To leave portable airconditioner in the Airbnb amenity listing for an extra fee or not?

@Yen1

You have a portable air-conditioner which is included as an amenity in your listing. Apparently, it isn’t very effective.

Your current guest chose your place because it has A/C and is unhappy the unit doesn’t cool. You showed him how to properly use it but you “want to take it away from him”. (Am I missing something?)

Your question is, should you offer the A/C unit (which is inadequate and poor performing) for an extra fee per night.

Huh?

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I got the AC for free from a friend thinking it would bring more people, but knowing I would have to increase the price higher than a non AC room.

The AC DOES work but it eats up a lot of electricity. The guest just didn’t use it correctly. However, since currently it gets colder at night than the AC can go (only 60 by AC vs 50s outside), I’m wondering if it is best to lower the price of my room since I am just starting and offer the AC as an extra fee per night during the two weeks where it really does matter in Aug-Sept vs having an increased rate and if it does catch the eye of someone they use it when it really is needed (which in this case the guy just turned in on because it is an AC and didn’t care that opening the window would be more effective).

Currently it is MORE effective to open the window than to use the AC. Hence question is to lower the price, but list the AC at an extra daily fee per night but still include it in the listing so it is optional for the guest vs inflating the price of the room to compensate for the high electricity usage knowing that it will lure possibly outsiders who didn’t pay attention to the weather?

My AC does come with plexiglass with the vent hose attached and tape all over it…which requires opening the window. I know how to use it. Plus there are some box portable ACs, which isn’t mine that does require sticking it out of the window.

I think that is the correct name of this unit. “Free Standing” rather than portable. I don’t have one but they do generate heat when they run. You do have to vent them like you would a clothes dryer. And some also collect water in the process of drying out the air. I don’t have one but I do find them to work plenty good enough where I’ve seen them at friends houses. The prices have come down quite a bit. I’ve seen them this year for about $200 for an 8000 BTU unit.

One criteria I use when adding amenities: will they attract guests or make the guests stay more comfortable.

You might want to see this guest’s issues as a heads up for you - a bed review or a guest who does not book costs real$. If you amortize this over a year’s bookings, you need to ask yourself - is it worth it to ‘go cheap’ over something that is costing you only a few $ per booking?

Also consider - instructing your guest to install the air conditioner seems to be a problem - and problems like this, which are easily solved, should be eliminated from your home. Guests looking to their own experiences will easily understand turning down a thermostat to make the room cooler, and see the result as positive. Not so much the ‘lowball’ air conditioner.

Ha! You get what you pay for. I had one I gave away as well. It just didn’t work.

She told me to raid her apartment of stuff because she moved to Dayton and didn’t want the property manager to charge her per item. She didn’t give it away because it didn’t work so “you get what you pay for” doesn’t apply. She would still use it if she was still in Seattle.

We are also in Seattle and installed a portable a/c unit like you described in the bedroom. We vented it through the wall. It works surprisingly well and although it’s really just to cool the bedroom down for sleeping it will actually cool the whole place if you give it enough time. However, we opted to not list it as a searchable amenity. I have a photo of it in the listing saying it’s in the bedroom only, but I honestly don’t want people looking specifically for a place with a/c to choose our place because of it. Our unit faces west and can really get warm in the afternoon sometimes and I don’t want anyone disappointed. It’s just a plus for people that are thinking they can live without a/c.

This is exactly what to do!!! Don’t even list the amenity. Then when they get in, they will be surprised and happy they get it. Plus you can move it in and out of the room and not be breaking any promises to guests.