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Original poster

Would you put your spare room on air bnb?

582 replies

EachandEveryone · 03/07/2015 15:23

We are twenty minutes from Central London. My friend and I are sick of looking for flatmates and would quite like a break from living with other people! What do you think to letting out the spare bedroom?

OP posts:
Original poster
EachandEveryone · 20/10/2015 23:23

It's not a review he left it looks like a complaint asking for a refund. The email said if we don't reply it goes to resolution, we've given the money back.

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lovestea · 21/10/2015 18:14

Each, that's awful. How upsetting for you. I honestly think that some guests expectations are way out of kilter with what AirBnB is really about, which is staying in someones home, not a hotel.
We have had over 60 guests now and to my knowledge not one of them has looked in the kettle to find scale! I think your guest was looking for a reason to get a refund. Don't be disheartened by one unreasonable guest.

As for the non reviewers, we have had a few, but not many. But I don't take it personally. When someone books with us, I do look at their reviews and whether they have left reviews for previous hosts. You often find the non reviewers don't leave reviews for any of their AirBnb hosts.

We had a really awful guest earlier this year who had set the tone of his stay even before arriving and it was a tense time, but fortunately he only stayed two nights. He literally threw his toys out of the pram over his arrival arrangements and made me feel awful. I fully expected a rotten review, but he didn't give us a review at all, and we didn't give him one, and it was a relief once the 14 day deadline passed.

Pigeonpost · 21/10/2015 18:15

Oh no! He sounds like a total chancer. I can't see how AirBnB would have found in his favour given the very very minor points he raised. Furniture not new? Wtf? That is such a cop out. What a pain. I would still take it further with AirBnB as he may either have form (does he have reviews?) or be planning to try and rip everyone off.

Pigeonpost · 21/10/2015 18:16

Loves, how can you tell what reviews a guest has given previously?

lovestea · 21/10/2015 18:42

Hi Pigeon, so what you do is click on your guests profile/pic and you can see the reviews they have had from previous hosts. Then you click on their reviewer (previous host) and scroll through their reviews to see what feedback has been left by the guest for them. The date of the review is underneath the review so you don't have to spend too much time scrolling through.
We have a couple in this weekend who have three good reviews left by previous hosts, but I see that they themselves have never left a review for their hosts, so chances are they won't for us!

Original poster
EachandEveryone · 21/10/2015 20:55

I wonder if there's an email address I can write to just to make them aware?

Another guest arrived yesterday for three weeks and I already caught her looking at the timer on the boiler. She said she slept lively but at 2pm she felt cold. I said jokingly that she has been spoilt at her student halls with 24/7 heating and that ours comes on two hours in the morning and again in the evening and not outside of those times as we are out at work. Is that reasonable? She's not planning on going out by the sounds of it. She's looking for a job in London.

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Pigeonpost · 21/10/2015 21:33

Each, you can definitely context customer service via the website. Not sure about via the app. Was all the correspondence about the complaint via the Airbnb messaging system? They will be able to see it if so. They were good when I raised a concern about an awkward guest prior to his arrival.

Loves, that's really helpful, I will do some snooping! Smile

EagleRay · 21/10/2015 22:17

Lovestea I look at guests reviews a lot (including the ones they have given other hosts) but can't see how a guest would have a review published about themselves if they hadn't left a review for a host as only mutual reviews get published?

My personal experience re hoovering...

I've always been of the (paranoid) opinion that if a guest finds a single hair in their room, it's as if you haven't cleaned it at all. I found (especially after switching to a lightweight hoover) that vacuuming wasn't sufficient to get every single hair up, especially in the case of longer stay guests, and those with long/thick/dark hair. Often it would take me an hour or so to get my larger room totally vacuumed as I would have to pick up a lot of the hair by hand, especially on the very thick rug in the room! A great way to get hair off a rug or carpet easily is to put a rubber glove on and sweep the floor with your hand (this is also a good way of getting pet hair off upholstery).

Sorry - this is probably blatantly obvious to all of you, but it's one of those things I hadn't anticipated when doing airbnb but spent hours on!

lovestea · 21/10/2015 23:10

Eagle, the review does not have to be mutual to be published. AirBnB encourage both guests and hosts to review, but at the end of 14 days if only one has reviewed it is published. But the other (either host or guest) then has the 'right to reply' which is then also published.
If host and guest both review within 14 days the reviews are published at the same time.
As a host I have reviewed a couple of my guests who have chosen not to review me. At the end of 14 days my review of them is on their profile and there is nothing about their stay with me on mine. It works both ways.

Original poster
EachandEveryone · 21/10/2015 23:30

I've just bought a stand alone heater. I hope it's cheaper than putting the central heating on. I also emailed airbnb I've also noticed he's just listed his own place. Strange.

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lovestea · 21/10/2015 23:35

Each, AirBnB have two customer service centres in the UK. You can phone for advice and they are very friendly and helpful. They can see all of your messaging and contacts with guests and can advise on disputes. What you need when you ring them is to input your phone number that is registered to your AirBnB account including the +44 bit.
They are: Reading 08435047257 and London 0203318111.
I hope this helps, I think your single man guest has been very unfair to you.

Original poster
EachandEveryone · 22/10/2015 00:04

Oh, I knew it beforehand. He was asking ridiculous questions. I could kick myself for accepting the booking. It was like an episode of Four in a Bed. He must've gone over our flat with a fine tooth comb. We are fully booked til the end of November. I feel like throwing the towel in after that.

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lovestea · 22/10/2015 00:21

We had a potential guest a couple of months ago who had left a stinging review of their last host along the lines of 'She was a really bad host, who did not allow us to cook food or have take away in our room. Really mean to us'. However, looking at the previous hosts profile, it clearly stated that cooking in the kitchen was off limits and if the guests wanted to bring in a take away they could eat in the dining room and not in the bedroom.
The host had not left a review, I suspect because she anticipated what the guest was going to say. But in the public reply she rightly said that if the guest had read her details properly then they should have known that cooking and food in the room was a no no, and that was a booking choice for the guests to make.
So many times it comes down to the details/profile not being read properly.
We declined them.

We have had so many lovely, interesting and charming guests who have been a pleasure to host.
It is wretched to have one person spoil it with a bad review or dispute.

EagleRay · 22/10/2015 00:27

Lovestea fundamental misunderstanding on my part re the review system! I've never had one-way reviews which perpetuated this myth for me - wonder where I read it or thought I read it - I even thought not review a guest would protect yourself from negative feedback, although can now not find any evidence of this anywhere..

lovestea · 22/10/2015 00:42

Hi Eagle, AirBnB put so much emphasis on 'mutual' reviews it's easy to think that it only works like that if you both publish. But no, it's all to do with the 14 day deadline!

How is the bump? Are you okay?

ObsidianBlackbirdMcNight · 22/10/2015 09:46

The only point of mutual reviews is that you can't read what the other person says before you review them. I have had loads of guests who don't review and I have only failed to review one and that was before I realised they wouldn't see it before reviewing me.
My current guests are amazing, an older American couple who are so sweet and appreciative. They have raved about the area and the view and said they will definitely review but then the guy said head forgotten his password Hmm so I hope my good review materialises! Location is the area I keep getting marked down on despite being so clear in the listing so I could really do with a 5* review to bump it up!

EagleRay · 22/10/2015 10:47

LovesTea bump ok thanks - nearly through first trimester but still an uncertain time

Obsidian I get marked down on location too, despite being priced accordingly and offering benefits over more central location (amazing views, free parking etc) yet they still moan. In fact I would go as far to say that my house has outstanding panoramic views of a world famous location, and often see the pics my guests have posted on Instagram, Twitter etc and yet STILL THEY MOAN!!

Pigeonpost · 22/10/2015 11:36

Being able to mark hosts down on location is stupid. Location is what it is and it irritates me that guests can score us on it at all. Don't bloody book then!!

Original poster
EachandEveryone · 22/10/2015 12:08

I'm dreading his review tbh

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lovestea · 02/11/2015 20:20

Hi Each, any news on the review? I am hoping that as you refunded him he won't leave a negative review, if he leaves one at all.

We just had a rather terse private review (at least it was private, so something to be thankful for) on top of an okay public review. It goes back to The old Location thing again.
I am always totally honest about parking. We live in a city, near the centre. Parking is rubbish and it's not a controlled parking zone so the world and his wife use our street. Commuters, shoppers, visitors to the city, etc. However, most of our guests do not come by car, so not a problem.
This guest came by car. Told him before he even booked that it's a parking lottery. You can usually get in somewhere, but probably not on our street, depending on the time of day.
He arrived and managed to park in the street next to ours. All was well with the stay. But the private response I got was along the lines of being terribly inconvenienced, and how fed up he was at having to park in the next street, and had he known it was this bad he might not have booked.
I have not responded. I cannot change our street parking and I TOLD HIM what it was like.

Please tell me everyone else is having a better time! (last five guests have been fab though).

Pigeonpost · 02/11/2015 20:35

Some people are just idiots Loves! Our last guests were very nice and although I've not seen a review from them yet I'm hoping they don't mention the fact that bring expressly told that there is no 3G here and sat nav using our postcode will send you down the wrong road they commented on arrival that they would have been 45 mins earlier had they been able to find us. Twats. I've been spending my AirBnB income on lots of lovely stuff for the house this week though so that overrides the frustrations with muppets!!

lovestea · 02/11/2015 21:33

Thanks, Pigeon! The AirBnB income has really been the icing on the cake for us, and so fabulous to have it. We are semi retired and it was never part of our financial planning, so it has enabled us to have so much more than we factored in.
How are bookings going for everyone now autumn is here? We are seeing a drop, but still filling 11 to 14 nights for November and December each. I have blocked out Christmas week so I can wear my pj's all day and have family to stay, but we are already getting some bookings for January. Same for you all?

EagleRay · 02/11/2015 21:43

Bit quiet on the bookings front here...

Grin
ObsidianBlackbirdMcNight · 02/11/2015 21:51

October was ok for bookings but November and December are dead so far. Had a few enquires and a booking request which was not appropriate (someone trying to book for their 'employees') so I am hopeful that I will get a bit but my savings are depleted so I could do with it!

Pigeonpost · 02/11/2015 22:44

October was pretty busy in the end although mostly over weekends. Half term helped though as we were booked all week with slightly higher prices. 4 nights booked so far in Nov and nothing after that. Then have two random one nighters in May and a week late Jun/early July. It's been quite nice to have a break from it but happy to keep trucking through with bookings.