This forum is dedicated to connecting hosts with other hosts. Sign up to get the latest updates and news just for AirBnb hosts! Note that we are not affiliated with Airbnb - we are just passionate hosts!
Well I’d forgotten I’d started this thread but now it’s reappeared I’m going to chime in with an update.
My listings have had the parking amenity ticked and so far so good. People seem very happy to park their cars on our quiet, empty street. Rather than take the Airbnb wording literally I see it more as a guarantee to the guest that they will have somewhere to park at all times, which is 100% the case
I’ve been looking for a place to stay in Seattle next month that is reasonably priced with parking. Crossed this one off the list -
“Street parking is available in neighboring streets, either with a 2-hour cap or possibility of longer overnight stays depending on the street. To know which streets require permits and which do not, you can check the city of Seattle RPZ map, which specifies exactly which ones do require permits.”
I appreciated the frank statement which made my decision easy. He goes on to give information about the rail and bus options which would work if one is flying in and doesn’t have to find a place for a car.
I’ve pretty much given up and have a booking at a motel.
Didn’t you ever use that little graphic I made for you? 
I guess it was a little tacky.
I did but it didn’t seem to help. So I took it down because it shows the whole front of my house which I prefer not to do since it’s not that difficult to find the street using the airbnb map.
I can’t believe guests are still doing that. I’m pretty sure you are as clear as can be in your guest instructions.
I can see that if you take it at it’s literal meaning. Yes, the street is not our “premises,” but it is the public domain so it no less mine than yours. Anyone can park there, and always someone who’s at our house. If people want to split hairs and think they have to park in our driveway, then I’ll park in the street.
Our driveway is on a hill. Unless I can magically become Mother Nature and flatten our driveway, people can complain all they want. I can clean our toilets, but I am not about the excavate our driveway. (We’d lose the garage parking we have, that would be foolish.)
OMG! I never noticed that! I thought I had checked those off. I can’t “guarantee” off-street parking, but when I say I have “no parking issues” I simply mean anyone can park near our house, even on-street. The only night there’s an issue is Wed when we have dinner and family comes over. Even I park on the street some nights. I am not exaggerating when I say we live in a rural area and no one else parks in front of our house. Even a pizza delivery guy apologized for parking in front of our house when delivering pizza across the street. I said, “It’s a public street, why are you apologizing?”
PS: Where are you seeing the “Free parking on street”? I can’t see that as an option. If I could check that box, I’d be covered.
@Josiah. I actually know Fitchburg quite well, and I can assure anyone on this thread that on-street parking in your town is not dangerous for either the guests or the car. However, guests can be nervous about being in new places and may have selected your house based on the parking “promise.” I would suggest [if I may] that in your “You must acknowledge” section you add “Though we do have a driveway and are happy to have guests park their cars there, there are times when parking on our quiet and safe street is necessary.”
This is the CYA approach to hosting. 
I’m still curious about the screenshot you shared. I see it now in public listing as well, but there’s nowhere in the amenities to edit the on/off street parking option. For some reason it’s defaulting to crossing out “free on-street parking.” We very much have free on street parking. Maybe I’ll just Airbnb about this.
I know! And that is the confusion, I suspect. We can’t control those settings yet, but they are already public facing. A true case of left and right hand not knowing what the other is doing.
For some reason that’s not an option for me to tic or untic. Our parking situation is dictated by the quirkiness of homeownership in a world with other homes. If it’s that much of an issue, I’ll park in the street. All our off-street parking and tandem anyway. Most guests seem to be from much larger cities, so the fact you can even park in front of our house is a bonus. At the end of the day, if that’s going to be the issue for someone, there’s no way I’m going to please them 100%. I used to live in Boston. There are you have parking issues. Where I live now there are no “issues” unless you want to make it one.
The description of an Airbnb amenity isn’t poetry. It’s supposed to be taken literally. The risk you run is that guests can cancel not only penalty free, but Airbnb can have the host pay the difference between your price and a comparable listing or motel/hotel if a listed amenity is not offered. You have had more than one complaint about parking, so I believe that this is more of an issue to your guests than you realize.
I offer off-street parking to every guest. This guy chose to park in the street.
Rural settings aren’t for everyone.
I have free parking IN my listing title so I put my old beater car on the street and let guests have the driveway. I too only have the “parking on premises” amenity option. To me, “on premises” means on the property. I also offer option of hangtag permit if the guest wants street parking (backing out of the drive is a wee bit of a challenge, but I’ve only lost one fence post flowerpot to date! I often find guest 2 standing in the drive directing guest 1 at the wheel.) I’m in a fairly urbanized area and concur that guests might feel hornswoggled if the parking on premises turned out to be at the curb.
@Josiah. I have been thinking about you today. Fitchburg - Parking… really this isn’t the issue. I think the issue might well be that your driveway is uphill and people resent having to walk up a hill to get into the house. Hills are a problem for people, especially those who haven’t stayed in shape, live in a one-story house, etc. Have you considered making your listing more clear about the topography? I am at the top of a very big hill and make such a big deal about this that people tell me in their initial message that they can manage it.
Just another thought.
@anon67190644, thanks for thinking of me. We actually have parking on the side of yard for this very reason. It’s flat and the only steps you have to climb are to the front door and to the second floor. There is a place in the listing where you can specify that one must climb stairs to enter our home. We also took a picture of the steps from the driveway. Perhaps more images of the yard/exterior might be helpful. We erred on having fewer pictures, but maybe more is OK.
I’ve stayed a variety of Airbnb accommodations, with and without a car. All had a variety of parking arrangements. One Listing did offer parking, but we were there for an event earlier in the day and left our car in the garage we already paid to park in (it was about a mile away). And all places had some degree of stairs some more challenging than others, except one in Toronto that was a brand new building.
I think the real issue is we have two listings, and both often get booked. With the tandem parking, which I’ve seen at other Airbnb accommodations, that requires someone may need to move their car. I think since we’re not in urban center people are little less forgiving, but an estimated 97% of our guests have not once raised the issue (albeit some have walked and cycled here), and almost 99.1% of our guests have said our home met their needs and was comfortable.
I can feel confident that the vast majority of our guests have been fine staying here, and just need to accept that I will never make everyone 100% happy.
@EllenN is correct in stating that “free parking on premises” is not the same thing as “free parking on the street.” But Airbnb does not allow you to select “Free parking on street.” You are only allowed to check (or not) “Free parking on premises.” The implications are:
This is really stupid and confusing. We’re left with a choice of not selecting “free parking on premises” and giving guests the opinion that all parking is paid, and saying that there is “free parking on premises” and then having guests feel taken advantage of when they find out that the parking is actually free street parking.
Airbnb should just take a few hours and fix this simple issue.