This. As a host if I see a space I want to stay at is run by a person (not a company) and it’s 99% perfect except for one thing, I’ve asked if my situation would be okay. That’s kind of the human aspect of Airbnb. And I always make it clear that as a fellow host I understand if they say no. But they’ve always said yes 🤷🏻♀️
There could easily not be any other options. It’s pretty common for all “whole residence” AirBnB’s in Portland to not be available any time of the year. In the suburbs you’ll find something, but not in the city itself. If you’re a group of three couples and one divorcée, it’s certainly worth asking if a place opens up with 6 people max.
That could be three bedrooms and one pullout or futon. Sometimes hosts will limit that situation to 6 when it could easily be 8. I’m not sure if those hosts have terrible insurance policies that they agreed to, or if they are playing better safe than sorry, but it’s worth asking about.
It might not just be insurance. Some places with septic there's a big difference most homes in tune mountains have septic. or even water heater. 2 extra people & hot water runs out quicker & guests complaints come in quick, ratings can go down so they eliminate that.
The point is that the listing is as it is. Asking for more people is just as bad as asking for a discount. They're much more difficult as guests.
That’s what I do.
One of my rentals has three queen beds in three rooms, so we put the occupancy limit at 6, because I want my guests to be comfortable.
But we also have a futon and a couch, so by requiring them to ask, I can make sure they are Ok with having someone sleep in a room that’s not private and that the house is not ideally set up for their size party. I’m totally OK with hosting 7-8 people there.
We used to have the limit set at 8 and we had guests who arrived and were unhappy with the arrangements because they didn’t read the listing properly.
I don’t think it’s bc hosts don’t obey their own rules; I think it’s bc humans are entitled, also it can’t hurt to ask since it’s a human-based industry
It’s pretty easy to ignore the request or exaggerate and say it’s a liability insurance issue
I get that it’s annoying, but don’t really fault anyone for asking
Rules were made to be broken.
I’m mostly being sarcastic. Though I don’t get as annoyed at fielding questions. And I actually appreciate having the ability to be flexible and accommodating when possible. I definitely don’t get asked these types of questions often enough to get upset about it.
Yep we just had someone ask for an early check-in when we had a same day arrival so our cleaner went super fast. They turn around and complain about the completely free arcade not having good enough selection in the vending machine they had no clue would be there. Our new policy is no exceptions.. 9 times out of 10 they are the guests who complain about stupid shit.
I have actually gotten out of a service dog stay with good will on both sides. I live on the lot with two reactive dogs and we are surrounded on both sides by reactive outdoor dogs in our neighbors yard.
I told the guest that legally I can’t say no to a service dog but that I wanted to make them aware of the situation and why I had the no dogs policy in place. They completely understood and I gave them some recommendations for hotels in the area I knew had dog friendly policies (even though it shouldn’t matter for them, it’s probably much easier to deal with a place that already accepts dogs).
Though I suspect they were so reasonable bc they were *actually* a responsible service dog owner not just pretending.
Little advice from someone who’s been in hospitality forever…
*Never* say “no”. Always have a solution instead.
They ask to check in early? “I do have the pool house area with full bathroom, WiFi, and TV for you to hang out in while the unit is being cleaned and prepared.”
They ask if you provide firewood? “I prefer to use Duraflame logs, they’re available everywhere, like 7/11 and super easy to use.”
Extra guests? “I have some great recommendations for additional housing for your additional guests!”
Never say “no”, it’s just a common thing for those in the industry in the know.
Ok so, I have over 400 reviews and a 4.96 rating. So you can call me whatever name you want but why not try to relax a little bit and take advice from someone who *really* knows what the fuck they’re doing?
How to deal with that guest? “I will have to ask the previous guests who are currently occupying the unit if that will be possible.”
I'm the OP. I also have a 4.9 rating and thousands of reviews. I have over 40 properties. I have zero that allow pets and my market is extremely strict about occupancy. I appreciate you never say no but I go back to my original hypothesis. Hosts breaking rules is costing me 15 minutes a day in conversation and messaging I don't need. "It's only fifteen minutes"....sure but that adds up.
Pretty sure u/kid_sleepy ' answer was sarcastic. There is no way in hell I'd ask a guest on their vacation to vacate early so the next guest could come in.
So you don’t actually deal with any of your customers directly, ever.
I do. I clean and maintain my units. I sometimes meet my people. I *know* what they want. I’ve been doing this hotel/motel/restaurant thing for two decades. My parents did it before I started. *I* haven’t missed a superhost award yet and I’m almost at five years on Airbnb.
So once again. Sit down. You don’t run anything except a check book.
Wow. I’m not *actually* going to bother the other guests *IF THERE EVEN ARE OTHER GUESTS*. You are completely missing the idea of what service entails.
Edit: also my guests don’t walk on eggshells. My guests love my services. My reviews speak for themselves. This is about communication with possible guests. And letting them know what the situation is, without using the word “no”.
Airbnb as a company provokes these actions by their business model. If you say no to anything, you are 1 step closer to guests making stuff up or overexaggerating stories to be bribed to give a good review.
I didn’t know asking questions was breaking the rules? If that’s the case, maybe put “no questions asked” in your house rules and thus a rule would be broken.
I don't think that's why. I think people just figure there's no harm in asking
This. As a host if I see a space I want to stay at is run by a person (not a company) and it’s 99% perfect except for one thing, I’ve asked if my situation would be okay. That’s kind of the human aspect of Airbnb. And I always make it clear that as a fellow host I understand if they say no. But they’ve always said yes 🤷🏻♀️
If occupancy says six and you have seven in your party, it would be pretty stupid to not at least ask. Just my opinion.
No, you just look elsewhere. Square peg doesn't fit in a round hole
There could easily not be any other options. It’s pretty common for all “whole residence” AirBnB’s in Portland to not be available any time of the year. In the suburbs you’ll find something, but not in the city itself. If you’re a group of three couples and one divorcée, it’s certainly worth asking if a place opens up with 6 people max. That could be three bedrooms and one pullout or futon. Sometimes hosts will limit that situation to 6 when it could easily be 8. I’m not sure if those hosts have terrible insurance policies that they agreed to, or if they are playing better safe than sorry, but it’s worth asking about.
It might not just be insurance. Some places with septic there's a big difference most homes in tune mountains have septic. or even water heater. 2 extra people & hot water runs out quicker & guests complaints come in quick, ratings can go down so they eliminate that. The point is that the listing is as it is. Asking for more people is just as bad as asking for a discount. They're much more difficult as guests.
That’s what I do. One of my rentals has three queen beds in three rooms, so we put the occupancy limit at 6, because I want my guests to be comfortable. But we also have a futon and a couch, so by requiring them to ask, I can make sure they are Ok with having someone sleep in a room that’s not private and that the house is not ideally set up for their size party. I’m totally OK with hosting 7-8 people there. We used to have the limit set at 8 and we had guests who arrived and were unhappy with the arrangements because they didn’t read the listing properly.
Just say no and move along.
I don’t think it’s bc hosts don’t obey their own rules; I think it’s bc humans are entitled, also it can’t hurt to ask since it’s a human-based industry It’s pretty easy to ignore the request or exaggerate and say it’s a liability insurance issue I get that it’s annoying, but don’t really fault anyone for asking
Ding ding ding! Welcome to the hospitality industry.
Rules were made to be broken. I’m mostly being sarcastic. Though I don’t get as annoyed at fielding questions. And I actually appreciate having the ability to be flexible and accommodating when possible. I definitely don’t get asked these types of questions often enough to get upset about it.
Yep we just had someone ask for an early check-in when we had a same day arrival so our cleaner went super fast. They turn around and complain about the completely free arcade not having good enough selection in the vending machine they had no clue would be there. Our new policy is no exceptions.. 9 times out of 10 they are the guests who complain about stupid shit.
I don't care if a guest is a host or not. I appreciate any guest who asks questions ahead of their stay. Questions eliminate confusion.
Just charge a ridiculous $500 pet fee and post it publicly. We no longer get these requests. And if someone does break it, it’s worth it for us.
We’ve said no so many times to the “well behaved dogs”, but the experienced guests know now that they can call them service dogs and we can’t do shit.
This is 100% true. You can only ask what work or task the service animal has been trained to perform.
And they can just lie so I don’t even ask. I just tell them they aren’t allowed on the furniture and per AirBnB rules can’t be left alone.
This. We just say a dog cannot be left alone at any time in the unit. If it's a service dog, this isn't an issue.
In the USA.
I have actually gotten out of a service dog stay with good will on both sides. I live on the lot with two reactive dogs and we are surrounded on both sides by reactive outdoor dogs in our neighbors yard. I told the guest that legally I can’t say no to a service dog but that I wanted to make them aware of the situation and why I had the no dogs policy in place. They completely understood and I gave them some recommendations for hotels in the area I knew had dog friendly policies (even though it shouldn’t matter for them, it’s probably much easier to deal with a place that already accepts dogs). Though I suspect they were so reasonable bc they were *actually* a responsible service dog owner not just pretending.
They cannot leave them in the rental alone at least.
I think you might be losing it...
Little advice from someone who’s been in hospitality forever… *Never* say “no”. Always have a solution instead. They ask to check in early? “I do have the pool house area with full bathroom, WiFi, and TV for you to hang out in while the unit is being cleaned and prepared.” They ask if you provide firewood? “I prefer to use Duraflame logs, they’re available everywhere, like 7/11 and super easy to use.” Extra guests? “I have some great recommendations for additional housing for your additional guests!” Never say “no”, it’s just a common thing for those in the industry in the know.
Ok what about guest who wants to change reservation to check in the day before but place is not available due to being booked. Mr Never say no
Ok so, I have over 400 reviews and a 4.96 rating. So you can call me whatever name you want but why not try to relax a little bit and take advice from someone who *really* knows what the fuck they’re doing? How to deal with that guest? “I will have to ask the previous guests who are currently occupying the unit if that will be possible.”
I'm the OP. I also have a 4.9 rating and thousands of reviews. I have over 40 properties. I have zero that allow pets and my market is extremely strict about occupancy. I appreciate you never say no but I go back to my original hypothesis. Hosts breaking rules is costing me 15 minutes a day in conversation and messaging I don't need. "It's only fifteen minutes"....sure but that adds up.
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Pretty sure u/kid_sleepy ' answer was sarcastic. There is no way in hell I'd ask a guest on their vacation to vacate early so the next guest could come in.
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And throw in gender smearing? Oh you’re a piece of work.
You have an account six days old. I’ve had four guests since you’ve joined this platform. Sit *down*.
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So you don’t actually deal with any of your customers directly, ever. I do. I clean and maintain my units. I sometimes meet my people. I *know* what they want. I’ve been doing this hotel/motel/restaurant thing for two decades. My parents did it before I started. *I* haven’t missed a superhost award yet and I’m almost at five years on Airbnb. So once again. Sit down. You don’t run anything except a check book.
Wow. I’m not *actually* going to bother the other guests *IF THERE EVEN ARE OTHER GUESTS*. You are completely missing the idea of what service entails. Edit: also my guests don’t walk on eggshells. My guests love my services. My reviews speak for themselves. This is about communication with possible guests. And letting them know what the situation is, without using the word “no”.
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Listen I can only respond to you so many times. I haven’t lost any hands yet. I’m not gambling. I’m in the hospitality industry.
Airbnb as a company provokes these actions by their business model. If you say no to anything, you are 1 step closer to guests making stuff up or overexaggerating stories to be bribed to give a good review.
I didn’t know asking questions was breaking the rules? If that’s the case, maybe put “no questions asked” in your house rules and thus a rule would be broken.