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Our summer season is winding down so the income stream is about to end.
As is so happens, I’ve just had an inquiry from a travel nurse who wants to stay with us for 13 weeks.
Besides the possibility of squatting, from your experience, what are the pros and cons of longer terms rentals such as this?
Also, if I were to take this reservation, I would have to cancel a single night reservation I have in Oct. I had IB on when it was made, but it was the type where guests had to have good reviews from other hosts. Would cancelling that reservation mean I couldn’t be a superhost?
Also, in order to avoid cancelling a reservation, has anyone ever offered to put a guest up in a nice local hotel instead?
We’ve never hosted for an extended period so I don’t have any thoughts on that (or rather I do, but it’d only be speculation) but I can confirm that just one cancellation is enough to lose super host status.
If it’s a slow season for you I’d do it as long as it was confirmed she is a travel nurse. As for the cancellation it does seem like offering a free hotel or another air host might work. Most people agree that being a super host isn’t all that great.
In terms of cons it’s having more or less a room mate for 13 weeks. Nurses typically work 3 12 hour shifts a week and so when they are working you may not even see them. If they are sleeping days it will need to be somewhat quiet and they may want to put something more over the window to make it dark.
Another option is to let your visiting nurse know that X date is booked, you are reluctant to cancel, but would like to send HER to a spa hotel for that one evening for some pampering. With a 13 week booking, that cancelation auto response message would be your last review and very visible for a very long time.
I just switched to long term hosting and i love it. Its so much less work plus with low season its impossible to get bookings unless you lower your price significantly.
Yes, there are no breaks between guests but if they are working people, they will never be home anyway. ALso, its great that its just one person. One person hardly makes any noise as she will have noone to talk to:), its couples who you can always here conversing, laughing, and arguing.
Just be sure you are clear on other people staying overnight, like dates. I had a guy bringing a date here who he sneaked into the house while i was away for a week. And another guests from downstairs heard him all night.
The other con could be use of a kitchen. My rules that kitchen has limited access for only very light cooking.
If you dont want people occupying kitchen for hours be clear on how you want them to use it.
I hear about travelling nurses a lot but i only had once for 4 days a nurse and she was the sweetest and the most considerate guest ever. I would love to have someone like that again. She worked for plastic surgent , and was not home between 7 am and 6 pm, and she also worked half a day on Saturday. After work she quietly was in her room, and on weekends she went to the beach. Withing these 4 days i saw her may be twice for 2 minutes each.
Thanks for your thoughts @KKC, I appreciate you chiming in.
We’re figuring having a room mate can’t be any worse than new sets of people coming to the house every 2 to 4 days.
As it so happens, my husband is a nurse, and works in the same hospital. He is the one working nights and sleeping days. This girl would be working days, which is good. It might be difficult to keep the noise on the first floor down all the time.
Also, you’ll be happy to know, she has two pugs that would be coming with her. Can you tell me anything about that breed of dog? I have two cats who I’m sure would be traumatized to begin with, but if you have any thoughts on this I’d love to hear them.
@anon67190644 and @KKC, I really like the idea of sending my tenant for a spa day. Unfortunately, I’m not sure it would work. First, my nurse tenant would basically have to pack up all her stuff and get it out of the room for the day. Second, it might happen when she’s working, in which case it really would be nothing but a disruption for her. 12 hour shifts mean you really don’t/can’t do much other than work and sleep.
Pugs are sweet and loveable and goofy in my experience. They also pant and slobber and breathe noisily. They don’t have strong prey instincts so they might not bother the cats they might even become friends. I had a cat for 15 years and friends would bring their dogs and when I introduced new dogs and it was never a problem. Just make sure the dogs cannot get to the cats when they aren’t monitored. If you have a good place to put up a baby gate (in a hallway for example) to keep them away from the cats that might help. Since she’s traveling the pups are probably crate trained and really good and I wouldn’t let that keep me from taking the booking. I hope it works out.
I think if it were me I’d write the booking in Oct and explain the situation and bribe them to cancel. They get a full refund plus you send them x dollars for their trouble. Let them arrange their own new accommodation.
You can offer to the person that had one night booked, to pay him the cancelation fees and a small bonus so he can cancel on his side.
edit: plus the client can get the cancelation fees back if he is booking an other air bnb (needs to talk to air bnb for that but they are usually nice on it)
