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Yes, it is always a good idea to mention or disclose anything that could be a deal breaker for guests or cause for refund demand.
" Please note- this is a rural property, where we are lucky to have a natural population of wildlife. Bears and coyotes are prevalent, and although you may never see one, you should be aware not to leave food out to attract them, nor attempt to approach such animals for photo-ops. There are also small creatures like field mice, which can occasionally get into the house, in spite of efforts to trap them and seal all entry points- a mouse can scurry in unseen while you are loading or unloading your car and have the door open.
Please do not book here if the sighting of a small or large animal will frighten you or cause you to want to leave. No refunds will be given for this."
Oh my gosh, thank you! I was looking for the right wordsā¦ this is perfect. And so, what section should I put that in on my listing? You know most guests donāt take the time to go through all the infoā¦ Thanks so much Muddy!
There is actually a section in the āHealth and Safetyā section which you can check for āDangerous animalsā, which would cover the bears and cougars. Of course, thatās a section which guests have to click through to read, so as you say, they may entirely miss it, so I would put wording like the above as the last thing in the listing description intro. or under the āOther things to Noteā section- if you capitalize the warning, or at least the āPlease noteā part, it will have a better chance of being noticed. You could also message guests when they book or request to book, making sure they read that section. Some hosts put an āEaster Eggā in their listing, a word or phrase a guest has to quote when booking that is buried in the listing info, that they actually have to read through the listing to find.
I was once up the local mountain in Canada, cross country skiing with friends. We had finished and were loading our skis on the top of the car when a carload of German tourists pulled up behind us, as they had spotted some baby black bears off the side of the road. They jumped out and started taking pictures, while walking closer and closer to the bears, as if it were a Disneyland photo-op. We shouted out to them to back up- that the mother bear was likely very close by and would tear them to shreds. You should have seen the terrified look on their faces as they scurried back to their car, jumped in and locked the doors, while calling out āDanke!ā
We have an open-air house in a remote area surrounded by forest in the Caribbean. Open air means there is no glass over the windows (just screens and louvers) and the doors arenāt sealed. Adding to that - everyone leaves the doors open all the time to see the view (my avatar is the view). We get palmetto bugs (some call them wood roaches), anoles (like geckos), mosquitos, ants, flies, birds, and an occasional bat or mouse. I think āglampingā is the term for this. We set traps, we treat, the house gets swept frequently, but we canāt keep everything out when the house is so open. This is common in our neighborhood - some of the neighbors only have three walls to their houses - and the ultra-expensive āJade Mountainā resort is one of those neighbors.
I mention this in the house rules (and that those creatures in the house are not grounds for refund), but have decided Iāll send everyone that books that description either before they book or after they book if they IBād to be sure theyāve seen it. Weāre on strict so thereās usually the 48-hour free cancellation period.
Is this a CYA? You betcha! But we also donāt want people in our house that wonāt enjoy their stay because they didnāt realize there might be some little āfriendsā.
Thank you PitonView - I wanna go to your place! I did add CYA to my listing and actually sent the same to my next 10 rentals. I am shell shocked right now that I lost the 5 night rental, so wanted my future guest to have the heads up. Honestly, my place is crazy clean, I am so particularā¦ so that a mouse comes in and Fs that up - so so sadā¦
I once read a really great idea from a host who lived in a rural area with lots of wildlife. They put together a book, with photos and descriptions and info about their habits, of all the creatures, great and small, in their area, and presented it as an activity- guests were encouraged to keep an eye out for as many of the animals as they could, and check them off the list.
There is a horrendous looking insect that is quite prevalent in my area, although they are very shy, do not like the light, and so you seldom see them. They are called false scorpions, whip tail scorpions, or vinegaroons (although they are not related to a scorpion at all, but are an evolutionary mutation of a spider). Here in Mexico they are called cancles. (pronounced cahn-clay). Someone who had never seen one before would most likely be terrified. I have a lot in my shed and sometimes find dead ones, so I keep a dead one in a jar to show guests who have never been to this area before, to show them what it looks like, tell them that they are actually good guys who eat other bugs, including scorpions, that I have never had one come near me in the 20 years Iāve lived here, as they are very shy, and that they are harmless- they have no toxin. If I had an entire place listing, as opposed to a home share, where I can show them in person, I would put a photo of one in the house manual, with the info about them. Even a guest who took ants, geckos, or a lone cockroach or mouse sighting in stride might be totally freaked out by this insect.
I did add CYA to my listing and actually sent the same to my next 10 rentals. I am shell shocked right now that I lost the 5 night rental, so wanted my future guest to have the heads up. Honestly, my place is crazy clean, I am so particularā¦ so that a mouse comes in and Fs that up - so so sadā¦