Hello Rolf. What discussions do you mean? All I said was that I wouldn’t make concessions in writing in advance of knowing my opportunity losses, leaving me free to determine what (if anything) to refund once I know if someone else has taken the villa. For me, I also have the villa advertised with a local agent, and we also let it at “friends and family” rates to close contacts. I would want a free hand to assess my net lost revenue and to determine the ex-gratia payment that I believe is fair and appropriate, as I am under no obligation to refund anything. Once you put a promise of a refund in writing you may be tying your hands, or at least opening yourself up to an argument with a guest who was expecting more from you. Once I have determined the amount I am prepared to refund, I would simply make that refund and send a polite note to the guest explaining that this is an ex gratia payment which I am under no obligation to make, together with a very general (and non specific) mention that this is based on my lost revenue.
Guests can leave a review if they cancel the same day as check-in, but not before that. (Hosts will also get a notice to review)
The reason for this is that a guest could arrive to find out that the place is falsely advertised, hasn’t been cleaned, or is in some way legitimately unacceptable, or they couldn’t gain access (wrong door code sent, host not responding to msgs or phone calls).
However, it isn’t provable that the guest arrived or not, so this policy certainly can create problems if the guest never showed up and lies in retaliation for cancelling last minute and not getting a refund.
No it’s a business. A job is where you’re employed by a third party and get a wage 
Just as long as no one refers to running an Airbnb listing as a “hobby”. 
Always irks me when hosts who have several entire place listings characterize hosts who just rent a private room in their home and don’t necessarily rely on the income to put food on the table, as Airbnb being more of a hobby for them.
A hobby is something you do in your leisure time simply because you enjoy it, that you might derive some money from, but would do whether it’s lucrative or not. I wouldn’t host for free, nor is cleaning and doing laundry what I consider to be fun and relaxing.
yep, and by that definition, I reckon many people are indeed running a hobby business, they just don’t know it cos they don’t know their expenses. I tend to avoid STRs that have older people running them, without self check-in, cos the few times I’ve stayed in those it’s quite clear they do this job* to meet people, and have a chat.
- yeah “job” can also just mean a task.
oh no, don’t you try to drag me into your America V Europe thing. I’m one of those types that has respect for history and those who built our civilisation (and hence, our language)… also, i don’t think Australia has added much to the language, although I believe our ability to swear is World Class.
Well, I’m 73 and rent a room in my house, and check guests in myself, and while I enjoy meeting guests from all over, I don’t rope them into chatting, nor do I want guests who think I have nothing better to do all day than sit around and gab with them.
I spend all of 5 minutes showing them where the light switches are, letting them know that it takes a minute for the hot water to work its way through the pipes, etc, then leave them alone. When they get settled and come downstairs, I spend another few minutes showing them where to find stuff in the kitchen, and make sure they can easily work the kitchen door lock, and that’s it. We might have a convo if we both happen to be doing stuff in the kitchen at the same time, or having coffee, but I doubt I spend more than 20 minutes in total, if that, chatting with guests who stay for 3 or 4 days.
There’s been a few guests over the years I really hit it off with, who stayed for a week or two, and we both enjoyed yakking over a bottle of wine in the evenings, but that’s not the norm. It used to happen more often because my bookings tended to be longer, but now I’m getting a lot of 3 nighters.
lol, so many comments, must refrain. 
i was almost going to say “except Muddy” lol, cos one chat with you and we’d know you are interesting and not desperate for the company of strangers to alleviate a boring life. you know i didn’t mean you, and you know the types I’m talking about.
Thanks. 
There’s also, apparently, the opposite type of old biddie. A friend of mine booked a homeshare in Scotland, got settled in her room, then was going out to explore. On her way to the front door, she passed the living room where the host was watching TV. Thinking it might be rude to just walk by without saying anything, my friend took a couple steps into the room, said she was going out and asked the host what she was watching, and the host turned to her and said frostily, “The living room isn’t for guests”.
Well, all right, then.
She was very cool towards my friend for the rest of her few night stay, until right near the end, when she must have thought she’d get a bad review if she didn’t at least make some attempt to be friendly.
ha, I’ve stayed in two homeshares that were similar. One had a sep living room for guests to watch TV, but as the whole space was open plan, you could hear the hosts TV playing, and he left it on ALL day. (this is classic Boomer, my parents do this and it drives me crazy). The other was similar to yours, a host was watching TV and i thought it rude to walk by without saying anything, so I also said “whatcha watching”. She then invited me to sit down and watch with her, the most awful British reality TV show you’ve ever seen, and I couldn’t just leave after 5mins, I had to pretend to be interested for an hour. and as I suspect more than a few of us are like: I’m really not good at pretending or pandering or false flattery, so I’m pretty sure she could tell I thought it was awful.
My ex used to work as a chimney sweep, so he was going into people’s homes all day to clean the woodstoves and pipes and ductwork. He said almost every house had the TV on, like constant background noise, even though no one was watching it, or even in the room.
Sorry I don’t watch TV and wouldn’t say having a TV on all day is a classic boomer generation attribute. @gillian
I’m in this generation and so know hundreds in this age group. None of us leave our TVs on all day. I don’t even have a TV in my Airbnb :). Many of us work full time - have interesting careers, friendship circles and hobbies. My dinner parties often go onto the early hours of the morning, I am a regular festival and gig attendee. I love political programmes, our great UK crime dramas and cookery programmes - but record anything I want to watch, so I can watch it when I have some free time.
I find the idea of watching TV all day bizarre. Even more so to have one on and not watch it
Yep, none of my boomer friends keep the TV on all day, in fact most of them don’t even watch TV, they just use the TV to stream movies.
But we are the generation that grew up with TV- I certainly did. In fact, we had the first TV on my block- my dad was a mechanical engineer and loved new gadgetry. The other neighborhood kids used to ask if they could come over to watch Superman and cartoons.
The opposite might be more accurate- that younger people of today don’t watch TV hardly at all.
I remember when neighbours first got a colour TV - the excitement - we all crowded in to watch it.
apparently, boomers
Yes just because older generations watch TV more than younger generations - most of whom don’t watch TV at all doesn’t mean all baby boomers sit at home all day mindlessly watching daytime TV @Rolf
There are demographics within demographics. My oldest daughter used to be embarrassed about her hippie family, and always chose friends in high school who were from “straight” families. The parents of these kids used to seem like they were from my parents’ generation, even though they were my age. I used to wonder how they seemed to have totally missed the 60’s. 
Most of my boomer friends were the types who were going to love-ins, rock concerts, and backpacking around the world. That’s the boomer demographic I am most familar with and the ones who don’t watch TV.
Boomer here, grew up with TV. Then sometime in my mid-20’s I gave it up. I did have one for a couple years 10 years ago and gave it up.
Didn’t have a TV in my former rental or in this one. I figure now people are so locked onto their phones and computers they don’t need it.
I get all I need from my computer, movies, PBS.
I do have to say if people are referencing culture from TV or American movies, I don’t know what they’re talking about.
although it’s not widely recongised, there’s Boomer 1 and Boomer 2. Boomer 1 are the actually post-war baby boom generation, and they spawned genX, boomer 2 spawned the millennials.
roughly speaking of course. when you talk in generalisations you always get someone saying “oh but I’m not like that” and of course, that’s true. there are always exceptions, outliers and miscellaneous. Some of you being the exception doesn’t disprove the generalisation.
And if your offspring spanned 10 years, as mine do, we spawned both GenXers and millennials.