Fill the fridge with BAGELS?

[Luigi27]

I am puzzled why Airbnb imposes hosts ''to fill the fridge... wih bagels!''

The free meal concept is maybe valid for a charity organisation not for a small potato business like host at ABB.

Quite offensive for honest business people that are trying to survive in this unruled market . 

Airbnb email tone is not a ‘’suggestion’’ as someone is writing here but is a TO DO list.  i.e. You HAVE to ‘’FILL THE FRIDGE’’! 

Why I need to fill the fridge with bagels? And why not croissants then? Who is paying for that?

I would love to have the opportunity to charge for breakfast if Airbnb implement that option on the new super confusing portal. 

Airbnb should consider to remove that bagel theory for sake of a good communication with suppliers. Many owners agree.

Instead they send a threat of suspension : You’re at risk Your account could be suspended if you don’t focus on improving to meet Airbnb hosting standards. ......!

Quite sad.

[Raffaele-and-Astrid0]

Hi @Luigi27

What's the thing about bagels? ahahah do you recivied an email about? 😄
I don't understand what's happening to you, but it sounds funny all the story.

Raf

[Robin4]

@Raffaele-and-Astrid0

Raff, it's quite simple, this host has brought this up before in other threads....in fact he completely ruined a thread of mine!

His idea of hosting is to have a concrete room with metal bunks that fold down from the wall and a toilet in the corner! When a guest leaves all he has to do is hose out the listing into a large drain in the middle of the floor, throw some bed linen in the direction of the beds (which the guest has been charged extra for) and tell the next guest where they will find the key!

This host does not host, he lets out space.....and god help you if you want to do anything other than, breath, in one of his listings!!

I don't think any of us understand what's happening to him but, hey....that's life!

Have a great new year Raff, and all the best to Astrid,  hope it will at least be as good as the last one!

Hey, is the bottle dept in the Coogee Bay still as good as it used to be.....hic 🙂

Cheers.....Rob

[Luigi27]

He is back! The free beer and free brie cheese host! He was summoned by Airbnb but he insists, he thinks to know everything better than anyone else, insulting other ideas and hosts. Best thing is to let the authorities in Australia know he is selling beers and wine without license! Thats going to be fun!

[Helen3]

Really @Robin4

His place looks lovely

https://www.airbnb.co.uk/rooms/10044963

[Robin4]

@Helen3 Hi Helen,

My post was metaphorical, I have seen his listings and they are nice and he does have some good reviews, but a month or so ago I offered a post on how to keep listing disputes under control and he immediately climbed into me and mocked the fact that I provided something that I did not charge for. He kept at it and became personal! In the end Lizzie had to close the thread down.

Helen, I wasn't trying to (or the slightest bit interested in) forcing my ideas on him, but he was sure interested in trying to make me look silly when all I was trying to do was help others!

Now here he is back at it again having a go at Airbnb policy this time for suggesting he should put something other than a glass of water in his room without receiving extra money for it.

It's not his listing I was critical of, it's the way he will hound down others that I am critical of.

And on the subject of food and drink.....

Hell, where would we be without the good ol' Aussie Barbie...be it in the back yard, the river, the beach!!! These things are allowed and in any case are totally un-policeable! The problem comes in if you 'charge' for this service! If you say you will provide a meal for x amount of dollars, you are breaking the law! The exception is the charity barbie that is run out the front of every Bunnings store in Australia. No health licence is given there and none is required....I know because I volunteer for Meals on Wheels and we frequently run a fund raising 'sausage sizzle'! Bunnings are not liable and neither are we!!

I don't charge for any of the food that I provide....either in the cottage or what I might cook and there are absolutely no regulations that I am breaking....It could be family, it could be friends, it could be clients.....as long as I don't put a dollar figure on it, it is perfectly legal!!

Cheers....Rob

[Luigi27]

Don't even bother to reply, he is ranting about nonsense. Unstable

[Monica4]

@Luigi27  Airbnb would be in serious trouble here in Quebec. We need a special license, with inspections, in order to offer food. And that service is taxed additionally to the 3.5% that we have to pay as lodging tax.

I am licensed as a tourist home. If the inspector find any kind of food when he/she comes for inspection when the house is empty, I can be fined.

Airbnb needs to smarten up. Not only is it offensive to tell hosts what they "have to" offer, it is also against the law in some parts of the world.

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

Well, first of all the amount of freebies depends of the apartment price. 

If someone rent 130 m2 for 40€ and another hosts rents a studio for 60€ of course that they can not offer the same service.

Second, it also depends of the location. Host in USA can buy for example beddings for few $, but host in Brazil or Argentina have to pay 10x more. 

Third, if host lives in the same house of course he can offer more then the other one who lives on the other part of the city or in another city... or country.

A lot of factors determines the rent price but, I know that 5€ lower price will attract more guests than 5€ extra freebies, at least in our area with a lot of tourist apartments and competition. 

And yes, in Croatia we also have to have special permits to be allowed to prepare breakfast or offer food. So we don't. We just offer some essentials like sugar, salt, coffee, oil...

[Monica4]

@Branka-and-Silvia0  You are lucky that you are allowed to offer some basics. At my last inspection I was warned that I am not allowed to have salt and pepper available in shakers. Only individual packets....and preferably nothing at all.

[Robin4]

@Monica4

Gee Monica, that is running a really hard line. Was there some event which triggered such stringent conditions?

At my last inspection the local council health inspector was interested in the listings set fridge temperature, it's condition, door seals, if there were any out of date products and of course the cleanliness, vermin control, disabled access and lockable storage for any hazardous materials. But he quite gladly sat down to a cup of tea, a piece of (home made) cake and a biscuit when the inspection was through.

In most parts of the world it comes down to common sense....as long as you are not 'selling' food as a part of your business.

As a matter of interest, what happens when you have a friendly dinner evening and a friend brings someone you have not met before? Technically that is food for a stranger!

What happens when you go to a shopping centre to buy food....or go to the local bottle shop and your neighbour says..."Can you grab me a litre of milk or a 6 pack of beer"! When money changes hands on your return, are you breaking the law? It could be that, that neighbour may say...."Hey keep the change, thanks for getting those for me" , you make a profit....is that against the law?

In most parts of the world we live in a caring sharing society where we have Christmas dinners, family wedding receptions, all manner of events where we enable others to use what we provide with no interaction on the part of authorities.....

and my it always be that way!

Gee Monica, that would make it incredibly hard to be that congenial host...you would need to have your wits about you all the time.

Cheers.....Rob 

[David126]

Where I am if your provide food then you need a license, inspections etc etc. I assume that is the case for many places.

Does seem odd.

As others have said it seems most ABB business is at a price point and obviously there are all sorts of things you can do but it effects your price and my impression is that most guests prefer a cheaper stay.

[Cynthia-and-Chris1]

Airbnb does not REQUIRE anyone to provide food - I think they are simply suggesting you may be able to improve your reviews IF you provided food.  Not specifically bagels, again, that's just a suggestion.  It could be anything.

[Luigi27]

Host Checklist

Contact the guest via email or phone to confirm arrival time. Provide directions to your address from the airport, train station, etc.

Fresh sheets/pillowcase

Tidy house/bathroom

Fill the fridge with a few breakfast goods (OJ, bagels, fruit)

Print your guest itinerary, so you have their email and phone number on hand

Find handy information at our Help Center

[Helen3]

Putting a few items in the fridge is a suggestion so there are some basics when guests first arrive. If you don't want to leave anything then don't. However it only costs a couple of pounds and you can incorporate in your day rate.

I guess it depends where you are located.

I am in a city centre and don't offer breakfast, but do offer free teas and coffees and am happy for guests to use my basics.