This forum is dedicated to connecting hosts with other hosts. Sign up to get the latest updates and news just for AirBnb hosts! Note that we are not affiliated with Airbnb - we are just passionate hosts!
What kind of discounts (if any) do you give traveling medical personnel?
We own a two bedroom 1 level whole home. It is completely stocked like walking into your own home coffee, creamer, A variety of cooking spices and oils, cleaning supplies, washer, dryer laundry soap etc - you get the picture
I received an inquiry about a travel nurse renting our house. Our normal rate is $127 nightly.
A couple of details from her message:
She’s currently paying 2k month at a local hotel.
She said her apartment at home cost her $800 a month. (I’m sure that does not include any of her utilities or Wi-Fi)
She stated that she pays out-of-pocket and is not working with an agency for housing.
Her boyfriend may be coming with a dog if I’m willing to take the pet. (we currently do pets on a case by case basis)
Said that she cannot afford $127 a night and what can I do for a discount.
In my research - maybe maybe someone can verify this information that knows better than me.
Travel nurses/medical:
can receive between $80-$100 stipend daily when on their own for housing (includes food)
depending on the agency and where they are working - because of Covid crisis pay - they are making between 4k - $6k a week.
We’ve had two other occasions where we’ve done around a 30 day stay so I have a lease agreement already in place that I can use.
They are also required to give me a $500 deposit upfront.
.
I’m going to take a separate pet fee if I decide to take her. (I am unsure of the type of pet)
I would adjust based on how much work it’s saving me on daily cleaning. I normally get a lot of one night stays so a travel nurse would have certain advantages. I already have discounts for monthly and weekly stays so that would apply. As for additional discount just because they are a medical professional, it would depend on what the covid case loads are in my town. I do appreciate the sacrifices nurses are making now but it doesn’t feel the same as it did a year ago.
How much they make, can make, spend on housing elsewhere, etc is irrelevant to me. It’s about does the rental make economic and comfort level sense for me. How much are you making now at $127 a night? Are you having back to back bookings? If things are slow and I’m eager to have her book with me I’m willing to offer a better discount.
It is inappropriate, as far as I’m concerned, for a guest to try to make their financial situation any of a host’s business. It isn’t your job to adjust your rates to accomodate anyone’s budget.
She should look for a place that is within her means, not try to chisel you down.
And the boyfriend and dog take this out of the realm of simply being accomodation for a travel nurse. If her boyfriend is part of the deal, he would presumably be paying half, so trying to tug at your heartstrings about what she can afford is quite presumptuous on her part.
I think you should first decide, in the abstract, if and how much you would discount for certain categories of guest such as health worker, military, etc. Then apply your decision accordingly.
There are two reasons you might want to do this:
To express your support for their work and contribution and give them a break
To benefit financially by marketing to those customer categories (e.g., you will be constantly booked and your net revenue will increase despite discounted rates)
I would resist discounting in response to guest pressure until you go through that process.
That being said, it doesn’t bother me if a guest has a go at wangling a break, unless they are obnoxiously persistent or become indignant about it, which could lead to a bad review.
If her boyfriend will also be staying, why can’t he help her pay for the rental? Also, did she provide an ID to confirm that she’s a nurse? I’m sorry, but as a former New Yorker, I don’t trust this potential guest.
Don’t you already offer a weekly or monthly discount rate? If you do, then just offer that and be done with it. Of course, if you can rent your listing to near full occupancy rate at your full price, then why would you offer a discount at all?
I admire people in many professions but that’s not a reason for a discount. Things are the price they are for a reason and therefore I never discount unless the guest has had a problem whilst in residence. (Notably, when the AC stopped working in July - Florida).
When I book a STR, I book within the price range I can afford. I expect others to do the same.
“Thank you for the interest in my listing xxxxxxx
I feel the quality of the home and furnishings we offer as well as the other amenities gives excellent value for money. I am sure if you keep looking you will find something more in line with your budget limitations. Safe travels.”
Agree. I did rent out to a nurse for several months. He is in our place now, but it was a win win. I did discount for the nurse and rented off platform. Small town and I have medical contacts so easy to confirm that he was truly a nurse on the front lines. Very few visitors coming up because town was rampant with covid.( Per capita our county had the highest covid rate in the nation.) I also locked up the extra bedroom and, had I thought of it, should have locked up the second bathroom. The nurse is working all the time. Long hours. Suspect we will see minimal wear and tear and business will be much better in April when they leave. If business had been booming it would not have made any business sense to discount.
I currently have a travel nurse in my property for the next two months. We decided to take a break from Airbnb until we get vaccinations.
As soon as I met her I knew she would be a great tenant. Her story was valid as well.
Bottom line,trust your gut feeling. If you’re seeing red flags then its an easy No.
Good luck
Same here. I’m hearing of people passing away in the last month or so, one after having symptoms just 4 days. All the deaths are senseless but the ones now, so close to the end, really sting.
So true. Also the cases of health care workers, like myself, who got Covid 2 weeks before the vaccine became available in December. Have recently seen 3 people in the clinic with confirmed second cases of Covid. All confirmed by nasal swab tests both times and were ill the first time June to August, and have come down with it again in the last 3 weeks. Fortunately, all of them had milder cases the second time around. None of them had gotten their vaccine yet. All of them are planning to get it in the future. So can not really count on antibodies obtained from the actual illness protecting you from getting Covid for more than 3 to 6 mths. I am scheduled for my vaccine in the next 10 days. I do hope the vaccine gives us more than that…
Bad news for herd immunity. Perhaps it’s the variants? I only know one person personally who had it. They were in a nursing home. After they were released from the covid unit they moved home with a daily home health aide. He doesn’t wear a mask in his home (though the aide does) and stays distanced. I’ve only been over there a couple of times because I don’t know who is going in and out.
I have not read the above posts. I have hosted travelling medical professionals three times. One was a PTAssistant, next was a scrub nurse fella, next was a radiologist fella. None of them make that much. I saw two of the three contracts. All three get per diem for their daily expenses. It depends upon their level of their job.
The PTA got very little. The scrub nurse got a decent amount. The young radiologist got very little.
Contracts are subject to being cancelled all the time, especially now since the pandemic has slowed. (I’m on two travelling nurse FB pages so I’m relating the conversations).
The PTA was here for a month, then cancelled, moved to Salem and was cancelled after two weeks, so came back here to find a job. It was a private contract between both of us.
The scrub nurse was cancelled after one month. He paid via Air.
The radiologist was here for 2.5 months. He paid his first month thru Air and then privately after that.
None of them would have been able to pay a daily rate. And I really DONT care how much their expenses are at home. I found a monthly rent that worked for me, and asked them to pay that. Air only pays out one month at a time.
After over three hundred bookings, the absolute worst guest I’ve even had, hands down, stated in his inquiry, “we are a family of six and are traveling on a budget and just need a place to sleep.” He asked for a disount and I fell for it. I could write a whole story on this imposing man and his family. What a scamming lifestyle.
CA, NY, NJ & Chicago might be this high. Difficult to staff hospitals where there is a lack of qualified staff (some rural Midwest areas) may pay well.
Closer numbers are $50-75/work hour depending on patient load, years of experience & skill set (ED & ICUs sometimes pay more). $100 daily living stipend is probably close.
Remember they are contracted employees. Most agencies do NOT provide health insurance or vacation pay or 401k.
$100/day stipend sounds great but if the RN doesn’t have a kitchen that means eating out which is expensive.
Last year I had a $60/day meal allowance. If I had cheap breakfast & coffee $8-10. Lunch $20 (chicken topped salad & tea) granola bar snack $1. Dinner $15-$20 plus 1 glass of wine =$30. Most dining out means tips too.
Yes, there are ways to keep costs down but the point is $100/day stipend doesn’t mean rent of $2000-$3000 is affordable.
Most travel staff have the same mortgage & family expenses as non-travel staff.
There has been a retired infectious disease on this forum in the past. I remember reading their posts and thinking how varied and interesting the members of this forum are. Would love if they weighed in on this discussion. When I was trying to decide how long I should wait after I had covid to get my vaccine, I got multiple opinions. I chose to wait 3 mths as the majority of the infectious disease specialists recommended that interval. But there sure is a lot we still do not know…
