u/Lobster70

In my listing settings, I have check in set to "after 4 PM" and check out set to "before 11 AM" (on VRBO). I use Hostex, where I also have these same times listed. It isn't always clear which settings Hostex will update, but since they are the same, it should not matter.

Imagine my surprise when I happened to check the online VRBO listing this morning and saw this under House Rules:

Check in after 11:00 AM

Check out before 4:00 PM

It is completely backwards! My instructional email sent prior to check in clearly states 4 PM, and that is when the lock codes become valid. I don't know how long this has been displayed wrong, but it didn't cause any problems with my last booking, thankfully. I happen to have a back-to-back booking coming up next week, and having the guests show up at the same time the prior guests are checking out would be all kinds of awful. Nightmare!

I tried changing it to another time, saving, waiting a little while, then changing it back (as suggested by what I found via Google). No change.

At this time I am waiting for a confirmation email from VRBO tech support that they have it fixed. I had to start with chat, then they called me, and that person escalated to a "special team" who could fix this.

I recommend taking a look at the listed check in and check out times under House Rules on your listing, to confirm they are correct.

...and replaced them at their cost!

This sub tends to amplify the bad hosting experiences so I wanted to share a positive one as a newer host who still hasn't become jaded.

We had three older but still nice beach towels available to use. During cleaning, they were nowhere to be found. Contacted the guest, who realized someone in their group had taken them on an outing to a remote location and forgotten them there. We said not to worry about it, since they were great guests otherwise. The beach towels were a near-zero-cost extra amenity anyway. (And not in our listing photos!) But the guest ordered a set of four nice, large beach towels, delivered to the property. We thanked them enthusiastically, of course.

I want to believe most guests would have the integrity to take responsibility for things like this. It may be naive, but for now I'm holding onto innocence!

Our property is a whole home, sleeps 8, dog allowed. The kitchen is fully stocked with dishes, appliances, gadgets, etc. We recently rented 3 nights to two local families that were evacuated from their home due to a natural disaster. The booker has a solid rating and they are using airbnb.org credits. There are five adults and five children, two of which are infants. They also have two dogs and we normally allow only one. We decided to allow the pet exception and the larger group because many in our city are doing what they can to help folks get through a very difficult situation. Many thousands are still evacuated, with hotels and shelters at max capacity.

They have another 3 night airbnb.org voucher within their group and want to rent a subsequent 3 nights. They are OK not having a turnover between reservations, if they can stay through the 5-hour gap. They are paying a pet fee for each reservation, and of course the cleaning fee for each.

So far, based on their activities visible on security cameras, they are being respectful of the exterior property. Communication has been great, and they seem like responsible guests. We can't see any inside behavior of course, but there are no red flags so far.

We expect more wear and tear after this group. But it just occurred to us that we could encounter challenges if there's actual damage. Without turnover, inspection/photos, and cleaning between, any significant damage that would require a post-stay charge or Air Cover claim will not be able to be definitively attributed to the first or second reservation.

Should we require a turnover or inspection between reservations? Can the second guest accept responsibility (in Airbnb messaging) for any damages found after both stays? We can show that both reservations are the same family group. We may be overthinking this, but we haven't received the second request yet, and don't want to miss any opportunity to address this with the second booker.

The current model is a significant departure in philosophy for a Mazda.

tl;dr: James May is right, it's more fun to drive a slow car fast than a fast car slow.

I am fortunate to have three Miatas (NA8, NB2, ND1). Last year I completed an engine refresh and turbo installation on my 2003, which is set up for autocross, but is also street-friendly. I have yet to dyno it, but the power estimate is about 200 whp. It is delightful for autocross with the added power. I suspected I would end up driving it around while my NA gathered dust. However, I soon found that the NA was the one I preferred driving most, but I didn't know why. The NA is in better condition and has a smoother ride, and it has more charm as it slides into "vintage" status at 31 years old. It is also the one I have had the longest. But those aren't really reasons for preferring it over the NB. After driving my NB around recently, I realized the reason: the NB leaves me unsatisfied. Around town I typically keep within 5 MPH or 10% of the posted limit, whichever is greater. With the turbo, I shift into second, the power comes on at about 3k RPM, and the intake makes awesome growl noises, and I'm already at 40+ MPH. It is either risk a speeding ticket or let off. 45 MPH roads are a little more satisfying, as are freeway on ramps, but those are far less common where I typically drive. With the NA, I can drive with spirit and not have unwanted LEO attention. All the fun, without the risk = happy Miata-ing. I have never had a truly fast car, but I can only assume a Porsche or Corvette or whatever would be even more frustrating, having to hold back all the time.

My reason for posting this is to counter the "Miatas are too slow" sentiment we see so often. It is simply untrue. Unless you get joy out of blasting to the speed limit in a couple seconds, or outright excessive speeding everywhere, a fast car is a recipe for being unsatisfied. Rare is the opportunity to wring out a truly fast car, whereas a "slow" car like a Miata can be driven at WOT far more often. I recently saw an Instagram reel by a guy who has a Bugatti Veyron and an NA Miata, and he still loves the Miata. I think I know exactly why.

tl;dr - does Airbnb have any known issue where pet fee is not automatically included?

We have a $100 flat fee for guests with a pet. It was set up that way when we started. We had our first guest with a pet recently, and cannot find the pet fee anywhere in the payout report. The fee goes to the cleaning team along with their standard cleaning fee, since there may be extra work after a pet stay.

I contacted support (AI bot) to ask where the pet fee is shown. Answer: the breakdown will show the nightly rate, cleaning fee, and the separate pet fee line item. Since the stay has already occurred, the full amount, including the pet fee, should be reflected in your available balance or payout history.

The breakdown only has the total stay price, cleaning fee, and host service fee. The support bot confirmed that the pet fee was not automatically added, and that I could contact the guest to add the charge. This was a stellar guest with the potential for repeat bookings, and there's no way I'm going to ask for the pet fee after the fact.

This was explained to the support bot, as my real question is whether we can rely on Airbnb to include the pet fee with future bookings.

Answer: The pet fee is configured on your listing as a flat fee of $100.00. When a guest books with pets, this fee is designed to be automatically added to the total price at checkout. In this specific case, the fee was not applied to the reservation total, likely due to a system error or timing issue during the booking process.

I replied that "a system error or timing issue during the booking process" sounds like an Airbnb problem and the guest should not have to pay, nor should the host have to eat the cost. The bot response was just the canned instructions again for requesting the fee from the guest. This isn't significant enough to spend any more time on. But it makes me wonder if other hosts are seeing a failure to add pet fee or any other flat fee.

I'm hoping to get some community input on what range I should expect for a cleaning crew estimate for turnover on my STR. I suppose I'm looking for US market metrics for this, since I'm in the US.

2800sf, four bedrooms, 1 king, 2 queen, 2 twin, 2.5 bathrooms (3 toilets, 2 showers, 1 separate tub that is not often used, 4 sinks), large kitchen with lots of counter space, floors are about half hard and half carpet if that matters.

I looked at past posts here and found some helpful info, but a new thread will also be useful. Thanks.

New host, about 6 weeks in. Received this email from Airbnb:

"During a routine review conducted by our system, we noticed your account has been found to be in violation of one or more of Airbnb’s Incentive or Referral Program’s Terms & Conditions."

We realize you may not be aware of our Terms of Service, which is why we wanted to bring this to your attention.

You may wish to refer to the Security section of the Airbnb Community Standards.

Any future behavior of this kind may result in the immediate suspension of your account from the Airbnb community.

We appreciate your understanding and cooperation in maintaining a transparent and trustworthy community marketplace."

We cannot determine what could possibly trigger this. There is no section called Security but we found a couple sections that mention the word security. We have no indoor cameras. We disclose and identify the location and views of two exterior cameras. We disclosed the presence of a decibel monitor but had not included info about where it is located. The community policy just says "Click Noise decibel monitors and then click Save." so it seems unlikely. We added details anyway.

I scoured every other possible setting or description, nothing seems wrong.

We had a person try to contact us off platform last month, but we declined their booking request as it was asking to go longer than our permit allows.

Why are they being so vague? I realize this is probably an AI-driven action.

Any tips or suggestions on how to resolve this and confirm no such "behavior" did or will ever occur?

I've read many posts here where established hosts say they decline booking requests from people with no rating. It seems like sound advice.

*However* I just launched my property and have one booking this week and another one months from now. It's been quiet since those were received over a week ago. I just received a new request from someone with 1 trip, 0 ratings, but joined Airbnb in 2022. The info given with the booking is: they are local and have three friends coming to visit for 3 nights in July (Fri-Sun), but cannot accommodate them at home. I see the possibility for a party, being a local. But I'm inclined to accept, since we need initial bookings.

The property is a whole house, 2900sf, 4 BR, sleeps 8, "luxury" class and the rate is on the higher side for our area. No pool or game room, but a very nice deck and back yard. We have an indoor minut sensor and very clear rules about parties.

Am I being naive, or overthinking it?

A family member who is new to the **Santa Ana/Irvine area** has a 2025 CX-50 (Preferred trim) with front quarter damage, including the headlamp, fender, etc.

I'm hoping someone here will know which body shops do quality work, and which to avoid.

While we're here, which greater Anaheim Mazda dealerships are the most reputable?