance form or county ordinance that requires you to have guests add their name, drivers license number and phone number and signature … things like that can be quite a deterrent.
It is because you are allowing 2 night bookings. Minimum 3 nights. …absolutely.
Also, how many bedrooms do you have? I assume 4 since you are allowing 10 guests.
Bring it down to 8 guests for 4 bedroom + $90 for each addtional guest who stays 3 nights ( $30 per person oer night) up to a max of 10 guests. No 12 guests in 4 bedroom house.
Then install exterior cameras as well as Noise Aware.
Meet all groups in person and let them know you are a few blocks away.
Finally, raise you rates.
City houses do tons of 3 nights minimums…differs from resort or beach holiday.
But 2 night attracts the young partiers
I think a 2x4 just hit me in the head. Wow, thank you for this. We’re are making the update today. Forget this noise.
Plus, in thinking about it… all the wedding and bachelor/ette parties will have already booked well in advance because they know the date (unless they are unorganized) and by the time you start dropping minimums hopefully those will be weened out.
Wow, thank you so much for this input.
We have 3 BR w/ a den that has a full size. We changed the rate to $20/guest bc we were at 10. I think we asked for this misery in only having $10/per extra guest. We’ve dropped it to 10 from 12 and maybe making the adjustments on nights and rate will be our saving.
We do meet all groups in person and try to require it. Always funny the rule breakers bc they seem to be a bit snobby in knowing they are about to break the rules.
In our home tour we are reiterating the guest policy and giving them a ‘guest day pass’ that states the house rules again. You can have 1 guest during the day per every 3 visitors, though blah blah blah rules cancel no refund.
We are trying to get it in there.
In fact, the stay coming for monday finally read an email where we said if he brings extra guests we are cancelling him (kindly) based on the house rules and our multiple emails before. He said we ruined the stay and how does he add 3. haha I’m thinking I’ll offer up the cancel bc I don’t care to deal with that any longer.
Lol, well he should have read the rules and thought to ask before making assumptions. My high school English teacher says ‘Assumptions make an ass out of U and Me’.
We have the Ring flood cam on the back patio and the doorbell for front. I installed the back cam after the last party. The problem is now that my wife is almost a full-time security guard. haha “WHOSE CAT IS THAT!!!.. oh, the cat has no idea where it is going and isn’t theirs… nevermind babe”
Notice that we monitor the entrances and PitonView’s pricing policy seems to be the winner here.
With the responses here, I’m not fearful. I’m rolling with PitonView’s set-up. Congrats, you added 2 guests, here is your $1200 bill for 3 nights. Don’t pay it, get out.
This is a prime example of what a great forum this is. 
Please keep us all posted.