14 — Friday, August 30, 2019
NORTHEAST OREGON REAL ESTATE
7 Things I Hate When Renting Other People’s
Homes on Airbnb
By Cathie Ericson
Realtor.com
7. Making guests feel unwelcome
I can’t remember the last time I booked a
hotel for a vacation. Instead, I head straight
to short-term rental sites such as Airbnb. I
get lower rates and more room to spread out,
and the homeowner gets a nice infusion of
cash.
This win-win scenario has many home-
owners eager to rent out their digs. But
beware—it’s not as easy as posting a few pics.
For long-term success, you’ll have to rack up
the rave reviews, and those can be tough to
come by if you don’t cater to your customers’
needs.
As a seasoned short-term renter, I’ve come
across my share of annoyances that bother
not only me, but many of my friends who
depend on short-term rental sites, too. So
if you’re tempted to turn your home into a
cash cow, make sure to avoid these classic
mistakes.
Yes, it’s a business transaction. However,
you’re opening up your home, and some
visitors want it to feel that way. The most
wonderful Airbnb I ever stayed in was in
Alabama, and what folks say about Southern
hospitality is 100% true. We were there for
a football game day weekend, and the host
had assembled a beautiful basket overfl ow-
ing with “tailgate” essentials, from chips and
salsa to red cups and pompoms.
I would estimate it probably cost $10 to
create this welcome basket, but the glow was
worth far more than that. She also had left
new toothbrushes and travel-size paste in
the bathroom. Necessary? Of course not, but
much appreciated.
So, consider adding your own welcome
basket of a few snacks, some brochures for
nearby tourist attractions, and other small
but meaningful amenities that will wow your
guests.
1. Skimping on supplies
Leaving one roll of paper towels, two trash
bags, and three dishwasher detergent cap-
sules is going to earn my wrath. I’m either
going to be annoyed that I have to buy new
supplies, or going to leave the dishwasher
full because I was out of detergent, as I did
during a long weekend in Sunriver, OR. Yes,
I get that there are rude guests who overuse
supplies, but at least furnish enough for
normal use.
Another essential frequently lacking is an
adequate supply of bath towels. And it’s so
easy to fi x: Just go to a big-box store when
they are on sale and stock up. And if one
of the amenities you’re touting is a pool or
beach access, for the love of heaven, furnish
beach towels! I can guarantee your guests
assume they are there and didn’t bring any
of their own.
2. Exaggerating your location
“Near the beach.” When my friend rented
an Airbnb in Los Angeles with this descrip-
tion, she was envisioning a short walk before
she felt the sand between her toes. Instead,
“near” amounted to a 20-minute drive
(without traffi c) and a battle to fi nd a place
to park.
And I’ve fallen for this gambit, too, when I
considered renting a place “in wine country.”
It turns out it did have one vineyard nearby,
but was otherwise far on the fringes of prime
Tero Vesalainen/iStock
grape territory.
Of course you want to put your place in
the best light, but there’s a fi ne line between
aggrandizing your location and misleading
people. And trust us, we will be miffed.
3. Furnishing the rental with castoffs
When I’m on vacation, I don’t want to be
surrounded by garage sale furniture, nubby
sheets, mismatched plates, warped pans, and
random kitchen gadgets. All of this I found
in a mountain cabin rental in Northern
California, which took “rustic” in the wrong
direction.
Yes, equipping the home is an invest-
ment, but to give your rental the aura of a
chic hotel or sumptuous guest home, spend
a few extra bucks for elegant furniture and
amenities.
your home, keep that calendar of available
dates current and check your messages
regularly to ensure that you are getting back
to potential renters ASAP. Often they are
coordinating with multiple families, juggling
dates and airfare, and attending to a wide
variety of details that go into planning a
vacation, which can be majorly affected by
availability.
4. Making renters wonder how to use the
coffee maker
Or the other appliances, but especially the
coffee maker. First, get one that’s relatively
intuitive and then put the manual right next
to it—with the coffee fi lters located in a logi-
cal location nearby.
At one Airbnb in Boston, I noticed a lack of
fi lters so I bought new ones, only to fi nd three
boxes in an upper cupboard the next day. It
seems everyone had thought they were miss-
ing and bought them. I helpfully stored my
contribution in the drawer under the maker,
where a practical person would expect to fi nd
them. You’re welcome.
5. Hiding the Wi-Fi code
Like, seriously, don’t make this hard.
6. Not updating your bookings calendar
It’s infuriating to relish in the good fortune
of nabbing lodging on a prime weekend in a
fantastic location only to fi nd out later that
it’s already been booked. If you’re renting out
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