Type of guest to avoid?

91

I understand Chicago. The elders are definitely tidier and cleaner. I had two disappointing guests this weekend. My older guests hounded me for a discount on their stay by pretending to be disappointed for the first two nights (not genuine complaints) which caused me so much stress as I couldn’t work out what was going on, and they made us feel so bad without giving us any indication how to fix it (I was really slow in catching on that they were trying to scam a discount, because there was no real complaint - fortunately they couldn’t find one). I can imagine however if they weren’t right in your home and you didn’t have to face them over breakfast to check in on them that it would be far less stressful. However these people wanted the whole bnb ‘full service experience’ where I and my husband play gracious hostess and listen to them blab on endlessly about their incredibly boring lives. Well, they also were very excited about the home/sheets/ architecture/area and had a lot of excited questions. They left blood splatters on the sheets - scabs or something on their legs? This was the worst. Demanding!

My super handsome and attractive Ken and Barbie recent transplants to NYC from Minnesota were also pretty disappointing guests. They treated the room like a crappy dorm room. Coffee cups everywhere, wet towels left on the down duvets, wet washcloths left on an antique wooden chair soaking the wood till it was sodden and swelling :frowning: if that wasn’t bad enough, they left coffee stains and some kind of red stain on my antique French linen sheets and Madeira pillow cases. The sheet is worth over $300, and I could not remove the stains. I have yet to see the pillowcases, as my husband tossed those in the wash. They also came in in the middle of the night stumbling around drunk slamming doors, having showers, knocking furniture over, left the shared bathroom (that have finished old oak floors) absolutely flooded with water so that we had to run in after each one of them used it to tidy up like after a child so that the older couple didn’t have conniptions…and boy did they take a lot of showers. Twice each a day.

None the less, as we have guests in our home, despite the damage and disrespect to property, because the older couple were more disrespectful to US, they were the worse guests if it were to be a competition.

Our other couple left a glass in a pool of water on a 19th century desk in the room, right next to a silver tray with linen tray placement on it. It boggles my mind 1 just an inch over and no rings or damage. They threw their luggage on the sofa too so it is dirty.

You really can’t win.

We’ve decided we prefer the young people considering we share our home with them. The older people are uncomfortable not being in control, and try their best to gain control of a household. Despite being older, I am frequently asked for my ID, even in restaurants I am often declined a cocktail unless I have brought my license along. I believe this leads older guests to treat me like one of their children, and to assume they can take charge, get bossy, manipulate, or otherwise pull one over on me. Thankfully when my husband steps in it can put an end to things, but it often doesn’t help the beginning. Still, they are demanding, want to be entertained in what they assume is a bnb, and after all is said and done still take a mark off here and there.

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92

Hi Sandy,

I feel your pain about putting drinks on wood surfaces. We put coasters in the guest room and all over the house, but people still set down drinks on wood surfaces right next to the coasters. My husband has started showing guests the coasters and explaining what they are for as part of showing the house. I tell him it might come across as condescending, but he believes it’s worth it if it saves our furniture.

93

Yes! They’re everywhere. There’s so much to ask/tell, already, alas though you’re right. Younger people will need to be told.

94

The problem with stereotypes is that they cannot be applied to individuals, only to groups and individuals book with us, not demographic groups. I’ve had older people who came for their 35th high school reunion and stayed out late every night partying. I’ve had young people who arrived in the evening and didn’t go out at all. My favorite kind of guest is the one whose company I enjoy, who are interesting and who don’t do anything to irritate me. I won’t know until they get here what their irritating characteristics are. I will say my least favorite type of guest is the kind that books here for several days and then doesn’t really go out. They spend the day here and talk to me every time they see me. So far this has only been single men between the ages of 25 and 50. Does that mean I dread every type of that guest? No. Because I have had more in that demographic than any other type of guest and most have been great.

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95

Sandy and EllenN I put a removable Contact brand plastic film on my wooden furniture in the guest room. Then I put coasters in the room as well. I also bought some double wall plastic cups that don’t “sweat” and provide those to the guests to use. I also mentioned in the printed “guest guide” that I put in the room to watch for spill on the wood because there is a book case with no plastic film. I also recommend not putting the best items in the guest room. For example I bought used duvets on ebay that are cheap and can go in the wash. Good luck!

96

Sandy, can you give us an update since you added rules and a deposit? I would hope guest behaviors have improved?

97

Wow - you comment about older guests being uncomfortable not being in control was SO prescient.

A guest just left, an older guy whose photo was him for the 90s. H resisted every aspect of the air experience, starting with ignoring my multiple emails about the electronic key and requesting that he read the house rules. I came home to him in the living room with his shoes on (rules ask they be put into trays outside) and when I mentioned that the house rules are to be read and followed he said (Wow) "Don’t lecture me’. This, after I mentioned that the door needed to be locked after he enters or leaves.

He did read the rules, sitting there, though, then asked for a charger for his phone (which I gave him and found the next morning plugged into a wall socket and not in the bag I gave him) and found the bed a mess and hair dye stains all over the pillow when he left.

It was obvious by the way he spoke and the way he left the room that he clearly thought he was in a hotel, and that my sleeping in the house as well was something to be tolerated by him.

Younger folk (please do not bash me haha I am 64 years old) are much more tolerant, even tempered, and ok with the fact that they are guests not customers.

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98

I have now three years of AirBnB experience, I get heavy weekend bookings from May 1 to Oct 30. Which guests are likely to be hard on you and your place? I can say without doubt, parents with a toddler, or even two toddlers. I’ve had a number, and no matter how nice the people, the toddler goes nuclear on them, and your place is the target zone! Also, the diaper smell lingers till your next guest smells it! The parents seem to break things in the bathrooms while servicing the toddlers needs. My bathtub drain was broken when they tried to give toddles a bath! He crapped in the tub to make it smell sweet while I made repairs! Fear of the child getting hurt and me getting sued.
A toddler is NOT worth the rental. I have now banned kids under 8. The last toddlers diaper smell just pushed me over the edge.
Give me a cranky 70 year old couple any day.

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99

I tried to “like” your comment four times James, but could only like it once. It is the damn truth!! And I noticed a pattern. My guests from other listing sites don’t have as out of control toddlers like the ones that come from Airbnb. I finally noticed that pattern. I have some of the most wonderful newbie young guests from Airbnb, and then I get spoiled don’t tell me what to do guests from VRBO. But with the toddlers, Airbnb guests take the cake. And these parents are paying a lot too!! They are not booking my place to save money at all. They are booking the most expensive two bedroom place that is not even kid friendly…yikes!

100

If diapers are changed in time, and then put in plastic bag there wouldn’t be any smell at all. Long ago when my daughter was a toddler , I used to have a mini day care in my house with 3 extra kids to make some money. I had 4 little kids and they were all in diapers . There was no smell at all, because I changed them in time.

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101

Oh god. I am so happy about my no kid policy. Never ever ever ever ever ever ever!

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102

@chicagohost & @konacoconutz I had to fire the linen company that Airbnb uses as a partner because of stained linens (towels and sheets)!
Always use a mattress protector in case of spills or pee
I think I’ll add a few potty pads to the welcome basket in the event they want to have sex.

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103

Me too… Mine is not kid friendly. Older kids are fine. Not a good fit for babies and toddlers. If they write and enquire, I send them to the King Kam Hotel in town with a baby beach.

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104

Ellen… I had someone leave drink marks on my wood table RIGHT NEXT TO THE PILE OF COASTERS. Idiots.

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105

Oh yes Bob, I had a couple just like this! Oddly enough a young couple who should have understood Air B&B and have read my listing, which is complete in every aspect. They were shocked and appalled that I lived in the house they rented!! I kindly referred them to the listing page which says “Private Guest Room” In a Two Bedroom cottage. They loved the place, but hated the sharing. I mean that was down to them, I make clear this is a room in my home, not the Condo rental they thought they would get. I mean they wrote the review that everything was perfect, beautiful, brand new, ultra clean, great lake shore location! Blah! Blah! They blasted the fact that they were stuck in the uncomfortable sharing situation, where MY room was upstairs next to theirs. Mind you, I left them totally alone from 7:00PM and till checkout at 11:00AM. So once we cleared up the sharing thing, they NEVER saw me again. Still they Blasted the lack of privacy. And they left a poison pill in the form of 3 stars fro everything. I have never gotten less than a 4, but they 3rd them ALL! They were little pricks! Failed to read the listing and took it out on me.

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106

The good part is that if anyone read their review they would understand that these people are just sloppy and it was their mistake for not reading what they were booking.
Also I don’t get how people are not realizing the price. How can they expect for this money to rent the whole house. I am in a very low season right now. My 2 rooms are 55$ each which for the quality and private bath is really dirt cheap. I had inquires if its the whole house.
I have pictures of the house: living room, large modern kitchen , dining room. It’s a large modern beatifull house and it shows on the pictures. Why would anyone think that I am renting out Place like this for 50$ a night??

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107

Sorry to hear that 69jamescole,

I did read once where someone wrote an article about their Airbnb stay as they didn’t realize they had rented a shared space for their family. It was an interesting article. He talked about what a surprise it was to all of a sudden be living with a stranger. It’s actually funny when you think about a guest being surprised to be living with someone.

But definitely NOT funny for you as this affects your business with their lousy rating! I would email the pricks back and blast them privately if you still can. How dare they rate you low due to their mistake. Did you at least publicly respond to the review to let future guests know that this guy assumed he was renting a private space?

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108

69James… did they just not READ??? This is what AirBnB mostly is! Sharing homes!

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109

Not always the case, I guess it depends where the 50+ are coming from. I’ve had some really lovely 50+ guests from Holland and they were biking around, really flexible.

On the other hand, I have accepted guests <21yrs and tend to be messy and stay in the room 24/7. Don’t tend to leave any review. So I’m not sure what is worse?

110

This is definitely true too. It’s why it’s so difficult. Which guests are going to be those disrespectful, annoying or demanding ones?