Airbnb guests are usually very forgiving, unless you do one of these things.
Running out of coffee may slide with some guests (depends on your target guest), but if you let any of these things happen, you’re a terrible host!
Running out of toilet paper
Seriously? No questions asked, you better be stocked on all your paper goods such as napkins, paper towel and most importantly, toilet paper. Have you ever been out of toilet paper at a friends house? How did that make you feel? Don’t put your guest through that.
Having no spare key
Things always get lost, yes, including keys. Make sure you have a back up plan for this situation. As a guest, being locked out at 2 AM can be scary and lonely. As a host, having to deliver a key at 2 AM just plain sucks. What if you’re not in town, then what? Be smart and plan ahead.
Avoid this mistake by learning how to easily exchange keys with your guest
Showing up unannounced
As a landlord of ‘normal’ rental properties, you usually give 24 hours notice to tenants if you need to come into the living space.
For Airbnb units, try to avoid going in at all unless you really need to immediately. If it can wait, let it wait.
Only go in for extenuating circumstances such as: a crime is being committed, your property is being damaged, or you are being a hero and saving them from imminent danger like fire.
Otherwise, it feels like a violation of privacy for the guest.
Not having towels
Some guests travel light and they would be pretty safe to assume you have the minimum amenities a hotel would offer which includes bath towels and washcloths. Having multiple sets is even better. Plan for about 3-4 sets since you do not want to feel pressured to wash the SAME set of towels before every new check in.
Fix this issue by learning about Airbnb Cleaning and Laundry Services
We know this is not a complete list, so share with us other things that are unforgivable!
Share with us in the comments below.
✔ How to avoid the BIG mistakes that most hosts make
✔ The secret weapon of all Top 1% Hosts
✔ The pricing strategy used by professionals
✔ How to consistently get gleaming 5-Star reviews
✔ How to free up your time without becoming a "robotic host"
This free training is brought to you by James Svetec an Airbnb Expert who has managed over $1M in bookings & Symon He, the founder of LearnBNB, the #1 Airbnb hosting education blog.
Learn about all of the secrets that professional hosts don't want you to know
I happened to see your article and would like to share my experience trying to use Airbnb service. I booked an apartment in Paris almost a month ago. Everything seems fine with host until he offered me another apartment in Paris few weeks later. I declined since I have made plans and calculated the distance from the apartment to major attractions in Paris. Since I was traveling from my home country to Amsterdam then to London and lastly to Paris, I requested the detail of the person who will meeting me in Paris before leaving to Amsterdam. I received the reply when I arrived in Amsterdam again asking me to change the apartment. When asked if there is something wrong with the one I booked, I told that there will be water cut off in the building. The new apartment that was offered to me is not within my budget and the host was only willing to give 25% discount. Since the cancelation policy states that I have to cancel it 5 days prior to my arrival to receive my refund, I have to cancel it in the middle of the night since I came back late after sight seeing in Amsterdam. I was tired and yet I have to search for another accommodation in Paris before I leave to London. It was stressful and disappointing since I planned my trip months ahead. Lucking there was wifi in the hotel I stayed in Amsterdam. Can you imagine if I was told much more later when I arrived in London or worst still when I arrive in Paris and being told I don’t have a place to stay. I booked the apartment after reading positive review from other guest but the reply I received from the host when I decline his offer was certainly arrogant and rude. I m not sure if the host was telling the truth about the water cut off. Never am I going to book an accommodation thru Airbnb again because of this terrible experience and also losing some money as the service fees since clearly it is not any of my fault.
Sri
Sri,
Thank you for sharing your experience, and that sounds terrible!
Hosts that do a bait and switch cause a real inconvenience for guests like yourself. As you said, it was booked because of its proximity to major attractions.
I am sorry to hear you are not going to book with Airbnb again. Have you tried contacting the Airbnb guest relations group? It may be worth a shot since you are already at a loss now.
Thanks for reading!
JB
thanks for such detailed info
We stayed at a Florida unit that boasted 3 full/queen beds. Unfortunately, 2 of the beds felt (and sounded) like huge blocks of Styrofoam. They were rock-hard, noisy and unusable- and we had booked for a week. That is unforgivable. If the bed is terrible, at least buy a topper for it. The same unit had other issues. They promised pots, pans, dishes and silverware. There were two cooking pans and five or less of everything else- for a unit that sleeps 6-8. I left what I hoped was a useful critique. We’ve stayed at 3 other Airbnb properties and thoroughly enjoyed them. We had rolled the dice on the Florida unit, booking it as a new listing before reviews were out. I don’t recommend that.
Actually, an Airbnb Host does NOT need to provide 24 hours’ notice.
Hosts often like to introduce themselves as the Guest checks in.
Hosts may also drive past the place and/or solicit feedback from neighbours about noise, etc. and follow up if things sound problematic.
If a driveby or walk by reveals 10 people hanging around when only 4 are booked, the Host has every reason to take the appropriate action.
And if there are complaints from the Guest, a Host visit the property simply to straighten things out face to face, with civility.
If the Guest is staying in a room that is part of a house, the Host as owner doesn’t need permission to be in their own home.
As a Host, I respect my Guests. But like any innkeeper, I have a right to access my own property, even if it is to change towels.
I think this is utterly innappropriate to visit without notice when a guest is staying in your flat. If I booked the whole flat for a certain amount of time, I expect to live there and feel comfortable with it. I do not want to have a host spying on me. If a host want to visit his flat anytime, then he should just keep his flat for himself and not rent it. The guest pays you for this quality fo service, he pays the feeling of being home. If it is too hard for you to let it be, then give up on money too. Of course, I understand if neighbours complained, or if you have any suspicion of any innappropriate actions, but still, I think that showing some trust is important. I have stayed at several Airbnbs, and only one host had this attitude of coming without any warning. It was very unpleasant, as he had no reason to do so.
I agree with you and I am sure that was so unpleasant if you felt spied on or not trusted. I am a host and when my guest arrive I greet them and give a small tour. I also tell them and write in my house manual that I will not be coming back in the cottage while they are there! The only way I would be back is if they request something necessary of me or have an emergency. I tell them that face to face. Their privacy is critical and a very important respect and trust element in my eyes.
I agree with “tatiespace.” Property owners with this emotional and possessive attitude should not be renting their spaces. When I pay my money, I am “renting” a property “from” the property owner, Not, I repeat NOT “sharing” the owner’s home “with” them. If owners can’t truly come to terms with this, then they should not be in the business. They must either give me the courtesy of a phone call and have a very good reason for coming in, or they need to stay out. Renters have the right to reasonable privacy and should not have to feel on edge because an owner may pop in and have an emotional reaction over dinner dishes in the sink. Renting out one’s home should be considered the business that it is – otherwise, don’t do it, for you will likely ruin someone’s hard-earned, long-awaited vacation. Also, a little off of this focus but on the same notion of possession; Owners you must clear out and clean out your refrigerator. I have more than once had to dismantle and scour a refrigerator before putting my food in it. I have NO interest in your open Bloody Mary Mix, condiments, cut onion or anything else – nothing-at-all. All I want to see is a gleaming white shiny refrigerator interior. Again, I am renting a property “from” you, and I do not expect to find your food in my refrigerator, any more than I expect to find you in my bed.
Yea inapororiate or not. Millennials tend to not give a hoot about your property. Had I stopped by mine I would have seen that my dining room table was being dragged across the floor and a beer pong table set up. If an owner wants to stop
by then he should let them know. Ill never not do that again. Olfer rentersseem find, but renters in their 20’s have a deserved reputation, so beware and definetly do not stay away from your property if your unsure.
How can I get started if I also live in the house? Can I host more than one person at a time or is this considered a ‘ Bed and Breakfast’? This was an excellent article. I am looking for an investment to help me before I retire.
Hi Eunice,
In terms of listing on Airbnb, you can. Lots of hosts have listings in homes that they live in. They list either a shared room or a private room listing and some can have multiple listings. In terms of whether it’s legal in your city/state/country, that depends. You’ll have to check with local laws to make sure. If you live in an community under HOA, you’ll need to check with that also to avoid fines.
The beauty of Airbnb is that the guest gets a decent place to stay without having to pay the huge expense or deal with the limitations of a hotel. That said, guests should be realistic and reasonable about what they expect and ask of a host. I rent out a whole apartment that is below my house. I’m generally on the property or not far away so I can deal with emergencies. I provide a comfortable bed, thick hotel-quality towels, soap, shampoo, lotion, a blow dryer, full dishes, pots and pans, flannel sheets, and cozy blankets. Breakfast is pretty much whatever they request within reason. My property is not landscaped–I live in a forest, so it’s pretty rough in the winter. I love my property and what I’ve done to make the guest suite more like a night at your favorite aunt’s house than a scene from Architectural Digest. Things are of clean and of good quality, but I’m not providing turn down service, Aveda lotions, bottled water, or anything more heroic other than really good coffee and Starbucks hot chocolate. Everything else is name brand or in the case of eggs and some dairy products, store brand. I expect my guests to be respectful of my property, considerate, and clean, and to stick to the contract as far as number of guests, etc. If people want the five-star treatment, they should go to a bonafide hotel. If they expect what a $175 dollar a night room offers (and they’d only get a room), they should not expect it for $85 a night, where they get more flexibility, more space, and more personal treatment. End of story.
This was a great article. I am in the process of researching to become a host for Air BnB.
I have a beautifully renovated upper level of a house that I have been trying to rent out. Unfortunately it still stands vacant, so maybe Air BnB might be just the way to go. I understand I will need to fill it with the basic necessities and a few other added perks. This will take a bit of time.
I have a few questions though.
*Being so new to this, how do I gain people’s confidence that my home is very comfortable, clean and well loved? It was mentioned not to go with an Air BnB if there are no testimonials.
My other thought came to mind when a neighbor had Air BnB guests that clearly did not want to leave. What does a host do in a situation like that?
If guests cancel, is there compensation for that?
I will likely find these answers out as I research a little further, but I will appreciate any feedback you have to offer.
thanks again.
We just went through a difficult situation with a Airbnb. The first day we arrived there was no hot water and little water pressure. The host told my son to wait a couple days so he could fix it. 3 days later he attempted to fix it. We had water for one day. The following day we had no water so my husband bought bottles of water so we could at least flush the toilet. By the following morning I was sick of it and we found another place. Now I saw that the host put that it was stressful dealing with my son. The host also asked for my sons bank account number to deposit money which is against Airbnb bylaws. How as a guest can you deal with these type of situations?
That’s why there are reviews AND the Airbnb customer support (https://www.airbnb.com/help/contact_us). That is a definitely a violation and should be reported to Airbnb. Hosts like this give Airbnb a bad name but they won’t succeed and don’t last long on Airbnb. Sorry you had to go through this. There are MANY more hosts who are EXACTLY THE OPPOSITE of this–they care about their guests and they deliver. Please don’t let this experience taint your impression of Airbnb and the community–bad apples like this are the exception, not the norm.
We are currently staying in airbnb in aruba and there is no hot water. We complained to the host multiple times, yet there was no fix. Each time they took the complaint but the issue isn’t fixed. When we contacted airbnb customer service, the reply was “hot water” is not listed as one of the amenities and hence airbnb is not responsible. I then checked other listings on airbnb in aruba and there weren’t any listings which specified hot water specifically. I would appreciate any suggestions on what my options are.
Sorry you have to go through something like that. We recommend that you leave an honest review of the listing to let other potential guests know that there is no hot water in the unit. As a guest, make sure to ask the host for anything that is not listed–some commonly accepted items may not be common in other markets.
I for one am surprised that hot water needs to be listed as an amenity before airbnb customer services would consider the lack of it an issue. It’s a basic expectation, regardless of the “market”.
I guess it’s a bit like travel insurance policies etc; we never really know how effective customer service depts are until we have reason to need them.
I am interested in turning a basement guest room into an air bnb style room. I live in the home, and could go without access to the basement when guests are there. The guest bedroom has an en-suite toilet/shower that would be included. Where can I learn about other amenities I should include? I’m considering upgrading the space and could turn an unused closet into a kitchenette, or another part of the basement into a living area. I don’t know if I should make the investment up front, or if upgrading would be worth it.. The other half of the basement is my art studio, and the laundry is downstairs too. Should I block these areas off or just make it clear in the rules that the studio is my private space? I will spare you other questions now. Mainly, I’d like direction to a website or other information on creating a pleasant, welcoming space for my guests. Thanks in advance for your help!
Mary
Great article. I would add rolling the dice on not telling the guest the wifi is out before they arrive! I’ve always felt that being up front and proactive wiht any issues before arrival goes a long way before the guests get to the property. Even for things totally out of your control if the local internet provider is on the fritz!