New Air Listing Question - "Does Your Place Have Hot Water?"

I was just checking my listing (no bookings for ages, views down, etc) to tweak a few things and when I hit “Save,” a dialog box came up with the question “Does your place have hot water? Some guests have indicated that this is an amenity you offer. If so, we’ll add it to the list of amenities on your listing.”

Has anyone seen this before? Is this an issue? I do travel internationally, so I get that hot water tanks can be smaller in different countries or different locations. Is this something international guests ask or is it only spoilt Americans?

I had this exact same thing a couple of weeks ago. I thought it was odd but maybe had to do with some of the listings like treehouses and glamping places.

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Ah, yes. That does explain a lot. Although, I would think that when booking a treehouse, one would be veryvery careful in reading the amenities listings… :rofl::flushed:

Is that the line? Treehouses? That’s when I’m supposed to start reading the listing? Seems especially difficult with all of those cool pictures of the treehouse. :rofl::rofl:

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I assume Airbnb added it as an amenity at some point because many if not most people wouldn’t even think that they could rent a place without hot water, but later ended up being surprised and disappointed.

When did you create your listing? I remember hot water being on the amenities list when I created my listing in December 2018.

Hot Water is an amenity that I found is not offered as a checkbox when you CREATE your listing. But if you go in an EDIT, it is there. So after you create your new listing, always go back in & check to see what else they left off the CREATE. This is not the only one I have noticed, there are others that appear on an EDIT that do not exist on a CREATE. I would suggest checking your EDIT every few months as they are always adding something else.

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Yep, I’d bet it’s an amenity you didn’t check (or one they added after your listing was created).

When guests review your place, they’re asked all kinds of questions like “Was there hot water?” “Was there a beach?” If guests indicate you have something you don’t have marked in the amenities list, Air will give these prompts to update them.

Guests keep marking I have a back garden. I don’t want it considered an included/expected amenity, so I’ve never included it, but they keep asking.

The amenity of a garden is a tricky one depending on where you live. In the US a garden is usually land in rows with vegetables or flowers for harvesting. I think in many other places it is just what we call a yard (with grass or stonescape in arid regions). However I also know that in th me UK a yard is usually (or at least often) what when in the US call a barn or stable or farm or (very small) ranch with livestock, usually horses.

Reminds me of the category issue of villa and cottage and the like…it means different things depending on where and your experiences.

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@Militaryhorsegal Ah! The cottage / villa quagmire! I remember that thread!

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Funny enough, I just got a pop up asking me if my listing has free street parking because guests have said that it does, but my listing didn’t. However, I’m sure “Free street parking” was checked when I looked at my listing last weekend.

Edit: I just opened my listing again and it asked me if my listing has a stove, another thing I know has been checked since I created the listing. Must be yet another untested Airbnb software change.

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The Airbnb amenity is actually called “Garden or backyard” which makes it more obvious to English-speakers at least.

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I created my listing in late 2016/early 2017. I EDIT weekly so I can stay on top of searches and because Air changes things up on a regular basis.

This was a surprise.

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As I mentioned, I check weekly and make little edits. I’m amazed that “Hot Water” came up as even if it’s something that’s been around for a year or so, it should have shown up before now.

Ah, AirBnB, your QA teams keep us on our toes…

When I see “garden” in context of a VR listing I think it means an outdoor seating and/or dining area with lush ornamental plants. Like this. But this is an example why we can’t really blame guests too much for not reading and just looking at the pictures.:stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

But what if the garden is out front?:laughing:

We have a word for that where I am from: “Bassackwards”.

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So true!! I just checked my listing this morning and there was a TO DO list of amenities. “Does your place have a stove?” Why yes, I checked that box in “full use of kitchen” ages ago.

There were 3 new items to add. sigh

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One more way to disappoint guests! I say back garden, but I think that’s influence from an English grandmother. It’s just a yard with far too many walnut trees to stay tidy for more than an hour.

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On the bright side, as of last night they finally are allowing me to collect the correct amount of tax.

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I saw something about that on one of my listings. How does it work? Will they still collect the State of Texas and allow me to collect the county?

You will put in your total tax rate Texas + Bexar. They will send you the money and you will remit it to Texas, Bexar respectively. (According to the verbiage on screen.)

P.S. I had to do it on the desktop browser, it wasn’t functioning properly in the app. When I tried to click thru to it from the pop up message in the app, it took me to the screen to snooze/delist, intead of to the tax rate screen.

Edit: Adding screen shot.

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