EXTREMELY EXCESSIVE USE OF ELECTRICITY

[Maya1]

Hi Everyone

I had some gusets stay at my place during the winter. This is mediterenean winter I am talking about so it is not freezing (10-17 celsius). 

One of them kept complaining about being cold and eventhough I asked her to turn off the heat at least when she is not at the apartment (and supplied extra blankets and even my own thick socks) she kept the heaters on at all times. 

It's been a while and now I received the electricity bill - which is 3 times double than I ever had to pay.

It is a very very large amount which makes me end the month in A LOSS of money.

Please tell me there is something airbnb does to protect hosts from such overuse os electricity!

Thank you !

[Gerry-And-Rashid0]

@Maya1

Unfortunately it is up to you to set the rate for your property, and that includes agreeing extra charges upfront with guests for water, electricity, etc 

Its particularly important for longer stay guests, and of course during cold winter season. You will also see hosts on here who have been caught out by constant use of air on during hot weather.

there is little you can do except chalk it up to experience- going forward you should think about how to manage this in future. Whatever you do you must be crystal clear with guests what will be charged and how/why. 

[Linda108]

@Maya1  I think you expect Air BNB to do something that cannot be done by this booking platform.  Use of electricity is up to you to manage, not Air BNB.  In some areas, electricity use can be excessive and as you have noted, very expensive.  Some hosts have posted how to add a timer to the electricity use which might be a good idea for you to explore.  That way the electricity is automatically turned off after a certain amount of time.  On another note, some people experience being cold because of medical conditions and use of medications like "blood thinners".  

[David126]

Nothing to do with AirBnB, all about how you manage your property.

I did have an Israeli Lady who wanted the heating on in September.

[Julie843]

I think Airbnb should find a way to allow hosts to address this.

We recently had a guest rent our apartment in Sofia, Bulgaria, for a few months and the electricity bills skyrocketed during his stay. We suspect that he may have been mining cryptocurrency (like bitcoin) with one or more laptops. I don't know how probable that is, but given the rise of "digital nomads" making their rounds through countries with lower costs of living (and cheaper Airbnb options), I am curious how often this happens. And there's no way to prove that it may have been something like bitcoin mining rather than excessive use of the electric heat.

My current solution (based on very little thought or research) is to resort to threatening the guest with a bad review. I included this notice in our listing:

ELECTRICITY CONSUMPTION:

* Please be mindful about your electricity consumption. Electricity is not free (for hosts or the planet!). Please turn off the A/C or heat when you leave the apartment & turn it off/down during the night. Mining of bitcoin or other cryptocurrency will not be tolerated.

* Note that we check guests' electricity consumption before we leave a guest review. If it is clearly excessive (for example, due to round-the-clock running of A/C or heat or if the guest has been mining bitcoins), we will leave a 1-star review and a very clear public comment about excessive electricity consumption. 

Can anyone offer other solutions?

[Linda108]

Air BNB is simply a booking platform, @Julie843 so I am not sure what this platform could do to address the very real issue you have brought up.  If you have suggestions, please post about this in Host Voice so other hosts can support your ideas.

[Christine168]

Hosts need to be aware of guests trading cryptocurrency and find a way to stop this from happening. https://qz.com/1160667/the-secret-lives-of-students-who-mine-cryptocurrency-in-their-dorm-rooms/

[Steven65]

Consider installing a smart thermostat. You can control it remotely and it will automotically turn the heating down if no one is in the flat. 

[John1080]

@Maya1, unfortunately, it's human nature to use to excess when the thing in question is perceived to be 'free' or when it's someone else's money. I have seen this in this business and also in my long-term rental unit in my home. 

Unfortunately, it's part of doing business and there is nothing that AirBnb can really do in these cases. You need to make sure you are clear in your listing and your rules about this and other issues you want hosts to know about. 

Good luck and I think we'd all be interested to know if you manage to find any tips to successfully limit electricity use. 

[Savas3]

What about fitting pay as you go meter and prepay certain amount of credit? 

[Valentine92]

Normaly you take a Damage deposit. If the guest exceeds the " Standard limit" which you should previously write on the Listings Policies.  you can Accuse the guest of Electricity theft ( Property Damage/theft).

Logic must be used. If they pay 1000€/$ for a month, and they " steal" 800€/$ in Electricity, that is clearly Property Damage/theft, and you should Take it from the given deposit.