I am starting to think that I could use the Guest messaging system in a more productive way. At present I just send a thank you message when they book and then to ask for check in time closer to arrival.
I would like to send the house rules as a message but dont know how to do it in a friendly way. This has come about because of cleanliness ratings. I have two rooms on Air in my home and the guests share a bathroom. Sometimes the guests do not leave it tidy for the next guests and I have had a few low cleanliness scores because of this. I have my own separate bathroom so I am not instantly aware of any issues. My house rules has a clean up after yourself line.
The same happens in the kitchen. I am in the kitchen a lot so I see problems and can clean but I am not always at home.
Any suggestions for getting the message through and any other message idea. Thanks
I have the same situation with a shower room shared by 2 separate single guests. I have been dinged for other peoples lack of cleanliness in the past, including failure to flush euw! I also have a rule of leaving the shower room clean for the next person. I check and clean the shower room every day.
I put guest information in the room which says if thereās anything you need for a 5 star experience then let me know. When I show the shower room I say itās shared with one other person and to let me know if problems.
I do make requests of guests on the app if they are causing cleanliness issues. I also ding them in the review. If guests want to leave a mess they need to book an ensuite.
More communication of rules is not going to improve your cleanliness rating. You are going to have to accept that bathrooms shared by two or more parties wonāt be as clean as a private bathroom and you are going to get blamed.
The only thing I can think of to improve is to explain to guests in person that others will be using the bathroom and especially important are things like using the toilet brush and cleaning the hair out of the drain and anywhere else itās seen.
I have a sign up about the hair in the drain. It encourages blockages for a start. I also walk guests through ventilating when they have a shower (when itās too cold for the window, use the fan). Thereās nothing worse than going into a damp, humid bathroom. However if I check in the morning and evening I catch 90% of issues. It sounds a bit like Macdonaldās restroom!
When I send a message asking for their arrival time and looking forward to meeting etc I then attach from the saved messages.
Here is some important info for your arrival, please take some time to read it.
ā¦and the arrival info like where to park but also a few of the major rules
----then end with āIn October sunset is at 6.15pm. Enjoy!ā
(because people come here to see the sunset but the time varies from 5pm in winter to 9.30pm in summer so I donāt want them to miss it)
I am learning that I need to be a bit more organised in my airbnb and set more of a lead and communicate the rules more firmly so that people are aware of them.
I am quite a customer focused person, softie really, and now I need to toughen up a little.
I sent my first message out yesterday with the rules in.
This was the message I sent
"Hi xxxxxxx,
Thanks for booking with me. You will be able to check in tomorrow between 3pm to 10pm. Could you provide an estimated arrival time.
My house guidelines for an comfortable stay are as follows
Make yourself at home, relax 
Tidy the kitchen and bathroom after use for the next person.
Keep all food/snacks in the kitchen cupboards or refrigerator.
Visitors not allowed.
No smoking inside the house or garden.
(There is a bench in the driveway where smoking is okay.)
No candles or incense inside or out.
I am looking forward to meeting you both tomorrow,
Kind regards Jacqueline
I had a good response back from the guest so maybe I worded it ok.
I like āHere is some important info for your arrival, please take some time to read it.ā @JamJerrupSunset It gets the message over in a good way.
I am also going to put the rules up on the fridge - my first sign in my home :)
And I am tempted to say that all the broad hints and rules set you up nicely for added scrutiny regarding cleanliness in the bathroom and wherever else they are posted.
It is all nice and good that you add a houserule about long hairs in the drain, however if I as a guest then see a hair in the drain I would probably do two things: leave āitā and whatever is my added hair there (which will give yuck factor to about any guest) and then ding you on the cleanliness ā¦
And yes, I had the same constellation for many years less the rules.
Donāt say this! Lol
2020
I used to have a lot of problems with guests not finding their itineraries, this has improved in the last couple of years as I think Air has made it easier to find.
I send two messages after they book, the first one is a welcome message that also tells them where to find their itinerary. The second one says: Some people have trouble finding their itinerary so I am posting the most important parts here as well.
Since I have done this I have not had any desperate calls from guests trying to put their Airbnb reservation code into the front door rather that the 4 digit code in their itinerary!
So true, Poppy. Airbnb makes finding the itinerary quite complicated and for years I have been sending the actual shortcut to the itinerary to all guests.
However lately I have been using the app more versus pc and since Airbnb makes such a simple thing as copying the reservation code impossible, I went back to writing ā¦dear guest, make sure you have the info from the itinerary on hand and so.
This is my message, sent a couple days (depending) before their stay. I took codes and directions out of the app/site because of the toddler staying with us right now. Now important stuff is in this message and Iām thinking of adding a bit more about quiet times to reiterate those again:
Hello! Regarding you vacation at our home starting on ___, I just wanted to check in to give you the gate code and door code and directions.
ā¦ Directions
The gate code is #____ and the lock box code to the house is ____.
Check in is at 3pm.
The house is in a residential neighborhood with the next door house sharing the driveway. Parties and guests in excess of who has been reserved are not allowed.
Bill is a neighbor and the caretaker and our numbers and Billās numbers can be found in the house binder.
Let us know if need anything. Enjoy!