If the guest lives 5 minutes from you and booked that late…what is their story? I’d find that kinda weird and suspect.
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They said they needed a place to stay due to a plumbing issue. Maybe that was a lie, who knows!
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I think… just don’t take any more late night ones. Especially with a baby in the house, I wouldn’t.
I’ll keep poking around on the settings to see if I can find a way to turn off evening reservation requests so I am not tempted to take them for the “easy” money.
Kona- Amen sister. I can create the website. I work IT.
We all need to. These platforms are all in a race to the bottom where hosts will be the casualties.
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It’s probably the fumes from the volcano. 
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Oh yes, I don’t know whether to run from the lava flows first before the poisonous aIr knocks me down in my tracks. 
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Unfortunately I only see these options if I allow same-day instant bookings. I have it set that I don’t accept same-day instant-bookings, but guests can send me a request for a same-day booking.
Interestingly, I have NOT been prompted to review this guest yet. Maybe I won’t be this time (I was last time a guest canceled).
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Wowsers what control! There are some guests whose smell I would like to change. Dare I ask was the workshop related to such matters?
Hi Xena,
I am very cautious when LOCALS try to book my place. I’ve dealt with scummy locals way too many times. The first time I rented to a sex worker and her client, they said it’s because of water leak in kitchen (but they came straight from Sheraton). It was low season and last minute booking so I didn’t hesitate to accept them. I regretted after they checked out. I hope you werent scammed by sex workers or their client who wanted to use your space for free.
Worse than sex workers are people who are Anti-Airbnb. A few times I got messages from locals asking for viewing before booking on behalf of their relatives or asking address. My place is licensed and legit but still these people make me nervous. They could be criminals.
Since they know your address, I recommend spending some time to research their linkedin, facebook, etc to get an idea of who they are. Don’t cause any drama and be cautious. Spend $100 and change door key, they could’ve copied it.
It was a father and daughter, so I HOPE they weren’t sex workers. I don’t think they were. They were only here 20 minutes and didn’t touch anything except moving the reed defuser to the garage.
I just got prompted to review them. OH NO. I hope she doesn’t review me. I’ll be waiting until the last possible moment to review.
People who cancel same day or during the stay are allowed to review. If you get a guest who knows about the 14 day limit and the reasons to leave a review last minute they can do so. Meanwhile you’ve gotten busy, forgotten, moved on. And then you get an ugly review from them and didn’t review in return. Keep that in mind.
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I’ll put it in my calendar to review her in two weeks. I’ll have to stay up until midnight on a work night to review her, but she already kept me up with her shenanigans the night she was here, what’s one more night?
You have crossed our mind each time we see an update on the eruptions. Sending psychic support and best wishes…
I understand there are cheap places in Guatemala if you need to get away.
I forgot to reply to this one–no, the workshop was on another topic. It was a workshop at an activist event but the topic was not related to scent-sensitivities. There was a big conflict between the scent-sensitive people and the smokers that year, who thought each group was denying the other the right to be at the workshop.
One of the debates around MCS (multiple-chemical sensitive) that came out of this kerfuffle was whether or not MCS is “real.” I’m not a psychologist, so I can’t say for certain, but I understand that MCS (multiple-chemical sensitivities) is a psychological condition rather than physiological. That is, there is not a physical reaction but a mental one. In one study, people with scent-sensitives were found to react to both “natural” and “synthetic” scents. I believe MCS is real, just like PTSD is a real mental condition (an image or smell can trigger a flashback, and one can’t just get over PTSD through sheer willpower). However, I think MCS may be tied to anxiety and need for control.
If anyone here works in a psychology-related field, perhaps they can illuminate this condition!
Coming back to hosting: of course any guest with unique medical needs should discuss this with a host! It is uncommon for a host to offer a scent-free home, so it is very odd to expect it without discussion with the host.
I know of people who practise EMDR, which is meant to be effective for trauma and probably sensitivity. I knew someone years ago who had the sensitivity thing and she was quite Dagenham.
Yes, I don’t think Airbnb has thought about guests’ health conditions and the effect on hosts.
Thanks! We are nowhere near them. It only affects 1% of the island, it’s not even covered 10 acres yet. It has been affecting tourism islandwide though. I’ve had blue skies for days, no vog either. Right now I’m having coffee on my lanai, overlooking the ocean and an onshore breeze is happening. Bring it on!
People who don’t understand the topography have been scared off by the mainstream news. When you have David Muir telling the world every night that Hawaii is either melting, blowing up or send out poisonous gas, it’s a pretty difficult story to get in front of.
In reality, only a small remote portion of the island located UNDER the Lower East Rift Zone in Lower Puna (which has always been active) is affected. Kīlauea has a summit at 4000 feet in the town of Volcano. It’s literally impossible for lava to flow over its own summit caldera then cross 100 miles of land, traversing over another 14k foot mountain to reach the west side.
But when David Muir or Lester Holt says the whole island is a goner then it must be true.
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