I think that as long as it is stated up front then it doesn’t matter what you call it. Someone can choose to book or not. I also know I am not the “norm” as hosts or people go.
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One way would be to install a smart plug. Then it could be turned off remotely. However, if it’s something like A/C I can see a guest trying to call it a loss of amenity and requesting (and often getting) a refund.
I do know that there are some thermostats that will detect movement and then change the temperature to a more energy efficient one until there is motion again.
How can a guest consider a turned off A/C while they are gone as a ‘loss of amenity’??? They can’t take the A/C with them when they leave the accommodation.
Did this happen in the past?
What world would we live in if a guest gets their money back just because we hosts insist on conserving energy and ask to have electrical devices turned off when guests leave? As I said before, hotels use the key-cards for the room as an electrical switch which renders the room powerless once the guests leave. I hope the guests won’t call the management for a “human rights violation”…
I am in total agreement with you but have had so many negative experiences with Airbnb that I can see that happening. I am continuing to get new requests for a 50% refund request ($800+) from a guest who dropped the temp so low and then left all day (on a heat wave day) that it ended up breaking. Turns out the compressor broke and it was about $15 to replace but the cot of emergency HVAC service (that couldn’t get there before they left 10 hours later because there were so many emergency calls) so no way of knowing if it would have broken without them turning it so low (whether they were there or not) that I voluntarily gave them a 30% refund of their lease rate ($127.50) in accordance with what Airbnb would give them without my approval anyways.
I have since also discovered that they destroyed (major stains) on 4 brand new towels so requested replacement cost ($47 not including taxes or shipping) and have now been accused of being a scammer.
I’m just saying that I am very cynical about Airbnb’s support of hosts. It’s a great idea to have A/C turned off when guests are not present. Just be aware that some people will complain regardless.
My brother, for example, pays an exorbitant amount for electricity so he can keep his house at 65* for when he comes home from working a hot outdoor welding job, even though he could easily spend a little on a smart thermostat that would allow his to just get the temp there right before he gets home. He struggles with finances but does not care because he wants it cold at home when he gets there and is satisfied that it is the way he does it. Some people will expect the same even when they aren’t paying the difference directly.
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A friend of mine has a saying- “Too poor to pay attention.”
It’s always been surprising to me how many people are resistant to anyone suggesting a better way to do something, with the intention to save that person money or time.
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This may have already been posted, but I recently bought a system from a company in the UK called EcoSense.
It is meant for hotels and bnb’s and replaces the original remote control with one that limits the temperature range. It can even allow the user to set the display lower than the limit, to make a placebo setting. The user can set it to f. ex. 18 but the system is set at 22 degrees (I’m in Europe), and the user knows no less. It also comes with sensors, so the ac will switch off after 30 min if nobody is in the room, or a window is left open. Haven’t tested it yet, but it looks promising. There are several other similar brands out there as well. My be worth a shot. It costs a little, but may set your mind at ease.
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Interesting concept of the placebo effect. I would wonder though if the guest would say it is broken because although it shows the extreme low temp they set it to, they know it is not accurate.
I think that would depend entirely on the settings. Sure, if you set the lowest possible aircon temperature to 26 degrees, and let it display 18 to the user, the user would probably notice.
However I plan to set the lowest temperature on the ac to 22 degrees, and let the lowest displayed temperature be 20 degrees. So the user would think the ac produces 20 degrees air, while it in reality differs by two degrees celcius. I think you’d have to be extremely vigilant (or paranoid and travel with a thermometer) to figure that out.
And one could also cover one’s bases by stating om the airbnb page that the ac temperature interval would be between 22 and 28 degrees. Then it may be a positive thing for the guest to be able to set the temperature two degrees lower, at least get the impression that it is.
I’ll be installing this some time next spring, I’ll let you guys know once I know how it works out. If anyone else have experience with these kinds of systems, I’d be grateful for any input.
There’s another factor as far as what the thermostat setting shows, and what it feels like, or actually is. Unless every room has its own thermostat, it may be warmer in upstairs rooms, and colder in other parts of the house.
If one lives in a humid area, sometimes just a dehumidifier can cool the house down considerably. Where I live, right now, the temperature reading is 84. But with the humidity level, the weather app says “feels like” 97.
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I actually do travel w a thermometer. It’s actually a small weather station that has humidity and temperature.
I tend to be very cold so sometimes am using heat when a majority of people are using A/C. Often the first thing I do when I get to a hotel room is change the A/C (that is often set in the high 60s) to heat (that usually I prefer at the high 70s). In hotels I have sometimes encountered the heater does not work (or even that because it is summertime they have disabled the heat and only run A/C. When I am able to show them the actual temperature with this then they are usually quicker to fix the issue.
I also use one in the car when I have my dog with me.
Anyways, I know I am not the norm. I do look forward to hearing your experience with this in the future.
Me too. Was just talking to my friend in Canada yesterday, who said it was “so hot” there, they are sweltering- 84 degrees. I laughed. It’s almost 100 where I am, with the humidity factor.
When I stay at my daughter’s house in the summer, who has always run hot, she keeps the AC so cold I have to close the vent in my room and open the window instead. In the rest of the house, she’s in a tank top and I have a sweater on.
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I’m the same as you though. The upper seventies can be way too cold for me.
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You are not the only one who travels with a thermometer. I do also, plus I have two in the car because I travel with my dog. They are the neatest little things; they were inexpensive, and I can monitor the temperature remotely via an app on my phone.
I got them on Amazon. I have 4 of them. One goes in the sunroom that’s part of the guest’s suite. That room isn’t on the central HVAC system and I rely on a window a/c unit to cool, and oil filled radiators to heat, that room.
Link, in case you are interested:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07R586J37/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
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This is very interesting. What about instalation. Is it simple without unexpected surprises?
There is no Installation. You just download the app, connect it (the little Govee thermometer) to your Bluetooth on your cell phone, and wherever you carry the little thermometer, it will record the temperature and send the data to your app on your cell phone.
It’s really small. I believe it’s a little less than 2 in. Square Maybe half an inch thick. It runs on a little battery.
This is neat. I’m on the lookout for such a weather station with WiFi capabilities AND also with a clock function. In fact I would like to have a digital wall clock with integrated weather station features and said WiFi option. Does anyone know any models? 
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Thanx so much for sharing! That is not much more $ than what I use and mine are not readable remotely! Definite great find for me, here.
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I have many Govee products in our airbnb - water leak detectors etc. They work well and have save a lot of time money and anxiety. Recommended
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Good to know they have a line of smart products. I will definitely need to take a good look into them.
I didn’t know they had water leak detectors. I don’t have them but they are something I would like to get! Thanks for the info, much appreciated.