This edition of Dear Airby is based on Clear Communication, one of the 10 Steps found in
Master of Vacation Rentals.
“Dear Airby,
I had an Airbnb guest and her family for an extended stay. The guest was a bit demanding and required detail about what we had and did not have in the house even though EVERYTHING is spelled out in the listing and she was also quite demanding about an early check in before her stay – which we were able to honor because there was a day between guest stays. She also was arguing about paying for the pool heat even though that is spelled out clearly on the listing (and with all other Palm Springs listings). Her son was a bit demanding when he telephoned to understand how the Roku works (when it’s spelled out all over the house). Other than that I did not (thankfully) hear from these folks for the rest of their stay.
After they checked out, my housekeeper told me they moved all and she meant ALL the patio furniture around – we have 9 lounge chairs, an outdoor living room and a dining set outdoors. She also said that all the floaty toys were removed from the pool area and put in the carport by the trash and recycling bins. Well, I thought not too much about it and have them a nice review anyway – nothing broken, cops not called for noise.
However, when the guest gave the written public review, I was pretty mad. In the review (which was kind overall) she wrote that it was a great time to entertain 20 guests. Aha! That’s why the patio was reconfigured and the floaties move to the rubbish area. Now it’s clearly spelled out that it’s not a party house and each guest has to sign an understanding agreement mandated by my city that they understand the rules. My house is a 4 bedroom and so allows 8 overnight guests and 12 daytime guest and up to 4 cars. I don’t think I would be so mad if this individual were not so demanding and feeling entitled. What to do?“
– Mona from Palm Springs, CA
Dear Mona,
Jeez, very upsetting. Since nothing was broken and no cops were called, maybe do nothing and next time you get someone so picky upfront, you consider reading my ‘Red Flags’ blog article and cancel them before they even arrive.
I think it would be fair to ask for additional funds for housekeeping to rearrange the furniture back to normal and Airbnb can clearly see they broke the rules. Point out the document they signed and ask (oh so innocently) what the disconnect was so future guests don’t have any confusion – play with her a bit ? or just let it go and focus on your calendar maintenance, stocking supplies, and doing any special or routine maintenance to your place.
I know I’m not giving you a direct answer Mona. Go with your gut and no matter what you decide to do, remember to chalk it up to just being “part of the business.”
Prosper,
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