No Vacancy for Sanity
So, you thought being a short-term rental host would be all passive income, adorable throw pillows, and five-star reviews?
Yeah, me too.
Then just hours after the VERY FIRST guest checks in for a 4 night stay, emotional support ants invade the bedroom.
Welcome to the world of short-term rental hosting, where the Wi-Fi is sacred, every pillow must be fluffed just so, and your guests will always find the one thing you forgot to clean.
Here are a few moments I didn’t see coming:
The Magical DIS-appearing Remote
I’ve hidden the TV remote at least 11 times. Yes, on purpose. Our guests have the supernatural ability to find it, and it’s not needed to actually operate the TV. See, the Roku remote is all that’s really needed, and guests don’t seem to notice the volume control on the SIDE. So they go on the hunt for how to control the volume. Luckily I never hide it too well, usually behind the TV, in the coffee table drawer, or in the nearby cabinet.
The best part is my husband telling ME multiple times that it’s not necessary to be out next to the Roku remote on the coffee table. I KNOW! I didn’t put it there! These sleuthing guests need volume control and they’re gonna find it! On occasions when we are turning the property over together, he’ll see the second TV remote out in the open, and tell ME we don’t need it. “Honey, you are welcome to hang here with the guests and explain where the volume control is on the Roku.”
Lesson learned: Follow the guest’s lead. Even though my husband is exactly right about not needing the second TV remote, it may not be a set up the guest is familiar with. Bonus lesson learned: pick your battles and laugh it off. After all, I have to continue living with this man.
The Great Towel Debate
No matter how many towels you leave, it is either:
- Not enough.
- Too many.
- Or “where are the towels?” (Even when they’re clearly folded on the bathroom shelf, 3 feet from the guest’s face.)
Pro tip: Label your closets. Or install a foghorn that blasts “LINENS ARE IN THE CLOSET” every time someone opens the door.
And The Great Pillow Debate
Too fluffy/tall/firm.
Too flat/flimsy/deflated.
This is why we offer 3 different pillow types. We added the third once a guest complained, and even after that we still received feedback that the ONE less-fluffy pillow was not fluffy enough.
Lesson learned: some guests will always find something to offer feedback on. In many of these cases, all you can do is just rest assured that you’ve provided more than what’s required, already adjusted from past feedback, and continue to host with only the best intentions for your guests.
The Wi-Fi Whisperers
Forget your lovely decor, your handmade welcome basket, your spotless bathroom. If the Wi-Fi isn’t working, nothing else matters.
“Hi, the internet has been slow for two days. Can you fix that immediately?”
Absolutely, give me 30 seconds to rewire the universe, now that you’ve FINALLY let me know.
The Review Rollercoaster
Hosting is like Yelp but with emotional whiplash.
- “Best stay ever!!! 5 stars *****”
- “Loved everything except the color of the couch was different than in the photos. 3 stars.”
Literally the exact same couch, we had just purchased new zippered and washable covers.
One time, we lost TWO stars because the sunrise came in too bright, apparently despite both the blinds AND blackout curtains. I wish I were kidding. But, this is the same guest that left the window open while running the air conditioner, so at least she was still on brand.
Final Thoughts from the Front Lines
Hosting is weird. It’s wonderful. It’s an ongoing sitcom starring you, a rotating cast of strangers, and a Wi-Fi router with performance anxiety.
But despite the quirks, I wouldn’t trade it. Every new guest is a chance to learn, laugh, and maybe get a little closer to that dreamy passive income we all signed up for.
Luckily our first non-ant-loving guests were gracious and knew we were just getting started. They left a 5 star review despite THEIR unwelcome guests. Unfortunately, we feel badly because since they didn’t let us know until they sent us their “we’ve checked out” message, they kind of suffered through the ant invasion for 4 nights.
This is the perfect scenario to be a proactive host and offer a small concession (which HURTS when you are so excited for the first payout!), so we refunded them 10%. They were happy, and we felt more at ease believing we did the right thing.
We would LOVE to hear your stories, leave us a comment!