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That was a very unfortunate experience, but in some ways I'd count it as a win for Airbnb. You were going to stay at this person's house, but because of their m

That was a very unfortunate experience, but in some ways I'd count it as a win for Airbnb. You were going to stay at this person's house, but because of their messaging interface you were able to screen them and realize that they were, in fact, a crazy person. I think it is very important to look at the reviews of people you stay with. If someone has more that 7-8 reviews, and everyone has positive things to say then the risk is very low. I have used Airbnb to stay in some incredibly romantic places (Paris with a view of the Eiffel Tower, Boat in the SF Bay) and by picking people that have 20 or more reviews I have found a very high level of service and... competence. I feel like I have a lot less control as a host, because almost no-one has reviews (it seems like there must be a lot more guests than hosts), but I think there is a lot less variability with a guest because I am controlling the situation. At worst I have a crazy and irritating person in my house for a few days, where as when I'm staying with someone I am depending on them for shelter. That said I have hosted 34 people and had no crazys yet (knock on wood). In general people are fun to host.

tptacek 16y ago
Yeah, ok, so, help a newcomer to AirBnB out: how far in advance should I book a room, and what string of slightly annoying nudges should I sent to my host so that I can verify by their handling of my annoyances that they are not going to pull the rug out from me the day I arrive in their city?
- robobenjie 16y ago
  For us, book as soon as you know you want it. We've had people book several months in advance and we make sure to honor them (the "worst" that happened is that somebody got the whole house to themselves for the last few days of their stay while we were in France). I would just ask what the check in procedure is. If they are on top if it then they will have one. Also, again, look at the reviews. If someone has had a dozen guests who liked it enough to review then you know that they are serious about it, and canceling on a guest would completely ruin the reputation of someone like that. We would only cancel on a guest if we physically could not host them (room was on fire, etc).
makmanalp 16y ago
I want to host at some point and would really be interested if you would write a small piece on your experiences hosting, and what the best practices are regarding leaving your stuff in the apartment / safety / dealing with issues etc etc?
etherael 16y ago
I'm about to start hosting a room in Sydney for a while, any non obvious tips for new hosts? Should I make sure the rooms have locks? I'm leaning towards yes on this already because I think it will just make them feel safer and such, but I don't know anyone else who actually hosts so I'm pretty lost at this stage. Any advice appreciated.

tptacek 16y ago

Yeah, ok, so, help a newcomer to AirBnB out: how far in advance should I book a room, and what string of slightly annoying nudges should I sent to my host so that I can verify by their handling of my annoyances that they are not going to pull the rug out from me the day I arrive in their city?

robobenjie 16y ago
For us, book as soon as you know you want it. We've had people book several months in advance and we make sure to honor them (the "worst" that happened is that somebody got the whole house to themselves for the last few days of their stay while we were in France). I would just ask what the check in procedure is. If they are on top if it then they will have one. Also, again, look at the reviews. If someone has had a dozen guests who liked it enough to review then you know that they are serious about it, and canceling on a guest would completely ruin the reputation of someone like that. We would only cancel on a guest if we physically could not host them (room was on fire, etc).

makmanalp 16y ago

I want to host at some point and would really be interested if you would write a small piece on your experiences hosting, and what the best practices are regarding leaving your stuff in the apartment / safety / dealing with issues etc etc?

etherael 16y ago

I'm about to start hosting a room in Sydney for a while, any non obvious tips for new hosts? Should I make sure the rooms have locks? I'm leaning towards yes on this already because I think it will just make them feel safer and such, but I don't know anyone else who actually hosts so I'm pretty lost at this stage. Any advice appreciated.