Type of guest to avoid?

I don’t see how stipulating that only visiting students or academics would violate Airbnb’s anti-discrimination policy. In fact, it looks to me like that kind of stipulation is supported by Airbnb.

“Nothing in this policy prevents a host from turning down a guest on the basis of a characteristic that is not protected under the civil rights laws or closely associated with a protected class. For example, an Airbnb host may turn down a guest who wants to smoke in a unit, or place limits on the number of guests in a unit.”

https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/1405/airbnb-s-nondiscrimination-policy--our-commitment-to-inclusion-and-respect

2 Likes

In the policy you have linked to it says;

Age and Familial Status

Airbnb hosts may not:
Impose any different terms or conditions or _decline a reservation based on the guest’s age or familial status, where prohibited by law.

I don’t know where @Antonia_Clare_Grant lives would imagine accepting only students would be going against the spirit of their non discrimination policy.

Students come in all ages and familial statuses. Also, @Antonia_Clare_Grant said that she limits her guests to “traveling students of academic only”. I assume that she meant to write traveling students or academics only.

The portion of Airbnb’s anti-discrimination policy that heads this post states that hosts may turn down guests for characteristics that are “Not protected under the civil rights laws or closely associated with a protected class.” Your profession or status as a student is not a protected class.

What discrimination? Behavior is discrimination now too?

1 Like

That’s awesome! In my home and in my experience every single asian renter has left water. It’s my observation and my reality. I’ll also say my younger renters don’t follow the rules and my older renters leave a mess. It’s just what I experience. And despite the things I find odd I rent to everyone regardless and have met some incredible people!

We have several rooms we rent out in the home that we live in. We have had adult guests of many ages, religions, ethnicites, cultures and countries. Virtually all have been great! I can count the number of difficult guests I wouldn’t have back again on one hand. They have all been women around the age of 60. That is not to say that all the women guests around that age have been difficult. To the contrary, most have been terrific. In fact, some of our favorites have been women of that age. Some are regulars who are very appreciative and enjoy having a man cook and take care of them. But the most difficult guests that we’ve had, have been ones from that demographic. They have treated me like a servant, the hired help, not someone who is opening their home to them. They are super picky and complain about everything. The more you try to please them, the more difficult they become. You bend over backwards for them and it’s never good enough. These are people who belong in a hotel but don’t want to pay hotel rates. I wish I knew a way of identifying them ahead of time. One recently got rave reviews from other hosts! How can that be? I’m sure she didn’t just change overnight for me. I think many hosts are reluctant to leave honest reviews when they are not good.

2 Likes

Yes that’s paradox of some people wanting to pay so little and then demand hotel services. Even regardless of price seems like Air guests don’t realize that this is just a home that regular people rent out and that’s all it is. Honestly this breakfast thing in my opinion is ridiculous. You are staying in someone’s home, bring your own food and eat it unless your hosts are kind enough to share with you.

Lately I get very fussy young guests. I always thought that young are the ones who are easy going but last months I had few Europeans from Northern countries and they all were downgrading me on cleanliness and value. Leaving mess at the same time and not taking their shoes off.For value it was just not fair as nothing there was cheaper than my room. And my rooms are nice.

Yes that’s true not everyone want to leave bad reviews. I was like that too but not anymore. I give bad reviews right and left when they deserve it :grinning:

1 Like

My pet peeve! Hosts come here and complain about guests and then say they are not going to leave a review. :rage: How then are we to cull the guests who don’t belong on airbnb from the system? I like to imagine there is a karmic payback: for every guest you skip the review, you get another just as bad. This continues until you start leaving appropriate reviews. LOL.

5 Likes

It is hard to leave a bad review! You don’t want to total trash someone yet you want to warn future hosts. When I have had someone like that, I’ve said something like “We did our best to please her but I don’t think she was a good fit for us.”

2 Likes

K is right. Try to keep the emotion out of it. Over the summer I hosted a,couple who,were downright clueless. Clueless was their biggest sin. I just had to say something.

In their public review I said something along the lines of,

There were some issues with their stay which may have to do with being inexperienced users, but after I discussed it with them, I’m sure they will be good guests in the future once they pick up on the do’s and dont’s.

And in the private feed I told them the truth about everything. The worst things being how careless they were with the bbq, wasting electricity and yakking in their cell phones or devices on speaker outside at 6am.

It was such a stressful stay that I ended up reaching out to a few people here, one of whom wrote the above for me. You know who you are!!! :rofl::heart_eyes:

4 Likes

I agree with the original question, “Based on my limited experience so far, I find older guests (50+) tend to have sky high expectations and require a lot of baby sitting on everything (direction, parking, check in etc). Although everyone had an enjoyable experience, it seems they tend to leave lower star rating (4 instead of 5). My theory is they are used to hotels and aren’t as self reliant (ie, using google to find answers).” I have had several older couples stay in my tiny house with a sleeping loft that is only accessible by ladder. I had one guest leave early because getting up and down the ladder was hurting their knees – my photos and description clearly state that you have to use a ladder. Another older couple from Germany wanted to borrow my vacuum cleaner and proceeded to vacuum the whole place again even though I had just finished cleaning. Whoa! Both of those couples gave me a less than stellar review.
On the flip side, the younger 20-somethings, seem to never be able to find the towels in the bathroom vanity drawer or the toilet paper that is in the glass cabinet. I feel like I might need to label every drawer and cabinet from now on. :slight_smile:

1 Like

It’s so true. As business people we notice patterns in customer behavior, and it helps us anticipate and be better hosts. So, ignore the mind games about political correctness and talk openly about your experiences.

That said? Yes. 99 percent of the time Asian guest = flooded bathrooms, so when they book it’s time to get the extra towels ready!

1 Like

Actually they can! Even tells you the current Iphone stock at Apple stores -

Can you define old for us? Perhaps over “insert decade” here?

I have a Dr staying long term and he is disgusting, rotting food in his fridge, used toilet paper on the floor, does not clean up food spillages and does nothing but complain as he feels the hospital has put him into substandard accommodation.
He is a DOCTOR and people should bend over backwards to please him!

This is his first stint out as a Locum. He has demanded that I refund the hospitals payment to him so he can rent somewhere else. Hospital has inspected my rental and he was told to suck it up princess, if you move out it will be at your cost, as we have had multiple other specialists stay and they were delighted with what was offered. This was the funniest though - he rang me to say the Dr on the other side of the duplex was having similar issues and he didn’t like staying there…he called it “charming”. I had to explain that charming had nothing to do with harming and that it was a complimentary word!
Almost every day he rings me to complain about something. I can’t wait for June 16!

Over 50. Please see below. Pardon me please if I am posting in the wrong place or anything (I am new to the forum).

I’ve had great older, bad older. I’ve had great younger, bad younger.

There’s just no rhyme or reason to any of it and certainly no predictive evidence that either group will be good or bad.

Or home stayers versus sightseers.:rofl:

3 Likes

I’ve hosted for many, many years - including pre-internet times. Even so I am reluctant to judge guests because of their age, race … or anything at all because there are good people and rubbish people in all groups.

But if someone put a gun to my head and told me that I MUST comment on the age issue, I’d say that the 35 - 50 age group are the worst. (I’d like you to bear in mind that I have - probably but not necessarily - hosted more guests than most of the posters at this forum. Just mentioning this…)

Teenagers, people in their twenties - they seem to be tremendous. The over fifties are the same. That middle group is the one I’ve had the most trouble with - but that’s just my experience. I still have guests from that ‘troublesome’ age group who are brilliant.

Now all this is just my way of saying that even when you’ve hosted thousands of guests, it’s still an error to generalise :slight_smile:

3 Likes

This thread just illustrates how much things have changed in three years. In 2015 it was such a gravy train we needed to debate what kind of guest to TURN AWAY. In 2015 I was charging $165 a night for one bedroom cottage. In 2018 my base price is $135 a night and that’s AFTER expanding the cottage to a 2 bed/2 bath.

1 Like

It’s so different in each area. I charge a lot more than I did in 2015, even though there are many more hosts in my area.

I think I can do this because I have an unusual space which photographs really well and people like staying in and I have lots of quality reviews which most people mention when booking.

2 Likes