Airbnb needs to have a Guest Misconduct Policy if it is to remain as large and successful as it is. Airbnb Is NOTHING without hosts, and if the hosts don’t feel they are properly represented and protected in the policies of the company, they will list elsewhere. Airbnb is not the end all- be all. It could very well be made obsolete by a more vigilant competitor.

If I re-open again – what would I change?

I would remove my address. I would meet the guests at another place nearby.
It might become more difficult for new members to convince me.
I’d inform guests that they shouldn’t mention Airbnb to anyone.
If I hand out a key to make them sign that they received it – and a security of 200 Euro on Airbnb. The loss of my key could cost more than 1500 Euro…
I’d make sure that the guests have a good level of one of the languages I speak.
Never – never I’d have rented a whole appartment me living elsewhere!!!
I’d have had more (unknown) guests that way.
And I never – never would hand out the key of the room… Not only because of my cat…
It was annoying that guests stayed 30mins and longer inside the bathroom…
Only groups hurried up – as their friends were waiting to get in too.

I accepted almost all guests. But I read that hosts not accepting guests get problems.
So I wish they would just contact me instead of sending requests…
It should be 100% my decision who stays at my place. Hosts risk too much…

I had more than 100 guests and most were nice. But as this is normal and as bad ones really cause huge problems I forget the good ones…
Me too, I have the impression that Airbnb is more interested in guests than in hosts.
But the hotline was always fair to me. As I deactivated my place I had to cancel 2 bookings. And they didn’t charge me for that. They saw that I almost never cancel… I can understand that cancelations can cause big problems.

I accepted guests for one night too. But it was very stressful for me. Otherwise I wouldn’t have had many bookings. I don’t know if I had the energy to communicate more before taking a decision…

I wished I had something that stopps the hot water after 5 minutes in the shower…
But I controlled the heating to prevent the worst… Guests could read that before sending a request…

That’s rubbish. Airbnb accommodations are not hotels and never claim to be. They are peoples’ homes and hosting in this manner has existed LONG before the advent of Airbnb. I have traveled all obver the world and stayed in numerous “pensione” style accommodations in peoples homes and this poster is telling the truth: Airbnb guests have gotten much mire rude, are of lower caliber and just make hosting a lot less deisrable. I believe that is is from all of the negative publicity surrounding the company-without relatively little effort by Airbnb to counter this negative image, save for litigious wrangling. I have rented my home to travelers and home exchangers for nearly a decade before using Airbnb. Now, I feel that I need to remove every item that isn’t nailed down and have had so many issues in the previous year with fraudulent or unscrupulous guests that it has soured my feelings on the company altogether. Before this past year, problematic guests were extremely rare. Now it seems like it is a solid 30-40% of guests. We’re over it. Just not worth the headache for the paltry amount of money we receive. Now we only go through agencies that vet the guests, allow signed waivers and take plenty of pre-qualifying information before booking guests. We don’t get as many bookings, but the piece of mind is worth it.

Your response to Silvia was well said, David. Sigh….
I hope your luck doesn’t turn, as mine did.

If you want to save money holidaying, go camping, Silvia, or pitch a tent on the sidewalk.
I have a physical health condition and can’t work.

You’re a renter, aren’t you, Steve.

Airbnb shouldn’t exist. If you want a way to make extra money get a second job.

Well, Teri, whether you are aware enough to admit it or not you are functioning as a Short Term Rental (read: hotel) so as soon as you open your doors and accept that money your petty worry about other people’s manners becomes null and void