Would you lend a guest something personal?

A guest asked me if i had a hair dryer. Obviously to borrow it. I dont have this as an available item on my listing. In 2 years of hosting many guests this is a first. I said i dont have one even though i do. She asked if i dry my hair naturally and i said yes which is actually true 90% of the time anyway. I have towels available for guests. I didnt feel confortable with the expectation of lending a personal belonging. Many hotels dont even have hair dryers… Im surprised she didnt bring one or ask in advance if its that important to her. What would you do?

I don’t use a hair dryer. When I began hosting enough guests asked for one that I bought one for them. If I had one for my use I wouldn’t have any problem lending it to guests, but what counts for your situation is how you feel about it.

I have one in my AirBNB space since a lot of people do use one. After 14 guests, it has been well used. Just seemed like an easy purchase even though I have not used one in at least 15 years.

I wouldn’t loan a toothbrush, but a hairdryer? Yes, however I provide both in my rental.

Yes, a hairdryer is expected and provided in most hotels. (not that we are hotels) They are inexpensive and an easy fix. Just spend the $10 and get a hair dryer for your guests.

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Reasons why putting a hair dryer in the bathroom for guest use is a good idea:

  1. in the age of carry-on baggage only, a hair dryer takes us precious space
  2. many travelers seem to use them when spot-cleaning a shirt, etc.
  3. Every guest doesn’t use it, but it’s a complete hassle for that occasional guest to discover that you don’t provide one (esp if their hair is dripping wet and they have to be at dinner in 30 min).
  4. Like Kona says, they cost like $10-15. Buy one and this becomes a non-issue.
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I would have lent mine and then gone out to by one for guests. A hairdryer is hardly an intimate item so I don’t really understand your reluctance. Especially since you have one but hardly use it yourself! :slight_smile: It’s something we do provide and I would guess that maybe a little less than half our guests use it?

This just happened with our Guests over the weekend. I did have an extra travel hairdryer sitting in a closet that I was happy to lend them as I never thought about or had been asked to provide one before. That one will now stay in downstairs bathroom for future guests. Although I don’t consider a hairdryer so much a personal item. If I didn’t happen to have a travel one I would have let them use my every day one.

I bought a hair dryer for £15. And added it as an amenity. Just thought of it as a good investment.

Me too but we’ve had one in the rental since day one. I always tell guests that if they need anything at all to ask me. It’s only happened once as far as I can remember and that was for extra trash bags.

I agree with the others. I don’t often use a hair dryer, but have one. The moment a guest asked for one, it went down into the guest area.

And yes, MOST hotels, at least in the US, do have hair dryers.

I think it’s just a courtesy to offer things the guest may need - toothbrushes, q-tips, cotton balls, eye-glass cleaner, mouth wash, toothpaste, etc. So far, over 70 groups, none have taken advantage. Hardly anyone takes a thing.

Unless the guest had already exhibited rough/careless behavior with other household items, then I would have lent the guest the hair dryer.

I provide a hair dryer and a makeup mirror in each bathroom.

Someone who booked earlier today just asked if I have a bicycle they could borrow. I just said I don’t want people to use it. The bike cost £600. So not really something I want other people using. Like the wheels and tyres cost a 100 or more. And they can be taken off with no tools.

Someone just sent me a booking request and asked if we had bicycles to borrow. We do, but they are our bikes and I didn’t like the idea of lending them so I went to Walmart this morning and bought 2 cheap roadbikes ($77 each), and I was able to reply and tell the guests that we did have bikes. Now all future guests will get to enjoy them and if they get lost, damaged or stolen then its a cheap and easy fix.

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Yeah I would do something like that but I have no room or outside storage. I keep my bike under the stairs. Lol

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Interesting, someone just asked me about a bicycle for the first time the other day! I happen to have one handy, it’s been sitting in the corner in my dining room since I bought it two months ago… I don’t know how to ride it. :grin:

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LOL! A word to the wise, have them sign a standard equipment liability for the bikes. Look one up online. I do it with my snorkeling equipment.

That is a good idea, and I thought about it, but how can I do it without having to interact with the guests? I feel uncomfortable about bringing them a waiver and asking them to sign it. Any ideas?

It will be awkward as long as you feel uncomfortable; if you can accept it as a good idea (and you sign such things whenever you rent a car, etc) and just treat it as absolutely normal, it won’t be awkward.

Personally, I haven’t done it. But people rarely take us up on the offer of bikes - which is sad as we have great trails here.

Are you not worried about liability if they have an accident?