Extra bedding

[Carmen60]

I have been hosting for more than 6 months but less than 12 months now.

When a guest recently checked in to stay at my place, I provided her basic bedding. When she first placed her booking, the first thought which sprang to mind was "Yes, there is only 1 guest. I don't need to wash 2 sets of bedding! Yay!!!!"

You see, offering the guest free WIFI and free parking does not cause me extra work - it is the cleaning and washing which requires work and which I dread.

After hosting for more than 6 months, my objective was to minimise the amount of I had to do with / for Airbnb. I'm sick and tired of having to constantly 'work at home'. If not for my current situation, given the option and opportunity, I would prefer to not be a host in the future.

After a few nights, the guest asked for an extra blanket. I frowned at the request of the guest. My main intention was to avoid having another extra item to wash - extra work. I asked her for a nominal fee for the extra blanket. After all, this is budget accommodation, not luxury accommodation.

Think about this, flying budget airline is not the same as flying luxury airline. When you fly budget, you pay for every extra. When you fly luxury, the price you paid includes all extras.

My request caused displeasure on the guest. She asked to cancel her reservation and refund for her remaining nights.

I insisted that I have the right to request for money for 'extra services' at Airbnb. After all, the accommodation I provide is budget accommodation, not luxury accommodation.

It really was not my intention to be mean to my guest. At the same time, I was not willing to cater to every whim of the guest or allow my guest to feel entitled for something they did not pay for, especially when the guest paid for a budget accommodation at a low rate. From my perspective, she asked for something extra and it's extra work for me.

From my perspective, this is fair trading!

I had roast chicken for dinner this evening. When I asked for extra sauce, the merchant asked for extra payment for the extra sauce! Fair? Did I get mad? No. Should I get mad? No. Did I have any sense of entitlement that the extra sauce should be included in the cost of the chicken or included as part of my meal and so should be free? No. I paid for the extra sauce.

What is your perspective?

[Tim-and-Holly0]

@Carmen60: Your attack of @Emma94 is not right. Although there are some differences, Airbnb's the world over are similar business models, similar problems, similar frustrations. We all have the same issues. However, if the business model did not work there would not be millions of them. I have two rentals that bring in more than double the income of what they had brought in with long term tenants. This has enabled me to completely shift my lifestyle.

People who visit any Airbnb and receive a bad experience are less likely to try another Airbnb, thus hurting the hosts who are striving to provide great service while earning an income or extra money. I hear you when you say you can't get enough money to make it worthwhile. I would not rent my living room for $19 a night either. The difference between us, though, is that I would move on to something else that is economically viable that I enjoy doing or at least would not keep me agitated thus hurting other people in the process.

Obviously you are upset. Take a breath. Sit down. Is it tea Australians drink? Think through this. If it is not working out for you, look at other avenues for income. Just please don't hurt the rest of us who are making it work.

[Rachael26]

@Carmen60

You mentioned you wanted to 'delete this whole conversation' - too bad that didn't happen. But just like you 'deleted' the bad review from a guest you received last year by starting another listing (easy for anyone to find - as you wrote a post about it last Oct and these posts stay with your profile) - you really can't 'delete' or avoid the consequences of being difficult and contentious as a host or as a contributor in a community help center. You obviously did not want 'help' or 'advice' when you started this post, you just wanted to impose your warped view of hosting and asking guests to pay for a space in your apartment/hostel.

Request to all: Please let's stop this thread. It's ugly.

[Emma94]

@Carmen60 if you have thin skin and can't stand people discussing in your thread then you should stay off the internet. I don't need to be in Australia to know how to operate a lodging and hospitality business. Perhaps, you're just too dumb to realize that having a business sense or common sense which you seem to be lacking both doesn't require you to live or been to a particular area. Anyway, I don't need to argue with stupid as they do is drag you down to their level and beat you with experience.

[Lizzie]

Hello everyone,

First of all thank you @Carmen60 for starting this discussion here and thank you to those who commented. 

I am going to step in here though, as I do feel the conversation is going off track and is starting to get personal, please lets keep our posts respectful to one another.

I would like to add, from discussions here in the CC, many of us have different hosting styles, based what works well in our different lives and the type of listing we have. It is often that we may not always agree with how others host, but the majority of the time we can learn something or at least understand due to certain circumstances why a host hosts in a particular way. One of the things I love about the CC is that we can learn from each other through discussions and support, perhaps suggesting ways to prevent something in the future and in the process we can all progress (plus have a much more pleasant discussion in the process).  

Lets keep this in mind, here and across the CC.

Thanks for your time, I am going to close this thread now as I think it has run its course. 

Lizzie