Programmable thermostats

One of the smartest things I did as an Airbnb host was to have a programmable thermostat installed. And not just any kind of programmable thermostat either.  First, it needs to be one that will allow you to set high and low temperature limits.  What does that mean?  It means that guests can't turn the heating above or the cooling below the limits you set. Second, you should be able to lock it using a PIN/password. This is sometimes known as a landlord's thermostat.

A regular old thermostat like this will
wind up costing you lots of money

A thermostat like this doesn't need to be expensive.  I chose a Robert Shaw model that cost less than $100. Of course, the one you choose will depend on your heating/cooling set up so check with you HVAC contractor if you're not sure.

Ok, so why do you need this? Do I really have to explain it?  Because without it guests will turn the heat up or the air conditioning down as far as it will go. And leave it there.  Even while they're out all day.  Not all guests, mind you, but enough to cost you plenty. Your current thermostat lets you set the heat as high as 90F (30C)?  Then some guest will set it there.

Before switching, the worst problems I had were with Brits who set the air conditioning to 59F (15C).  One didn't bother closing the windows either.  So while a programmable thermostat won't solve the window issue, it will at least help rein in guests and help keep your utility bills under control.

Airbnb Hell

Yes, that's the name of a new website and FB page where guests and hosts can share horror stories.

The site is new, the first entries are from early July. The underlying complaint behind most of the postings is the bad customer service provided by Airbnb.

From the site:

What happened to good customer service?

AirBNB has grown too big and corrupt to care about the guests and hosts it is supposed to be supporting. Read airbnb reviews and complaints here before using airbnb!

I look forward to watching this site and will be cross-posting when they have something particularly good.

http://www.airbnbhell.com/

https://www.facebook.com/AirbnbHell

Also worth a read is the story where I found the site, Lifehacker's "How Can I Avoid Getting Screwed on Airbnb?"

In other related news:

After Home-Trashing Incident, Airbnb Builds an In-House Enforcer Team

Airbnb Slows its Pace as it Focuses on Customer Experience and Safety

Annoying things guests do

We're not talking major infractions here, just small stuff that makes you scratch your head and wonder why.

Unplugging all the lamps
You might chalk this up to people being conscientious about energy usage.  But given that the same people will go out and leave the ceiling lights on and the heating turned up/cooling turned down, I don't think that's it.  And no, it's not to make room for their rechargers because each outlet has a free socket.  Any ideas?

Going through the linens closet
I've had guests leave the linens closet looking like Macy's after a major sale: everything in disarray. And often they don't appear to have taken anything out, they just wanted to have a look through your stuff.  When guests do help themselves to the linens you've got a problem on your hands - not enough clean towels/sheets for the next guest. Putting a 'Private' sign on the door helped but didn't completely stop the behavior.

Rearranging the cupboards/furniture
This might be more understandable with longer-term guest, but I've had the contents of the kitchen cabinets completely rearranged by people staying only 2 nights.  I find dining chairs in bathrooms and out on the deck but the problem hasn't been as bad with the furniture, probably because it's heavier.  Still, it's no picnic having to return to the living room (by myself) an armchair that it took 2 people to move to the dining room.

Running a full dishwasher cycle for one cup, one plate, and one fork
In my experience, it's only Americans who do this.  Also annoying, leaving a sink/dishwasher full of dirty dishes or leaving their cleaned dishes for me to put away.

Leaving the front door unlocked
Okay, we're moving away from the annoying to the potentially dangerous here.  Do you really need to tell grown-ups to lock the front door in a city?

So, what's the most annoying thing you've had a guest do?