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Agree. Same here. I was fortunate to do well in my tech business, so Airbnb is slightly more for enjoyment really. But the self-clean isn’t as much about the money. It’s about giving guests (who want it) a better experience - I routinely find guests seem happier than my professionally clean guests - whom I have far less contact with obviously. Allowing them an ultra early check-in though, is something many guests really appreciate. I agree with you though, it’s not about more bucks, though that is a nice bonus.
As for stains, we almost never need to rewash anything, though I have a somewhat professional 18Kg fancy washer which may help. But we always do the majority of laundry ourselves anyway - so that is done ‘right’.
Based on an analysis of the user “Chris_Cooper”, the following assessment outlines their posting patterns, identifies specific flaws in their advice, and evaluates the likelihood of them being a troll.
Executive Summary
“Chris_Cooper” is a highly controversial user on the AirHostsForum, often recognized by long-standing members as a provocateur. He claims to be a host from Bowral, Australia, with a 5-bedroom property and often references his wealth (e.g., driving a Tesla Model X) and credentials (an “Executive MBA”) to establish authority.
His presence on the forum is defined by promoting “novel” hosting strategies that fundamentally contradict standard industry practices, Airbnb policies, and basic hospitality standards. While he frames these posts as “creative ideas,” they consistently provoke outrage and extensive debate, leading to a strong community consensus that he is likely a troll or at least engaging in “sealioning” (persistent, bad-faith debate).
1. Common Posting Patterns
The user exhibits a distinct and repetitive behavioral set:
The “Contrarian Innovator” Persona: He frequently starts threads proposing radical, “new” ideas that solve non-existent problems or introduce massive risks. Examples include requiring guests to clean the property upon arrival to save money and “overselling” rooms (advertising more capacity than exists) similar to airline practices.
Deflection and Projection: When challenged, he rarely addresses the core criticism. Instead, he pivots to attacking the tone of the responder. He frequently accuses long-time contributors of “stalking,” “bullying,” or “personal attacks,” often threatening to report them for “violating forum rules”.
Feigned Politeness & Condescension: His posts often use a veneer of extreme politeness (“I hope that is fair to ask,” “Life is good”) to mask condescension. He belittles other hosts by implying they are less educated, less wealthy, or unprofessional if they clean their own units (e.g., “You work to clean, and you earn it… because not everyone is hosting to make money”).
Argument Ad Nauseam: He engages in circular arguments, writing lengthy, repetitive rebuttals that exhaust opponents. He often claims to be “ignoring” trolls while writing paragraphs addressed directly to them.
2. Critical Feedback on Flaws and Errors
His posts often contain advice that is not just unconventional but operationally dangerous and potentially violative of Airbnb’s Terms of Service.
“Self-Clean on Arrival” Strategy:
The Flaw: He advocates for a model where guests clean the property themselves when they arrive in exchange for lower fees.
Critical Error: This violates Airbnb’s Cleanliness Standards, which require hosts to clean and sanitize between stays. It also creates a fundamental liability: if Guest A leaves a mess (or damage) that Guest B encounters, the host has failed to provide the advertised service. This would lead to immediate refunds and negative reviews, destroying a listing’s viability.
“Overselling” Rooms:
The Flaw: He claims to “oversell” his listing by advertising more capacity/rooms than he actually has to capture search traffic, then manually blocking others once a booking is made.
Critical Error: This mimics Double Booking risks. While “linked calendars” are a legitimate feature (e.g., renting a house vs. individual rooms), his description suggests a manual “airline style” manipulation. If he fails to update calendars instantly, he risks double bookings, which carry severe penalties from Airbnb (cancellation fees, loss of Superhost status, account suspension).
Factual Discrepancies:
The Flaw: He frequently cites his high ratings to shut down debate.
Critical Error: Other users have fact-checked his profile, noting that his actual ratings (e.g., 4.82) were lower than what he claimed (4.94 or 4.99) in threads, exposing a pattern of exaggeration to maintain a facade of authority.
Dangerous Risk Management:
The Flaw: He has advised against carrying proper insurance, citing his personal wealth (Tesla ownership) as sufficient “self-insurance.”
Critical Error: This ignores liability laws. “Self-insuring” for a commercial hospitality business opens a host to bankruptcy-level lawsuits for personal injury, which personal wealth generally cannot cover or effectively mitigate compared to commercial liability policies.
3. Troll Assessment: High Probability
The suspicion that “Chris_Cooper” is a troll is highly credible and supported by multiple indicators:
Baiting Tactics: His topics are surgically chosen to trigger the strongest reactions from responsible hosts. Suggesting “guests clean on arrival” or “overselling rooms” strikes at the core ethics of hospitality.
Reaction to “Troll” Label: He employs a classic troll tactic called DARVO (Deny, Attack, and Reverse Victim and Offender). When called a troll, he immediately accuses the accuser of being a troll, a stalker, or mentally unwell (e.g., suggesting a user has “OCD” or “zero self-awareness”).
Inconsistency: He claims to have a “thick skin” and be too busy for drama (“back to work for me!”), yet he replies instantly with massive walls of text to every detractor.
Community Consensus: Multiple distinct users on the forum have identified him as a troll, warning others not to engage (“Don’t feed the troll,” “This troll is bad news”).
Verdict: “Chris_Cooper” exhibits textbook “concern troll” or “contrarian troll” behavior. He derives satisfaction from disrupting the community with bad-faith arguments disguised as “innovation.” It is advisable to view his advice as performance art rather than genuine consulting, and to avoid engaging with his threads.
