Great poll!
…
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Just want to add another round of applause for this excellent poll 
Actually, it’s more of a questionnaire really. Great job 
Like faheem, I am also surprised at the number of hosts doing stuff for free.
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And Faherm has a PhD in Statistics so he would know. 
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Well we have a P.O. but it’s 12 miles away.
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Well 40 minutes each way, which is what you previously posted, is too effin far. So I can see why you don’t want to do it.
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I don’t do it for free, some are services I may or may not provide to a client, “depending.” I feel much more obligated if something is paid for so. I prefer to do it without additional charges. As I said on another thread, about luggage drop off only, I’m primarily offering it so I can be listed “for work.” I doubt there is much demand in my market.
For sure. I was just commenting on the high number of hosts who don’t charge for luggage drop-off/pick-up. I thought I’d be an outlier! I don’t charge for anything that doesn’t take up my time. Luggage just sitting there doesn’t require any effort. And insurance… pfft. It’s really not an issue here. Obviously it’s not possible for many hosts to do the same. But I thought more people would charge for these things.
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Ah…the silent majority.
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Nixon used to say that line… what was it in reference to, teach?
The silent majority were the ones who felt the country should be engaged in Vietnam, right?
It referred to what he thought were most Americans. The average person not really involved with politics. For him specifically I think the war was the main issue; the silent majority was not those hippies and druggies who were always protesting.
We are a mom and pop 6 room hotel in the smokey mountains on bad roads. We charge a decent price and get at least 50% repeat customers. So if you make it here early we have 40 acres and hiking/horse trails into the national forest to explore. We have a cafe and store too. I don’t think we are airbnb norms but maybe we are. I mail something about once a month. No charge. Some folks send money others don’t. Our whole appeal is family friendly family run business. We charge a little more but try to offer a little more for it.
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Hi @Magwitch,
Well, someone has to be there to hand it back to them. Unless you just let them pick it up themselves without any effort on your part.
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Yes, good point. I work from home, though, so it’s really not a big deal for me. I do occasionally allow them to take a key and pick up luggage themselves if I’m not going to be in. I know that won’t work for many hosts but it’s been ok for me. It all depends on your listing. I’m v low-budget so don’t attract scammers, also 99% of my guests are tourists who are not looking to load up their suitcases with any of my stuff. Plus there ain’t anything worth stealing here! So I’m lucky. I suppose…!
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Okay, THIS caught my eye because early check-in are the most annoying part of hosting (for me). I can’t stand them!!!
Early on we tried to accommodate everyone’s requests, and quickly learned that it is not worth our sanity to accommodate special requests that require lots of juggling around, rushing, phone calls to cleaners or tradespeople, etc. or the worst: we go through all this trouble to get the guests in as early as poss., to then have them message saying, (affect high-pitched voice here): “Oh, we decided to stop and have lunch, so no worries for the early check-in!” 
grrrrrr
This is just at my house, of course. Like some have said, all listings and areas are different with their unique challenges, but now, I just say no most of the time, with the rote message response. We also added a note on our listing page stating we cannot accommodate early check-ins or late check-outs, (which eliminated most requests). It was inspired from a cute five star boutique hotel’s website.
Fact is, we have cleaners who create their own schedule and they need that time in case there is an issue with turning the space over. Even if I am doing it myself, I say “we will let you know if it is possible, but won’t know until check-in day, after the previous guest(s) check-out.” or “we will let you know. Sometimes we can even get people in up to an hour early, depending how we find the condition of the house.” Knowing that they are having us go to a lot of trouble for only an extra hour usually does the trick. Most have responded with, “Oh, okay we’ll just take in some sights and see you at x time.”
But we aren’t totally hardnosed. If someone asks to check in early and the room is indeed ready early, we tell them to come on over, but it has still rarely been more than about an hour or so. In our early days hosting when I cleaned exclusively, sometimes guests left 8am and I could get a guest in super early, but now, anything more than an hour is just too stressful, and after so many people did not come early after going through all the trouble, I just said NO MAS, graci-as.
Late check-outs: Never. Unless it’s an emergency. Once had a guest’s mother get so lost in the city that we guided her all the way back on the phone for twenty minutes. She was fried, poor thing. They left two hours after check-out because we told them to relax and take their time. But usually I just say it’s not possible, because “we have guests checking in the same day and need the time to ready the space. Thank you for understanding.”
We also don’t do luggage drop-off before or after check in or out, because we are busy and can’t guarantee anybody will be home to take the luggage or be waiting there for them to retrieve it. Early luggage drop-off in the room is also not possible because the cleaners [won’t] be held responsible for luggage.
If a guests ask for luggage drop off, we steer them to hiring a rental car, which they need at our house anyway. Taxis will come out here, but they are expensive. We have considered adding a locking shed for luggage from guests who don’t rent cars. Any suggestions from hosts who have one or are planning on doing this? Much appreciated.
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@LetsShareThoughts Ditto to pretty much every single thing in your post.
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Don’t do the shed. It’s still a liability. Guests are used to hotels and their policies. But hotels have belldesks and space to do it without impacting other guests.
I say no to all three. And like you have done all three in the past and have been burned in some way. I have told the story where I allowed a couple from Germany to stay almost until their midnight flight. My thanks? A house full of sand and a crack in the review about how the armoire didn’t have enough space. Oh really? You’re welcome for that favor I did you.
I let a pushy couple leave their luggage as the option of least choice when they couldn’t be granted late check out. They didn’t want to leave it in the carport, so I let them leave it on the wooden lanai. My thanks? Scuff marks all over the place that needed to be repainted and no thanks or review at all.
Quite over it!
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I think I may have gotten the check in times wrong, should be 3pm or later check out is 11 am 12 pm is late check out.
It is possible to just choose another option .
Not if I don’t use 24 hour time.
I think a locking shed is a reasonable idea, if it doesn’t involve much effort or expense. I assume this is something that will sit outside your home, and guests can collect their luggage from it without your involvement.
You don’t necessarily have to tell guests about it, but it’s just something you can use if the need arises.
I would like to do something similar (a luggage box), but haven’t found anyone who can make what I want yet.
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