I’m a host on AirBnB.

I don’t own any properties, I manage them for the owners, who are too busy doing other things and often live some distance away. So I am the host my guests deal with.

I work hard, probably harder than I should, to make a decent living. Who are these people who run these places with minimal effort and what am I doing wrong?

The cottages I manage were never a family’s home. No one was evicted from them to create a short term rental space. They sat empty a lot of the time, except for holidays and weekends, until some lucky soul with more money than I have bought them, and gave me a job.

I don’t have any interesting check out chores to complain about, unless locking the door and making sure you haven’t

left any belongings behind counts.

I’ve never asked a guest to put the trash out, prune the trees or replace the siding. My philosophy is YOU are on vacation, during your stay and at check out. It is MY job to make sure the cottage is clean and maintained so you can enjoy the time you paid for!

And clean it is. From one end to the other. Underneath and on top of things. Inside drawers. Between the windows and screens, high up in the corners of the beautiful cathedral ceilings where spiders dare to squat.

You will have ample rolls of toilet paper. Paper towel. Coffee, tea, sugar, spices, shampoo, hand soap, garbage bags and on it goes. BBQ propane and a spare. A fresh jug of cold water on the cooler, and a bucket of ice cubes so you can make a nice drink upon arrival and head to the patio. Firewood. Kindling. If I can think of it it’s there for you.

I promise I am not watching you on any cameras like some kind of creeper, because I don’t have any. I won’t micromanage you. In fact, unless you ask for my help with something I am invisible and silent, but just a message away.

Don’t know how to change the propane tank? I will leave my dinner and go show you. Are you being dive bombed by an angry bird? I’ll pop over and relocate her babies off the deck. Heck, I’ve cleared a parking lot so a horse drawn carriage can pick up a bride and have room to turn around. I could write a book of odd (but appreciated) things I’ve done for my guests.

Our reviews are stellar. Yes, I am one of those often-villified “Superhosts”. It was hard earned and well deserved (the title-not the villification lol).

In an increasingly tougher market I am still being booked at all 5 properties, and I am grateful for that.

So it makes me sad when all I seem to read is horror stories of hosts from hell, and bystanders gleefully enjoying the market slowing down.

As usual, the bad apples get the press…

I mean, who is going to write about their boring host who made sure they had a great time in a clean well stocked space, gave them no chores to do and let them be for the duration?

(Thankfully my guests do-in the reviews!)

Crazy spying hosts, dirty properties and laundry lists of silly rules are much more interesting!

I’m off to our local library now, to pick up the tinted glasses they are giving away, so I can leave some for my guests who are coming for the solar eclipse. So dull.

So not rant-worthy.

I enjoy what I do. I enjoy the happy messages in the guest book and the repeat visitors and referrals.

The only thing I don’t enjoy is being lumped in with the “more interesting” hosts, and the people cheering away who would love to see me out of a job because of their own narrow views on Airbnbs.

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    From A Boring Airbnb Host

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