You told me, I didn't listen (cheap guests :)

I misunderstood also. It was the thumbs down that did it I think.
I do like this forum for the opportunity to rant when need be. But mostly for the great insight and help.

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I’ll edit my post!

I understand your irritation about him “taking advantage” (in your view) of the amenities offered. However, you mentioned a couple times about him “sticking around all day” which indicated to you that "he didn’t have a job or was not on vacation.
I cannot understand why it would bother you that he was around all day. What was he doing that bothered you? Just being around? Why does that bother you? Second, why would you assume he didn’t have a job or wasn’t on vacation? I have been a guest many times where I have worked remotely from the room and have been “around all day” and have also taken vacations which were just rest vacations from my job where I deal with people all day and I didn’t want to go out much and deal with people. I guess I am just asking why being around all day is on your list of complaints. How does it affect you when someone stays in their room all day rather than goes out? Why the irritation? I’m afraid I just don’t understand why that would be on your list of complaints. Was he around all day blaring music? Was he around all day moving around where you could hear him? I thought it was very nice of him to offer to mow the lawn for you. He was TRYING to be a good guest. And he did follow all the rules, even the additional rules you gave him about listing guest names.

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I knew he didn’t have a job and wasn’t on vacation because he was around all day, talking to me :slight_smile: He actually had broken up with his girlfriend and was AirBnbing until he could find a more permanent home. Every time I went outside with my son, or to do yard work, or train my dogs, he’d show up and talk to me. He’d knock on my door to do wash, or ask if I had something he needed, or whatever, and then talk another half hour more.

Like I said, he was likeable, and I’m not antisocial. But I do have a job (work from home), am single, permanent parent to one child and foster parent to two more, have three dogs, a yard currently filled with 12 cottonwood trees worth of leaves, and the rest of life’s social and other obligations and opportunities.

I didn’t say he wasn’t a nice guy, that he was trying to be inconsiderate, and I didn’t dock him on his AirBnb review. But hosting him was a lot more time and resource intensive than hosting generally is. Responses in this thread have been really interesting though. Goes to show that everyone’s perception of good guest and good host behavior isn’t uniform.

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I don’t understand what everyone is missing.

The guest was highly needy. He may not have broken any rules but he sure did miss a lot,of social cues.

Would any of us here want to host him after reading these descriptions?

I sure wouldn’t!

Just say something like…

While XX was a nice person, his neediness and constant presence (due to being unemployed) was not a very good fit for our household. He also used up way more than his share of supplies and utilities so unfortunately, I cannot recommend.

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I know, right? The thing that stood out for me from the list of complaints was that the OP kept replenishing the consumable amenities, like it was a hotel. Who does that?! It would seriously affect my bottom line.

I promote the self-catering aspect of renting my unit. Guests are informed that they are provided with an initial supply of essentials and, though limited, is usually adequate for their stay. I do not offer refills and it must be clear to guests because they never request more.

If a guest used the supply of wood that was provided, and it was for his own room and enjoyment, purchasing additional wood is on him. A guest telling me he drinks 5 cups of coffee per day would not affect my leaving the allotted 2 cups of coffee per day in the canister.

If the guest requested more of the chocolates he received on arrival, I would have expressed my pleasure that he enjoyed the “welcome-guest” treat and told him the name of the store where he could purchase a supply of the very same chocolates.

If I allowed a guest to have a friend over for visit and the guest then had a subsequent guest on another day, I would inform him that he must entertain his guests elsewhere, off-property.

Every host develops a personal set-point of how much leeway a guest can have and it often comes from experience.

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I think you are confusing easy guest with easy going- person which is what he accurately said he was, they are not the same thing. He does sound very easy going to me. Easy-going to take whatever he can get from life/people/hotels/bosses but remaining calm all the time and not making a fuss when things don’t go his way. Easy guest on the other hand is very subjective and based on your preferences and expectations, like a guest who asks for nothing, uses nothing and is out all day. Easy money in with little hosting energy out. We all love those people.

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Good on you! It is so hard for foster children to find stable loving homes and it sounds like you are rocking it!

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Ahhhh wise Sandy! I know you sold your place but now that you are a lady of leisure, will you please stick around and dispense your wisdom here?!!! :heart_eyes::clap::+1:

Could not have said it better.

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maybe this is in the wrong thread?

I meant maybe this is in the wrong thread, now I see how the quote thing works I think!

Thanks, girlfriend! As a matter of fact, the sale closed today (ka-ching!)…but I’ll be sticking around for a few months managing the remaining 8 bookings per the new owner’s request.

Soooo, have you (or anyone else on the forum?!) figured where my rental is located? Give me the name of the city and I’ll confirm it. (Hint: It’s one of the only places I know of where real estate prices are so ridiculous that a small condo of less than 600 sf can be sold for over a half million dollars… :open_mouth:

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Colorado Springs. 20 characters.

Buzzz (wrong answer)…but that’s okay, its a great area… :sunglasses:

We moderators can see your IP address so that would give me an advantage others don’t have. But without cheating, I thought you said you were in Las Vegas in another recent post…or is that just where you live not where your rental is?

@KKC

Taking a break from housework…(ugh) hate house cleaning! The eternal dilemma, I want it to look nice but I don’t want to do it (waahh).

You’re right, sorta. The rental is not in Las Vegas, nor is it here, so you get points as Miss Congeniality but no crown… :smile:

(Now where was I…oh, vacuuming next - arrgh!)

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@cabinhost

(Wow, good thing I checked back in before I started watching some Netflix.)

No, not Tahoe. That’s the 3 bdrm that I rented out for two summers and then took off the market because of entitled guests with wild kids. It was a nightmare experience in spite of the 5-star ratings.

A stand-alone entire home rental is a different breed from a 1 bdrm condo and I give sincere and respectful props to the many hosts here who are able to successfully manage them.

I know you want my housecleaner (Jill-of-all-Trades). I’m still chuckling over your comment!

And no, my rental is not in Colombia (eek!) - lush and beautiful but soo scary amongst the armed populace (read: armed soldiers and other banditos). No thanks.

(I don’t think there are any males left.)

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I think you told me once in a PM so it’s not fair if I guess, :laughing:

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Without giving away my age, my first job during college was working as a clerk and secretary in a law firm. I was the office darling and used to feel flattered (silly me) at what would now be called harassment, but which I took as a compliment or good natured teasing. From every single attorney in the office. Married or not.

Sigh. It’s the world we live in.

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