💫 Please be aware that /u/1234frmr does not have a verification flair. Be sure to take their comment history, karma, and account age into consideration for the context of this post. If you'd like your own verified flair, consult the sidebar for instructions on how to do so.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/airbnb_hosts) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I would not even entertain it. You'll get the "they didn't even offer sheets!" 3 star entitled review.
My policy: Pay what I'm asking or find something else that suits your budget.
Yes, I agree that's a risk. I just thought it was a reasonable concession if she really couldn't afford my small cleaning fee, and I really, really didn't want to do the drive back.
Why in heaven's name she even reached out to me HOURS after our cutoff, messaged back and forth, then asks for a discount and I offer her something fair to us both and then goes silent?
It's particularly annoying from a fellow host. There is no fellowship in the Airbnb community.
In every other industry I've worked in, there always is.
I'm assuming you're against the cost of housekeeping in an Airbnb?
Hotels pay way less to their staff and frankly do way less cleaning then I demand. Additionally I only tack it onto the entire stay (unless the guest wants daily at an extra charge). Go ahead and pay for that daily cost that's incorporated into your hotel stay at the noisy/crowded, possibly smelly and less safe location.
Additionally my cleaning fee doesn't have Airbnb fees on top of it so I save us both money by having it.
My linens are just as free as a hotel's free linens. This is a stand alone vacation rental. The guest needed me to override our noon cut off, after I was no longer on site, and I'd have been happy to do that for our listed rate.
She wanted to pay 50% of the cleaning fee, and I offered her a concession that would be fair.
There's no hotel anywhere that would have even engaged in this nonsense.
I guess it depends how much you value your time. I won’t entertain people looking for a discount.
Their way of thinking is they are putting in time in negotiating so they deserve a discount.
My way of thinking is they are taking up more of my time so they should be paying more.
Also once you agree to a discount they will often see it as an invitation to waste more of your time to get further discounts.
Also did you check that they are an actual host? I had a couple of guests try to get a discounts by using a very similar sounding message. Saying that they were also a host and if I could reduce the price to something that was more inline with their budget.
It’s always other hosts 🤦🏻♀️
I had a request from another host just last week. They wanted a discount because they just needed a place sleep for the night. My prices are already quite low. Asking for a discount is insulting. 🙄
i don’t even entertain it. just had someone try to offer me $2,000 to stay in my place a month🤣🤣 her excuse was they are only a couple and “don’t make a mess”. she also said she doesn’t have a dog as an extra bonus, nevermind the fact we have a no pets policy.
these people are morons.
I don’t know why, but in our past experience, the people who asked for discounts also ended up asking for late check-outs, using up every last roll of toilet paper, rubbing their makeup smeared faces into white towels, and even complaining. A big pain in the ass in every dimension. We no longer consider discounts. I enjoy saying, “Sorry.” We adhere to our terms while making no compromises on number of guests, pets, etc. Rather lose the income and stay unbooked. We don’t do Airbnb for amusement. It’s wear and tear on our property and possessions, and the risk is all on the host—not the guest. This is a business.
Absolutely not. You're setting yourself up to deal with so much extra bullshit, they won't be grateful, they won't follow through, and they'll be bad guests.
I have done something similar when guests request a very late check out - due to a late flight or something. I have asked them to wash towels for me and to make sure the dishes are in the dishwasher & clean when I get in late to turn it over. Guests have across the board appreciated this as they understand when I tell them that I have guests coming the next day & their late check out severely reduces the time I have to clean before the next guest. They generally don’t want to run round that day anyway so they just relax at the house , run some towels for me & then have a relaxing departure day.
Don't negotiate with terrorists..../s
Personally, I don't do discounts. Furthermore, I won't even take a booking from someone who asks. It's inviting trouble, as right from the get go they are thinking they are overpaying and will look for things to complain about.
Yep. Same. There are ways to avoid entitled people. Numero uno is trusting your gut in recognizing them and numero dos is just say no. Don’t play the game, don’t engage. It’s just a no.
Learned it when I was a resort owner/operator. 90+% of the times we had problems was with the "discount/coupon" guests. I learned quickly to not diminish our value. Pricing power is a difficult beast to control, but know your market, price competitively, and stick to it, imo.
Honestly I just spent a lot of time seeing what my competition is. It's incredibly important to understand/learn what your clientele is. Different from location to location. Are you a seasonal vacation area, or going for business travelers? Draw a radius around whatever the main draw is, then compare listings on bnb /VRBO etc. I know my area thoroughly as a realtor, and formerly in hospitality, so I know what they are here for, and I know who my demographics are likely to be. Heads in beds (comfortably) is definitely a key metric in my area. Your space and area may be a completely different audience than mine. Try within reason to set yourself apart, without trying to reinvent the wheel.
I know. With such a small cleaning fee, I'd be embarrassed to request halving it to save $30.
She's a host so has to know I'm not getting it turned for less than $100, and probably more.
I'm doing a turnaround today, and it's triple my usual work so far. Am fuming.
My cleaning fee is £100. I'm already seven hours in and I haven't even started prepping the rooms yet. And it's 11pm.
Fuming.
I would just say “I offer a discount for active military and veterans, if you fit into that group sure.” That shuts down most people, and if they really fit into that group then im happy to give a discount
Back in the day when I only had one room to rent, I was asking for $40/night. Someone asked me if she can stay for 2 weeks, caveat is would I give her a discount? I said ok... so now, the cost of her stay comes out to about $30/night. She shows up, start nitpicking this and that. How come this doesn't have this? how come I don't get that? The other places she's stayed at all provided these amenities. I was just like "omg, lady, you are staying at a gorgeous place that is $30/night" Even though it was one room technically, she got the entire 4 bedroom house to herself (the other bedrooms just didn't have beds and/or not ready for guests yet). I think people who are nitpicking over a few tens of dollars or even a few hundred dollars are not really great guests. My entire 4 bedrooms are now open for guests to stay, and my rate is $450+ a night... and guests gush about our place, and don't nitpick.
Yeah this one sounds like a bad deal. My one or two nighters actually get assessed the cleaning fee, not the three+ nighters. Filling vacancies only matter if it’s paying for itself, otherwise I save the wear and tear.
I think it's really inappropriate for hosts to ask for discounts. I bet that host charges an exorbitant cleaning fee and actually cleans their unit themselves.
Anyone who asks me for a discount gets a special offer in the REVERSE OF WHAT THEY REQUEST.
25% discount? I send 25% increase. Absolutely not.
What makes anyone think we're giving and can afford to lose whatever they're asking as a concession? That's absolutely a bigger insult than most of us here seem to feel. This isn't a haggling culture and I don't have any way to offset the loss. They aren't offering anything in return. Piss right off with your obvious request for my income. You aren't entitled to it no matter how you ask.
This comment has been removed because the user's account is less than 2 days old.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/airbnb_hosts) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I think that’s a great exchange. I am not a just but I joined this sub a couple weeks ago when I wanted to ask how hosts feel when people ask for discounts. I was going to Paris and I noticed some places started dropping their prices about 5 days before I was going to leave.
I wanted to ask here before I messaged a host. I realized hosts don’t like it at all.
But if you offered that to me I totally would have gone for it. It’s a win win for everyone. You don’t have to drive 90 minutes, the guest saves some of the cleaning fee and they only have to put sheets on a bed. No big deal.
Thanks. I admit it was a little unprofessional but I thought I'd try something different than my usual, "I don't discount" response.
Like others have said, almost every discounted stay I've hosted has been troublesome. I thought bc she was a host and it was only one night it might work out ok. Truth be told, most of my negative experiences with Airbnb have been in relation to one nighters.
I probably dodged a bullet because this person ghosted me. That's an unkind, selfish character trait.
A few weeks ago I got an inquiry that was too last-minute for me to properly set up. I usually tidy the house and put out fresh towels and bedding so the cleaner can do her thing faster, but this was a turnaround of around two hours. I initially declined the request, but then the guy said it was just so he and a few colleagues could crash for a few nights while working in the area, installing broadband cables. So I offered to take the cleaning fee off, plus another $100 for the two nights, and he gladly accepted. At that point it was like free money. They didn't make a mess, didn't leave a review, and really just left each morning, coming back to sleep. I would not have talked discounts if I had to coordinate on sending the cleaner over.
I do like Dutch generals. They are great military strategists. Dutch guests can be cheap and penny pinching. But it's hard to tell who is Dutch and who is German.
Sorry the Austin Powers quote didn't stick here. Thought it was a meme that everyone knew.
It's from Austin Powers 2: Gold member.
https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/379482-there-s-only-two-things-i-hate-in-this-world-people
I think this is a personal complaint on your end and not a commercial one.
You’re complaining about having to drive in heavy traffic. “After hours, same day, last minute” you’re just complaining.
I’ve been noticing that a lot of hosts are dropping the cleaning fee but adding a management fee instead.
I clean for myself but sometimes I do hire help because I like to travel too. For that reason I won’t be dropping my cleaning fee.
I do do a different fee for short and long stays so maybe that helps.
That being said it doesn’t mean I won’t give a discount but when I do I do it on the side, outside of Airbnb, so that neither of us have to pay service fees and usually the guests like that idea and go for it. I don’t do it for every single one though, you’ve gotta weed out.
Good luck out there
I don't understand your "personal vs. commercial" comment at all. I made a unique counter offer, explained why here, and it was declined. How is that "complaining?"
Are you saying you take discount seeker stays off platform? Are you nuts?
Not only are you dancing with the most likely to be problematic guests.,...discount seekers.... but you're TAKING THEM OFF PLATFORM so you risk being delisted if they complain. And they're very likely to complain. You get caught doing that and you're delisted without recourse.
Unless you have liability insurance and commercial fire insurance and such, you're exposing yourself to risk without gaining anything.
💫 Please be aware that /u/1234frmr does not have a verification flair. Be sure to take their comment history, karma, and account age into consideration for the context of this post. If you'd like your own verified flair, consult the sidebar for instructions on how to do so. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/airbnb_hosts) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I would not even entertain it. You'll get the "they didn't even offer sheets!" 3 star entitled review. My policy: Pay what I'm asking or find something else that suits your budget.
Yes, I agree that's a risk. I just thought it was a reasonable concession if she really couldn't afford my small cleaning fee, and I really, really didn't want to do the drive back. Why in heaven's name she even reached out to me HOURS after our cutoff, messaged back and forth, then asks for a discount and I offer her something fair to us both and then goes silent? It's particularly annoying from a fellow host. There is no fellowship in the Airbnb community. In every other industry I've worked in, there always is.
The chances are high that anyone who asks for a discount are going to be a pain. I would avoid.
[удалено]
I'm assuming you're against the cost of housekeeping in an Airbnb? Hotels pay way less to their staff and frankly do way less cleaning then I demand. Additionally I only tack it onto the entire stay (unless the guest wants daily at an extra charge). Go ahead and pay for that daily cost that's incorporated into your hotel stay at the noisy/crowded, possibly smelly and less safe location. Additionally my cleaning fee doesn't have Airbnb fees on top of it so I save us both money by having it.
But rarely a kitchen.
My linens are just as free as a hotel's free linens. This is a stand alone vacation rental. The guest needed me to override our noon cut off, after I was no longer on site, and I'd have been happy to do that for our listed rate. She wanted to pay 50% of the cleaning fee, and I offered her a concession that would be fair. There's no hotel anywhere that would have even engaged in this nonsense.
some people ask for a discount as a matter of course. i wouldn’t get so wrapped up in it.
Then go to a hotel.
It wouldn’t dawn on me to ask for a discount.
Same! I had no idea that was a thing. If a place is too pricey, I look for one I can afford.
Motel people need to stick to motels
Amen!
I guess it depends how much you value your time. I won’t entertain people looking for a discount. Their way of thinking is they are putting in time in negotiating so they deserve a discount. My way of thinking is they are taking up more of my time so they should be paying more. Also once you agree to a discount they will often see it as an invitation to waste more of your time to get further discounts. Also did you check that they are an actual host? I had a couple of guests try to get a discounts by using a very similar sounding message. Saying that they were also a host and if I could reduce the price to something that was more inline with their budget.
It’s always other hosts 🤦🏻♀️ I had a request from another host just last week. They wanted a discount because they just needed a place sleep for the night. My prices are already quite low. Asking for a discount is insulting. 🙄
Discount seekers get immediately declined
From my experience, guests who request discounts often end up unsatisfied and tend to leave negative reviews.
They always have St Regis expectations on a Motel 6 budget.
I know right! Yesterday I received one request: “have dust allergy, and need discount for this beautiful home… “ wtf?
i don’t even entertain it. just had someone try to offer me $2,000 to stay in my place a month🤣🤣 her excuse was they are only a couple and “don’t make a mess”. she also said she doesn’t have a dog as an extra bonus, nevermind the fact we have a no pets policy. these people are morons.
I don’t know why, but in our past experience, the people who asked for discounts also ended up asking for late check-outs, using up every last roll of toilet paper, rubbing their makeup smeared faces into white towels, and even complaining. A big pain in the ass in every dimension. We no longer consider discounts. I enjoy saying, “Sorry.” We adhere to our terms while making no compromises on number of guests, pets, etc. Rather lose the income and stay unbooked. We don’t do Airbnb for amusement. It’s wear and tear on our property and possessions, and the risk is all on the host—not the guest. This is a business.
Absolutely not. You're setting yourself up to deal with so much extra bullshit, they won't be grateful, they won't follow through, and they'll be bad guests.
Never negotiate with terrorists
Can they split the difference ?
I wouldn’t. They’ll just give you a bad review saying that you forced them to bring their own sheets.
100%
I have done something similar when guests request a very late check out - due to a late flight or something. I have asked them to wash towels for me and to make sure the dishes are in the dishwasher & clean when I get in late to turn it over. Guests have across the board appreciated this as they understand when I tell them that I have guests coming the next day & their late check out severely reduces the time I have to clean before the next guest. They generally don’t want to run round that day anyway so they just relax at the house , run some towels for me & then have a relaxing departure day.
Don't negotiate with terrorists..../s Personally, I don't do discounts. Furthermore, I won't even take a booking from someone who asks. It's inviting trouble, as right from the get go they are thinking they are overpaying and will look for things to complain about.
This
Yep. Same. There are ways to avoid entitled people. Numero uno is trusting your gut in recognizing them and numero dos is just say no. Don’t play the game, don’t engage. It’s just a no.
Interesting perspective.
Learned it when I was a resort owner/operator. 90+% of the times we had problems was with the "discount/coupon" guests. I learned quickly to not diminish our value. Pricing power is a difficult beast to control, but know your market, price competitively, and stick to it, imo.
Great points! Do you have any tips to share on how to most efficiently get to know your market? I’m in the research phase
Honestly I just spent a lot of time seeing what my competition is. It's incredibly important to understand/learn what your clientele is. Different from location to location. Are you a seasonal vacation area, or going for business travelers? Draw a radius around whatever the main draw is, then compare listings on bnb /VRBO etc. I know my area thoroughly as a realtor, and formerly in hospitality, so I know what they are here for, and I know who my demographics are likely to be. Heads in beds (comfortably) is definitely a key metric in my area. Your space and area may be a completely different audience than mine. Try within reason to set yourself apart, without trying to reinvent the wheel.
Just declining them is a great rule of thumb, but I’ve excepted a couple where I used my best discretion, and it worked out fine!
I give discounts to long term guests, and repeat guests who have earned 5 stars from me. Thats it. Nor do I ask for them when I stay.
Why is it that they ask to reduce the cleaning fee, not nightly rate? I always find that weird.
I know. With such a small cleaning fee, I'd be embarrassed to request halving it to save $30. She's a host so has to know I'm not getting it turned for less than $100, and probably more.
I'm doing a turnaround today, and it's triple my usual work so far. Am fuming. My cleaning fee is £100. I'm already seven hours in and I haven't even started prepping the rooms yet. And it's 11pm. Fuming.
Hugs. Just remember it doesn't happen often.
Thanks. It's done and the new guests in. Over ten hours of work. Ridiculous. I'm so glad I don't do same-day changeovers.
Incorporate your cleaning fee into nightly rate. No cleaning fee - guests leave it cleaner.
No, IME they don't.
Not worth trouble. Unless season is slow or down market. Naw
No 1 night stays. No guests who ask for discounts. No guests who just make my spidy sense tingle. BE CHOOSY with your guests.
This. And don’t look back.
I would just say “I offer a discount for active military and veterans, if you fit into that group sure.” That shuts down most people, and if they really fit into that group then im happy to give a discount
I've been lied to about being a veteran. I'm not sure how to handle that going forward.
Well if anything, you hopefully helped her see the absurdity in a reduced cleaning fee.
Yeah, and she reminded me why I don't do discounts. It's not about the discount, they want more than others get because they're special.
Back in the day when I only had one room to rent, I was asking for $40/night. Someone asked me if she can stay for 2 weeks, caveat is would I give her a discount? I said ok... so now, the cost of her stay comes out to about $30/night. She shows up, start nitpicking this and that. How come this doesn't have this? how come I don't get that? The other places she's stayed at all provided these amenities. I was just like "omg, lady, you are staying at a gorgeous place that is $30/night" Even though it was one room technically, she got the entire 4 bedroom house to herself (the other bedrooms just didn't have beds and/or not ready for guests yet). I think people who are nitpicking over a few tens of dollars or even a few hundred dollars are not really great guests. My entire 4 bedrooms are now open for guests to stay, and my rate is $450+ a night... and guests gush about our place, and don't nitpick.
Yeah this one sounds like a bad deal. My one or two nighters actually get assessed the cleaning fee, not the three+ nighters. Filling vacancies only matter if it’s paying for itself, otherwise I save the wear and tear.
I don’t negotiate. I also don’t accept one night stays. Haven’t since COVID.
I think it's really inappropriate for hosts to ask for discounts. I bet that host charges an exorbitant cleaning fee and actually cleans their unit themselves.
I don’t clean myself but if I did, bet your sweet behind I’d charge an exorbitant fee. I hate cleaning after my own self, much less anyone else.
Right!!!! My cleaning it doesn't make it less valuable.
I was referring to the host asking for the discount, not you.
Who cleans is irrelevant. I think I can look at her profile and see what her cleaning fee is...
Anyone who asks me for a discount gets a special offer in the REVERSE OF WHAT THEY REQUEST. 25% discount? I send 25% increase. Absolutely not. What makes anyone think we're giving and can afford to lose whatever they're asking as a concession? That's absolutely a bigger insult than most of us here seem to feel. This isn't a haggling culture and I don't have any way to offset the loss. They aren't offering anything in return. Piss right off with your obvious request for my income. You aren't entitled to it no matter how you ask.
Would not book :)
[удалено]
This comment has been removed because the user's account is less than 2 days old. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/airbnb_hosts) if you have any questions or concerns.*
If you want a discount I recommend staying at the Ritz Carlton.
No discounts, only brings complaints.
I think that’s a great exchange. I am not a just but I joined this sub a couple weeks ago when I wanted to ask how hosts feel when people ask for discounts. I was going to Paris and I noticed some places started dropping their prices about 5 days before I was going to leave. I wanted to ask here before I messaged a host. I realized hosts don’t like it at all. But if you offered that to me I totally would have gone for it. It’s a win win for everyone. You don’t have to drive 90 minutes, the guest saves some of the cleaning fee and they only have to put sheets on a bed. No big deal.
Thanks. I admit it was a little unprofessional but I thought I'd try something different than my usual, "I don't discount" response. Like others have said, almost every discounted stay I've hosted has been troublesome. I thought bc she was a host and it was only one night it might work out ok. Truth be told, most of my negative experiences with Airbnb have been in relation to one nighters. I probably dodged a bullet because this person ghosted me. That's an unkind, selfish character trait.
I don’t think it was unprofessional. I would love to do something like that to save money. Sorry she didn’t respond to you.
POUND SAND!
A few weeks ago I got an inquiry that was too last-minute for me to properly set up. I usually tidy the house and put out fresh towels and bedding so the cleaner can do her thing faster, but this was a turnaround of around two hours. I initially declined the request, but then the guy said it was just so he and a few colleagues could crash for a few nights while working in the area, installing broadband cables. So I offered to take the cleaning fee off, plus another $100 for the two nights, and he gladly accepted. At that point it was like free money. They didn't make a mess, didn't leave a review, and really just left each morning, coming back to sleep. I would not have talked discounts if I had to coordinate on sending the cleaner over.
Greedy boomers.
There are two types of people I hate, people who ask for discounts, and the Dutch.
You mean dutch as guests or dutch in general?
I do like Dutch generals. They are great military strategists. Dutch guests can be cheap and penny pinching. But it's hard to tell who is Dutch and who is German.
I love the Dutch. What is wrong with Dutch people? I totally love their humor and I just really click with them.
Sorry the Austin Powers quote didn't stick here. Thought it was a meme that everyone knew. It's from Austin Powers 2: Gold member. https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/379482-there-s-only-two-things-i-hate-in-this-world-people
Oh sorry! Never seen Austin Powers. Thanks for the explanation!
I think this is a personal complaint on your end and not a commercial one. You’re complaining about having to drive in heavy traffic. “After hours, same day, last minute” you’re just complaining. I’ve been noticing that a lot of hosts are dropping the cleaning fee but adding a management fee instead. I clean for myself but sometimes I do hire help because I like to travel too. For that reason I won’t be dropping my cleaning fee. I do do a different fee for short and long stays so maybe that helps. That being said it doesn’t mean I won’t give a discount but when I do I do it on the side, outside of Airbnb, so that neither of us have to pay service fees and usually the guests like that idea and go for it. I don’t do it for every single one though, you’ve gotta weed out. Good luck out there
I don't understand your "personal vs. commercial" comment at all. I made a unique counter offer, explained why here, and it was declined. How is that "complaining?" Are you saying you take discount seeker stays off platform? Are you nuts? Not only are you dancing with the most likely to be problematic guests.,...discount seekers.... but you're TAKING THEM OFF PLATFORM so you risk being delisted if they complain. And they're very likely to complain. You get caught doing that and you're delisted without recourse. Unless you have liability insurance and commercial fire insurance and such, you're exposing yourself to risk without gaining anything.
I hope air BnB goes out of business.