If guests are used to hotels, they might be surprised by the cleaning fees, but I think a good number of guests are used to vacation rentals, where you do pay a sizable cleaning fee. My mom (a baby boomer) rents condos and cottages when she goes on vacation, and she says she can’t believe how little I charge for my cleaning fee. She expects to pay at least $100 (or more) to have a place cleaned after she stays in it.
Well Neo, you hit the nail on the head. AirBnBs are not hotels. I have stated before on this forum that I would not travel on Air as a guest. I prefer a hotel. Why? Partly because I don’t want to pay a cleaning fee, security deposit and booking fee. Two of which I charge myself as a host.
But that’s just me.
Also, when you say you are looking for a place to lease as a host on Air p, I’m curious…would you do this without getting the consent of the owner in writing? I don’t know too many owners who would be ok with subletting of any kind.
yeah it takes me and my ocd a good 3 to 4 hours…mission finding hairs and dust everywhere.
Speaking of ocd, my Mrs is one super one, it drives me bananas watching her impeccably clean the whole place (small house + cabana) because someone set foot on the premises for one night. Of course, I am grateful, beats the opposite, but holy molly.
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Mearns,
for me it is a mission and my hubby has to literally tell me to STOP! I wasn’t always this way but in my latter years it has been something I have developed. Airbnb is my baby and I try and seek out all the flaws my place has. Recently I had a real bad tooth ache and I couldn’t focus on my OCD way as much as I would want to and the guests left a great review. This has told me to not micromanage so much, at least with the back to back one day rentals.
I provide the best clean place I can and yes I feel overly concerned of the tiniest details but I am the one that sees these tiny flaws and if I would not stop it would take me forever to clean and this is my business.
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I know of a couple; the wife literally VACCUUM CLEANS the lawn, so that it is ‘perfect’. Her nickname OCD.
As long as she doesn’t vacuum the sand, then you’ll be fine!
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Do you filter the water between the shore and the island? 
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Felix, she was mopping the floors on the island house and cabanas with ~purified~ water vs. rain water. Ok, that is when I drew the line on the sand. 
I do not except guests who does not write my name in a first letter. Just hey, hi or nothing. When guests make a reservation request they see my name.
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In all seriousness: a guest who asks many detailed questions where you’re not quite sure why they need so much detail. In particular, guests who ask whether you have a doorman or concierge (they do not want anyone seeing them coming and going!) or whether there’s a door code to let their friends in. Odds are their friends will be paying customers or extra staying guests who didn’t pay. One other red flag is wanting excessive details of how to wash/dry clothes and if they can have extra towels and spare sheets. Yes, I’ve had two of these this year - one set burned me by leaving early unannounced, pretending a relative had passed away, then getting a full refund from AirBnB despite not telling me they’d left early until the booking was over, and damaging items in the property (their account is now suspended, I suspect they did it to somebody else too). Another one booked and paid, before I realised what she was up to and googled her phone number - she was telling customers she’d be at my place, and I got an eyeful of skin that I can never erase from my brain. Fortunately once I presented the evidence to AirBnB they immediately cancelled her booking. Dodged a bullet there!
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Me too. Lesson learned: Next time someone says this, I won’t tell them to contact Air - I will tell them I’m so sorry, go ahead and cancel and you’ll get a money back according to the cancellation policy. Cross fingers THEY do the standard cancelling and never think to ask AirBnB for more.
It is too easy for them to send fake documents to get a refund dishonestly. I’m not an insurance provider and I shouldn’t lose through no fault of my own.
The ones that get me nervous are those that refer to the booking as a ‘contract’, and insist on knowing everything that is provided, to the level of minutiae. ‘Closet lawyers’ and usually a confrontational type.
Another type is the overly fearful or inexperience, I rent an island and when they start asking if anything in the ocean can bite them, that is when I start to end the exchange.
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I had one who kept referring to my guest room as “property.” Declined.
I had one who asked if I would be on the premises during their stay. Declined.
I had one who kept trying to negotiate what could be prepared in the kitchen when my listing says ‘no cooking.’ Declined.
I had one who asked if his friend could sleep on the sofa in my living room, because they didn’t want to share a double bed. Declined.
Honestly anything that just feels a little off or weird should be declined. It’s all about comfort level. Maybe I’m a picky host, but my home is a sacred place. Can’t allow anyone in who makes me feel uneasy for any reason.
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Super-belated response, but yes, I collect ID information from guests. It’s standard in India. Also the Indian govt requires reporting of foreigner activity - there’s an online form.
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Do you all consider it a red flag when guests ask questions answered in the listing (wifi, parking) or is that just par for the course?
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Par for the course. Reading, just basic reading seems to be an adventure with humans nowadays. Pictures are the new thing. 90% of my guests always ask, “Where do we meet?” which is on the top of my Information List in big bold letters.
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I really appreciate your comments about expectations. You couldn’t have said it better. I’ve reluctantly accepted reservations and then later had this feeling of dread. But then when they showed up they were just wonderful. However I have had a couple of people, maybe a few more, that showed up and proved my feelings of dread to be founded :)))) Not horrible people, just not a mesh with my personality or style of hosting.
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haha, thats very funny! Sometimes I think I need a therapist too.I always use my poor husband as a sounding board;pummeling him with endless rants about something a guest did that pisses me off…He quietly listens to me,probably squirming hoping I will just shut up and go away!
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Your poor husband. I feel for him. I am unlucky enough to be the “sounding board” for my partner whenever we clean up after guests. This is what goes through my mind:
Okay, I get that it’s a mess… okay, I should have remembered to tell the guests to wash dishes before checkout, I heard you the first ten times!
But in all seriousness - your ranting is VERY irritating. Really. Yes, I’m listening quietly, because it’s just pointless to argue and make you more upset!
I’m just waiting for you to shut up. We’ve got cleaning to do…
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