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@EllenN “I have no idea how noise sensitive your neighbors are. I would not want to have to pay 100 Euros because someone who dislikes the sound of normal conversation complained.”
This is not a matter of normal conversation, it’s a matter of loud music / yelling / partying late at night, which we’ve had a problem with at several occasions.
And, the rule about emergency check is not about normal cooking, but triggering the alarm due to FIRE from forgetting food on the oven etc.
As said before, I’m not charging any guests for normal wear or minor breakes, but large visible scratches or stains that cannot be cleaned is not acceptable, this should probably be further defined as it obviously causes some confusion. Thanks for your feedback
I have never stayed in a hotel where I would be charged 100 Euros over the replacement cost if they deemed anything damaged or missing. I have never stayed in a hotel where I would be charged 100 Euros if someone complained about noise. I have never stayed in a hotel where I would be fined if the smoke alarm went off.
I really don’t think you can enforce a 100 Euro fine over and above the replacement cost. Airbnb will not enforce this. You can barely get Air to reimburse you for replacement cost.
You say you " want to be treated as a civilized human being and that’s the way I treat my guests. If I had constant problems with breakages or noise or whatever I’d do something about it rather than impose rules that are only suitable for children."
Most people are civilized humans, but, WHAT DO YOU DO, when some guests are TRASHING your property, BREAKING the flat screen worth 700 euros, throwing food on the walls, throwing garbage all over the apartment, bugging the neighbors, destroying your floors, smoking inside despite the non-smoking rule?
Do you just sit back and say “please be nice?”
Because last time this happened to me, Airbnb and the insurance company said “you have no binding contract with your guest, so you must cover the costs yourself”
Please Jan, there’s no need for sarcasm. I have stayed in many hotels all over the world and I’m sure that Ellen has stayed in many too.
What on earth is your place? A zoo? I don’t understand why, when you have obviously disruptive guests, you have such a valuable TV or floors that can be easily damaged. I also don’t understand why people who are, presumably, paying a lot of money for a nice place throw food on the walls and garbage all over the apartment.
And no, I don’t tell people to ‘be nice’. Don’t you or your onsite manager talk to them about smoking during the house tour? Don’t you have tamper proof smoke alarms? Surely you or your manager are aware when guests are bugging neighbours and simply go and stop them from doing so? And what exactly does bugging the neighbours mean? If you mean by being noisy or anti-social just go and tell them to stop, firmly.
Keep in mind… words on a page have extraordinary impact. No matter how friendly you are in person on arrival, the rules they will read before booking come across as overly harsh and authoritarian. I would recommend softening them. (Maybe you didn’t intend it that way, but you DID ask us for advice.)
Also. if you are not an onsite manager, you need to install cameras outside… it sounds like the guests are completely running amuck.
I think… Why is that?? Get to the bottom of why it’s happening? Are they vetted properly? Do you charge a large deposit? Who are you renting to and how many? Is it drawing parties? Is there an on site manager?
Why didn’t Air cover you for the damage? If you follow the proper procedures and provide adequate proof, Air should cover you. (Although I am not sure whether the million dollar host guarantee extends to Europe.) Where are you exactly, and what kind of rental? How many guests do you allow? Maybe tighten up on the number of people and make a NO PARTIES, EVENTS or ADDITIONAL GUESTS ON THE PROPERTY OR IN THE HOME.
Get some exterior cameras and employ a PM if you are not on site.
@jaquo has a point – I am not on the property when my guests are at my cottage - I am over 100 miles away - and they don’t act like that and I have been renting since 2010 on craigslist, Air and other platforms. Guest arrivals and departures are entirely self-guided with no onsite property manager. If you have guests throwing food on the walls and garbage all over the apartment something else is happening. Are you charging too little? Are you in a party town like New Orleans? Can you install a camera and publicize that your property is under exterior surveillance? (I think that helps with the kind of guests I attract.)
@jaquo Yep, I live in a zoo (long live the sarcasm and irony).
As written several times before, most people are okay, but I’m wondering how I can protect myself against those who are not?
I’ve had people throwing a party at my apartment when I was not there, and the neighbors complained the day after. There is not much I could have done about it.
I’ve had people breaking very expensive things in my apartment, and although 99% of people don’t break things, some people do, and Airbnb or the insurance company will do NOTHING unless you don’t have a written contract with the guest.
We DO talk to people about smoking and other basic rules at every check in, still some people break the rules. No matter how many times you speak to people about rules, a few people will intentionally break them, and I think there should be consequences.
This is why many apartments do not work well as STR. Many of the problems you are talking about would be handled by onsite hotel security. Wear and Tear / things getting broken is a cost of doing business.
" How many guests do you allow? Maybe tighten up on the number of people and make a NO PARTIES, EVENTS or ADDITIONAL GUESTS ON THE PROPERTY OR IN THE HOME."
That’s exactly what I’m trying to do by applying rules, but guests tend to break the rules, and obviously people here think that’s okay
@Jan_J - Keep the rules. Our collective response has been that the rules as written above - both in tone, length and numbering scheme - are a turn-off. You may turn away more guests than you intimidate into behaving. I know I wouldn’t book and I am a neat, nearly 58 year old, non-drinking-non-smoking woman. But clearly you feel this is must you must do, so, as they say in the U.S, you do you. Best of luck!
@CatskillsGrrl Thanks for your help I’ll probably have to change a few things to come across as less harsh and unfriendly I appreciate the advice. I just need to figure out how to protect myself “in a friendly way” against those people not caring about rules
when you receive a booking request, ask for the names of everyone staying and the purpose of the trip. Make it clear that nobody else is allowed to stay. Ask guests to familiarise themselves with house rules (which will be basic and friendly courtesy based rules - no parties, please respect our quiet hours, please respect our neighbours, please respect our home, ect.) I’m assuming you don’t have instant book. If you do, turn it off!
raise your security deposit.
-raise your cleaning fee to cover some extra time if you need to spend it taking out the trash ect
I understand why you feel the need for your rules if you’re having these problems, but I think most of these bad guests can be screened out before they even book.
And Jan, you didn’t ask but since it has been an issue with you, do get them to sign an additional contract, but have an attorney read it over or draft it. This is not that expensive… and WELL worth the money. Just one flat screen TV replacement would pay for it. You are not a lawyer so don’t try to draft up a binding contract. Hire a lawyer.
Also, just to add to my previous post - I think if you go ahead with your contract, most guests won’t bother to read it anyway. You’ll still get the damage happening and it will be a pain in the ass to enforce the contract.
Jan, I doubt that there’s a host alive who hasn’t had guests smoke, cause some damage, start to be noisy or break other rules. It’s how you deal with it that counts. And these things are a cost of doing business and should be factored into your finances when it comes to setting your price.
You really can’t expect Airbnb or your own insurance to pay for everything. You might not like that, but it’s the case. You need to protect your place and its contents as much as possible to minimise risk. You should if at all possible, have someone on site when your place has guests. Have security cameras, smoke alarms etc.
As @CatskillsGrrl says, it’s your place and you can set any rules you want to but several people here have said that they simply wouldn’t stay in a place that had such rules. You’ll have to balance that in your deliberations too. You’ll probably get less damage but fewer bookings so if you’re okay with that, then go ahead.
