Post by High Priestess on Feb 28, 2016 20:02:56 GMT
Aaron & Tara shared on NEw Hosts Forum Feb 28 2016
www.airbnb.com/groups/content/content-211118
Aaron and Tara
Outside guests house rule violation
Interested in everyone's thoughts about what to do with our current guests. Our listing is a mother in law unit on the lower level of our home. Current reservation was for 2 guests but we have noticed a 3rd coming and going, and who stayed the night. Out of respect for our neighbor's and as this is our home, we don't welcome unregistered guests. Under most circumstances, we would have no issue confronting them but have learned that doing so does compromise us and make us vulnerable to negative review and star ratings with Airbnb. So, in situations like this that are disrespectful of us and our house rules but relatively benign as far as likely long term harm, we are wondering about pro's and cons of directly confronting the guests midway between their 2 day stay? Assuming Airbnb does not moderate retaliatory reviews for enforcing house rules.... Also, does anyone send house rules as a reminder just prior to arrival? We always check in that folks have reviewed them but how frequently they do is questionable. Thank you all!
Deborah
HI Aaron and Tara
I guess the short answer to your question is that all hosts have to find a balance for themselves, a space in which they are comfortable, between having certain rules and requiring guests to follow them, versus having certain rules but blinking your eyes and turning tail when guests don't follow them, or having hardly any rules and just flipping a coin and hoping for the best.
It's my view that if a host is going to have rules, you should be willing to enforce those rules, outside of small more trivial issues like a guest leaving a cup in the sink once during a 10 day stay. A guest having a person stay overnight when that isn't allowed is not a small issue. In my book this definitely should be something hosts who dont' allow that, should confront the guest about. Even if you are content to overlook it yourself, it is not good education for this guest, who may stay with other hosts in the future, to have the experience that they are permitted to engage in significant violations of a host's house rules with impunity.
THe issue of retaliatory reviews is always there. It is not possible to be certain one won't get a retaliatory review if you confront a guest - but then, it's not possible to be certain you wont' get a bad review even if you go out of your way to provide every possible thing guest may want, and stand on your head for them to boot.
My general advice is that hosts should never let themselves be held hostage by fear of bad reviews or retaliatory reviews. If you can't enforce certain house rules out of fear, then as I see it, you might as well not have those rules, or just say in your house rules, "I would really like you to not have visitors over, but if you insist and threaten me about it, then oh well I guess I will cave." And if you dont' feel that there is any harm in guests having visitors over, then you might as well not have rules against it. As I see it, if you have a rule, it's there for a reason, and it's good for a host to remember that reason when a guest violates that rule.
I think sending out a house rules reminder prior to arrival is a fantastic idea, as is going over the rules with them when they arrive and ensuring that they understand them all.
I also think that putting this in your house rules can help put the fear of God in your guests, "Significant violations of house rules will result in immediate termination of the reservation, and forfeiture of all fees paid." Meaning that if guest has visitors over in violation of the rules, they have to worry that you might evict them and keep all their money for the whole stay. You may not actually do that but the threat of it may be sufficient to keep guests in line.
Also, see Eleanor's comment in the post below re her view on bad reviews. Eleanor has a great perspective on them. She says:
www.airbnb.com/groups/content/content-210994
"
www.airbnb.com/groups/content/content-211118
Aaron and TaraOutside guests house rule violation
Interested in everyone's thoughts about what to do with our current guests. Our listing is a mother in law unit on the lower level of our home. Current reservation was for 2 guests but we have noticed a 3rd coming and going, and who stayed the night. Out of respect for our neighbor's and as this is our home, we don't welcome unregistered guests. Under most circumstances, we would have no issue confronting them but have learned that doing so does compromise us and make us vulnerable to negative review and star ratings with Airbnb. So, in situations like this that are disrespectful of us and our house rules but relatively benign as far as likely long term harm, we are wondering about pro's and cons of directly confronting the guests midway between their 2 day stay? Assuming Airbnb does not moderate retaliatory reviews for enforcing house rules.... Also, does anyone send house rules as a reminder just prior to arrival? We always check in that folks have reviewed them but how frequently they do is questionable. Thank you all!
Deborah
HI Aaron and Tara
I guess the short answer to your question is that all hosts have to find a balance for themselves, a space in which they are comfortable, between having certain rules and requiring guests to follow them, versus having certain rules but blinking your eyes and turning tail when guests don't follow them, or having hardly any rules and just flipping a coin and hoping for the best.
It's my view that if a host is going to have rules, you should be willing to enforce those rules, outside of small more trivial issues like a guest leaving a cup in the sink once during a 10 day stay. A guest having a person stay overnight when that isn't allowed is not a small issue. In my book this definitely should be something hosts who dont' allow that, should confront the guest about. Even if you are content to overlook it yourself, it is not good education for this guest, who may stay with other hosts in the future, to have the experience that they are permitted to engage in significant violations of a host's house rules with impunity.
THe issue of retaliatory reviews is always there. It is not possible to be certain one won't get a retaliatory review if you confront a guest - but then, it's not possible to be certain you wont' get a bad review even if you go out of your way to provide every possible thing guest may want, and stand on your head for them to boot.
My general advice is that hosts should never let themselves be held hostage by fear of bad reviews or retaliatory reviews. If you can't enforce certain house rules out of fear, then as I see it, you might as well not have those rules, or just say in your house rules, "I would really like you to not have visitors over, but if you insist and threaten me about it, then oh well I guess I will cave." And if you dont' feel that there is any harm in guests having visitors over, then you might as well not have rules against it. As I see it, if you have a rule, it's there for a reason, and it's good for a host to remember that reason when a guest violates that rule.
I think sending out a house rules reminder prior to arrival is a fantastic idea, as is going over the rules with them when they arrive and ensuring that they understand them all.
I also think that putting this in your house rules can help put the fear of God in your guests, "Significant violations of house rules will result in immediate termination of the reservation, and forfeiture of all fees paid." Meaning that if guest has visitors over in violation of the rules, they have to worry that you might evict them and keep all their money for the whole stay. You may not actually do that but the threat of it may be sufficient to keep guests in line.
Also, see Eleanor's comment in the post below re her view on bad reviews. Eleanor has a great perspective on them. She says:
www.airbnb.com/groups/content/content-210994
"
Pick us up from the airport? Wow. No. Hagglers get one response from me. "The rate is as listed. Thank you for inquiring." And I either don't hear back from them or. All goes well because I've established I'm not a pushover. Also we can respond to negative reviews. And our response shows readers who we are and how we deal with issues. I've had people compliment my response to the occasional bad review. And say "Wow that person was a real problem wasn't s/he?" So. No worries about a poor review."
