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Thank you! I can get my agreeable toddler to be quiet if I say, “shhh, the people are sleeping” and we make a game out of it. Unfortunately my husband just says, “I want to relax in my own home” which means make as much noise as he pleases.
I got my review from the guest who complain. THREE STARS!!! This is only my third three-star review out of 144 reviews (one was in retaliation for enforcing my extra guest fee). The guest said it was a nice place and a good value, but that it was noisy and unsuitable for guests over 6 foot due to the “low ceiling.” Both of these details are disclosed in the listing. My ceilings are 7 feet tall but there is one place where there is a low duct. Really, these cheapskates shouldn’t book basements if they hate basements.
Luckily I was able to leave an honest review that the guest was not pleased with her stay but waited to bring it up after the stay was concluded.
My departing guests today complained about the noise when they returned the key. I was already crabby (they were needy and careless during their stay), so I just repeated, “it’s in the listing and past reviews” as they complained about how they couldn’t sleep in. Maybe I should have been more soothing, but I’ve never been so glad September 1 is approaching (when I plan to take about a six month break from hosting).
I’ll be doing some soundproofing during the break, but nothing expensive since soundproofing just means better reviews, not more income.
average of 4.8 isn’t bad, how rude to suggest giving up, forum cliche number 3.
I totes sympathise for noisy gaiters though. When I had a few lodgers in my own home, one was a particularly heavy footed girl, barefoot, heels down first, could hear her wherever you were in the house. She wasn’t very delicate in general, and she’d close all doors with a hefty WHUMP
I’m still hosting, but have blocked off more nights to give myself a break. In the mean time, I’ve been slowly improving the soundproofing in my house. Since that 3-star review, I’ve gotten great reviews though my average is still 4.8 with 163 total reviews (it was 4.9 at the end of the last summer season).
I have to ask those who thought I should quit hosting at a 4.8 average: what is your average rating and your review count?
If you think of something to quiet the noise please let me know! My downstairs neighbor is elderly and very hard of hearing… She listens to the TV so loud I have to not only turn mine on as to not hear hers until 2AM but I have to also turn up my volume.
And yes I’ve talked to her about it… but I guess she couldn’t hear me!
Good - you should not change how you’ve been successful at hosting due to the complaints of guests who failed to read your listing entirely. People in this forum give snarky advise that they’d never follow themselves - ignore them.
People complain in the same manner to me about my neighbors, I respond and explain to them they knew they were booking a condo with people surrounding them at each wall.
Hi there, I have the exact opposite problem. I have some guests (they leave tomorrow) and although they are over 30 and professional they partied worse than undergrads. AT 3 am they were drunk on the patio, laughing and singing to my neighbors exasperation. one of them specifically created an account on ABB just to scream at me “PLEASE TURN THE VOLUME DOWN AT [ADDRESS]!!!”
I was so shocked I didn’t know what to do. I apologized to the neighbor and sent a series of messages to the guests (i don’t live in the house and it’s a 30 min drive for me) that I will evict them the next day if they continue). The next day around noon I get some replies from her (the booking guest) saying that they were still on west coast time and didn’t realize they were upsetting the neighbors. That they were all adults and it wont happen again.
so far it didn’t but I am so pissed! in my home description and rules I say in several places that parties are not allowed and that this is a quiet neighborhood with retired people and houses close together.
how can I prevent this from happening in the future? these were brand new people. no reviews.
We can’t control the future. You can’t even control the present if you don’t know what’s going on. A method that many people are using is a video doorbell. When people are in and out moving in front of it late at light you can turn on the volume and listen in and hear people singing, yelling, talking loudly. You should also give your neighbors your direct contact information and ask them to call you if there is a problem so you can take care of it. You want them calling you, not the police. This is the kind of Airbnb behavior that makes people hate Airbnb and support regulations banning it in homes where the owner doesn’t live.
I am not sure who told you to quit hosting. My average is 4.8 as well. I think the decision of hosting/not hosting should be yours and based on how much you are fed up with the work itself or other personal reasons.
That was a suggestion, if nothing else works. Still it’s a very personal option. And yes, I agree with Don in the sense that the guests should have a minimum comfort.
I also believe that the situation can be remedied or at least improved. And yes, i have 4.8 rating as well and I am sure a lot of people have this rating.
