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@Zandra – about 6 months but I have also devised an “extreme vetting” process whereby I discuss some important things about the potential guest before I approve their request. I also have a strong 8 bullet item list of house rules that I require guests to review and accept as terms of approval before I confirm their reservation.
If some annoyance does slip through this vetting process, I deal with it on a case by case bases. I only had one guy who got on my nerves and he was dealt with accordingly.
I should also add that the high demand for my superb location, combined with my relatively nice house, enables me to be this picky. At least for the time being. If I have any qualms about a guest, I reject them.
Ok thanks for confirming. The sorts of things that annoy me I couldn’t vet; thinks like soaking the bathroom in water; hanging wet swimming clothes over the wood window sills, leaving the electric blanket on all day etc. People have always been nice but some have lacked common sense. In those cases (and it’s happened a lot, probably because I have a pool) I have been relieved they were going soon.
@Eberhard_Blocher yeah, I’m never doing more than 5, after this guy leaves. Actually maybe even set it at 3, til I get more experience.
I didn’t even talk to this guy today, after what happened yesterday. I wrote him several brief very friendly happy notes, smiled, informed him of the snow on the forecast. He thought my throat hurt, so I kinda nodded my head. (My throat is totally fine.) He doesn’t quite get that I’m deaf, even if I hadn’t had my Auditory Brainstem Implant sound processor in my pocket, I’d still be deaf. It kinda forced him to make up signs like asking for a plunger. This didn’t go on for long- I went for an errand and he went to his job.
We definitely limit our guest stays.
The main reason we have guests via AirBNB is because we don’t want housemates anymore or anything even remotely akin to a housemate.
The benefits of short stays for us include:
Short stays tend to be tourists on holiday. They go out during the day and return in the evening. That’s more privacy for us.
We find it easy to maintain our enthusiasm over short stays and are less irritated by the habits of short stays because we know they are leaving soon.
With short stays, we can sneak in “rest days” and “privacy periods” when it suits us.
Short stays eat out in restaurants - that means they are not using our kitchen.
Short term stays don’t need cupboard and fridge space.
Short stays tend to be more respectful and not take as many liberties in our home.
Short stays tend not to have laundry that needs washing.
Short stays enable us to clean more regularly and keep our home well maintained.
Short stays don’t bring their “new friends” to visit and hang out in our home.
You forgot one. Short stays bring in WAY more money than long terms.
For example, in high season, my place fully booked brings in about 3,000 grand. At best I might be able to charge about $900 renting the room long term.
Even if I go empty in the low season, overall, looking at the big picture, STR is vastly more lucrative and far less trouble and liability than LTR.
After reading many of the responses, I can see many of the points and understand them. In my case, what I offer for rent is a Timeshare condo and I can ONLY rent it for 7 days. Therefore the minimum and maximum is 7 days.
