Animosity Toward Hosts Social Media

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Animosity Toward Hosts Social Media

MD/DC · Member since 2024 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes

Fortunately in my limited experience most guests have been pleasant but what's up with the nasty responses on social media about hosts? Guests not washing their dishes, leaving early due to weather and expecting a refund, bring an adapter to charge electric vehicles, smoking etc. Things that I would think are just common sense. The hosts get blasted by people who feel the cleaning fee equates to full maid service and that hosts are "greedy" for not wanting to charge guests' electric vehicles. Strange world we live in.

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Carolyn Fuller

Cambridge, MA · Member since 2015 · 651 posts · 736 votes

9mo

Quote from @Jules Aton:

Ha yeah that was rambling. I guess I'm wondering if this is the average host's experience or perhaps a social media skewed view? Are most people really are so unrealistic and entitled? When we travel we keep it clean because we like a tidy environment and leave a tip for the housekeeper. We travel with dogs and appreciate hosts welcoming us.

The entire social media environment is filled with extremes. The day to day is rarely expressed online. In fact, positive experiences in life are rarely expressed online.

We take to online when we feel aggrieved. It's human nature.

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Mike GrudzienPro Member
Lender · Eugene, OR · Member since 2019 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes
9mo
Valid observations, but what's your point?
2 Reply
Jules Aton
OP
MD/DC · Member since 2024 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
9mo
Ha yeah that was rambling. I guess I'm wondering if this is the average host's experience or perhaps a social media skewed view? Are most people really are so unrealistic and entitled? When we travel we keep it clean because we like a tidy environment and leave a tip for the housekeeper. We travel with dogs and appreciate hosts welcoming us.
0 Reply
- John UnderwoodPro Member
  Investor · Greer, SC · Member since 2014 · 13k+ posts · 17k+ votes
  9mo
  Quote from @Jules Aton:
  
  Ha yeah that was rambling. I guess I'm wondering if this is the average host's experience or perhaps a social media skewed view? Are most people really are so unrealistic and entitled? When we travel we keep it clean because we like a tidy environment and leave a tip for the housekeeper. We travel with dogs and appreciate hosts welcoming us.
  
  I've never had any of these problems.
  I have great properties. I have clean properties. I check on guests after they arrive. I have never gotten a derogatory review.
  3 Reply
- Carolyn Fuller
  Cambridge, MA · Member since 2015 · 651 posts · 736 votes
  9mo
  Quote from @Jules Aton:
  
  Ha yeah that was rambling. I guess I'm wondering if this is the average host's experience or perhaps a social media skewed view? Are most people really are so unrealistic and entitled? When we travel we keep it clean because we like a tidy environment and leave a tip for the housekeeper. We travel with dogs and appreciate hosts welcoming us.
  The entire social media environment is filled with extremes. The day to day is rarely expressed online. In fact, positive experiences in life are rarely expressed online.
  
  We take to online when we feel aggrieved. It's human nature.
  4 Reply
- Jon Martin
  Member since 2022 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
  9mo
  Quote from @Carolyn Fuller:
  We take to online when we feel aggrieved. It's human nature.
  
  This. Nobody wins the algorithm by being reasonable. The inflammatory clickbait gets funneled to the top and presents a skewed view on every topic under the sun, giving the impression that the majority feels that way, when in reality it is very few.
  2 Reply
Lauren Kormylo
Rental Property Investor · Phoenix, AZ and Rehoboth Beach DE · Member since 2019 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
9mo
I haven’t had any of those problems. But we have had some men on here who say they think paying a cleaning fee entitles them to leave a rental a mess, they shouldn’t have to do dishes or any bit of cleaning up after themselves.
1 Reply
Dan H.Pro Member
Investor · Poway, CA · Member since 2015 · 7k+ posts · 8k+ votes
9mo
If you have STRs you will get some unreasonable reviews/comments. A couple weeks after a guest managed to fit a 5 row van into a tight parking space (impressive) another guest left a review that the space could only fit compact cars. I fit a 4Runner with external tire carrier in 34” tires and a land cruiser with external tire carrier on 35” tires into the parking regularly. It is more a statement about their driving skills than the parking spots.
Even though the listing states the unit is on the second story and there is a picture of the stairs, a couple times I have got less than 5 stars for having stairs.
I once got less than 5 stars for not having a dishwasher. A dishwasher is not listed.
Complaints about airplane noise even though listing clearly states there will be airplane noise and the entire community has airplane noise.
I have got complaints about the price when one of our beach units is in the lower 10% of the price that is less than 100’ from the beach. I have got this complaint in other units also. I suspect they have little clue as to what the unit costs and are trying to apply their market values to San Diego properties.
Not all reviews are going to be fair. You can show a picture of a giant car fitting in the parking space basically telling the guests they have little driving skills or you can say sorry you found it challenging to park. One may make you feel good, but the other is likely to look better to others guests.
Recognize not every review will be 5 stars but if you do a good job caring for the guests, there will be plenty of 5 star reviews to counter the less than 5 star reviews.
In 26 years of operating STRs, we have seen plenty of unwarranted less than highest rating reviews.
Do not let it bother you (or have someone manage them for you like I do as I would have said I cannot provide parking to accommodate lame drivers 😀).
Good luck
1 Reply
- Jules Aton
  OP
  MD/DC · Member since 2024 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
  9mo
  Quote from @Dan H.:
  
  If you have STRs you will get some unreasonable reviews/comments. A couple weeks after a guest managed to fit a 5 row van into a tight parking space (impressive) another guest left a review that the space could only fit compact cars. I fit a 4Runner with external tire carrier in 34” tires and a land cruiser with external tire carrier on 35” tires into the parking regularly. It is more a statement about their driving skills than the parking spots.
  Even though the listing states the unit is on the second story and there is a picture of the stairs, a couple times I have got less than 5 stars for having stairs.
  I once got less than 5 stars for not having a dishwasher. A dishwasher is not listed.
  Complaints about airplane noise even though listing clearly states there will be airplane noise and the entire community has airplane noise.
  I have got complaints about the price when one of our beach units is in the lower 10% of the price that is less than 100’ from the beach. I have got this complaint in other units also. I suspect they have little clue as to what the unit costs and are trying to apply their market values to San Diego properties.
  Not all reviews are going to be fair. You can show a picture of a giant car fitting in the parking space basically telling the guests they have little driving skills or you can say sorry you found it challenging to park. One may make you feel good, but the other is likely to look better to others guests.
  Recognize not every review will be 5 stars but if you do a good job caring for the guests, there will be plenty of 5 star reviews to counter the less than 5 star reviews.
  In 26 years of operating STRs, we have seen plenty of unwarranted less than highest rating reviews.
  Do not let it bother you (or have someone manage them for you like I do as I would have said I cannot provide parking to accommodate lame drivers 😀).
  Good luck
  
  "Do not let it bother you (or have someone manage them for you like I do as I would have said I cannot provide parking to accommodate lame drivers"
  Well said. It is obvious that I need to pull the plug on Facebook and TikTok.
  1 Reply
Ashley Bitner
Member since 2022 · 77 posts · 43 votes
9mo
@Jules Aton - I have noticed the same thing! Whenever I come across an Instagram reel or Tik Tok made by a host, the comment section is always filled with people really blasting that host. My theory: the demographic on social media is probably a majority millennial and this demographic is really struggling with high rent prices and a real estate market that feels impossible to break into as a first time home buyer. I think this frustration and anger gets misdirected to str hosts bc they see them as the main cause of low housing inventory and high prices (I think the issue is much deeper than just str's - but I think str hosts become the scapegoat)
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- Jules Aton
  OP
  MD/DC · Member since 2024 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
  9mo
  Quote from @Ashley Bitner:
  
  @Jules Aton - I have noticed the same thing! Whenever I come across an Instagram reel or Tik Tok made by a host, the comment section is always filled with people really blasting that host. My theory: the demographic on social media is probably a majority millennial and this demographic is really struggling with high rent prices and a real estate market that feels impossible to break into as a first time home buyer. I think this frustration and anger gets misdirected to str hosts bc they see them as the main cause of low housing inventory and high prices (I think the issue is much deeper than just str's - but I think str hosts become the scapegoat)
  
  @Ashley Bitner right on. I have seen the comments indicating they feel hosts of STRs are the reason they can't afford to buy. My early places were more along the lines of a flop house than a well decorated STR but expectations are very different now.
  0 Reply
Andrew SteffensBusiness Member
Tampa, FL · Member since 2022 · 3k+ posts · 3k+ votes
9mo
Eh its the age of entitlement.
I do 150-250 or so average reservations per month. 99.8% are good/great guests and are not memorable to me. Its the .02% so for me there is usually 1-3 pain in the *** people per month.
I have also noticed it tends to ebb and flow with the seasonality. Not so much the smoking but the nagging. In peak months an average house here may hit $600 per night, where average is $300 and may go as low as $150 in slow months. At peak times the complaints and reviews skew downward as a perception of value decreases, and inversely in low times.
Its also the law of averages, do this long enough and at any scale you're not going to like everyone who comes through your door.
[email protected]813-563-0877
Vacation Rentals of Florida53 Reviews
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Michael BaumPro Member
Olympia, WA · Member since 2016 · 8k+ posts · 7k+ votes
9mo
It's online, it's social media. It is toxic by nature.
If I only looked at the AirBNB and VRBO owners Facebook pages, I wouldn't let people even look at my house let alone stay there.
I haven't had any of those issues that people report and only one 3 star review from someone who was angry I didn't offer them a big discount on their stay.
2 Reply
- Ashley Bitner
  Member since 2022 · 77 posts · 43 votes
  9mo
  Ahh! So true! Every now and then I'll dip into the airbnb host thread on Reddit and after about 5 minutes I feel SO stressed and find myself second guessing my entire STR plan haha.
  3 Reply
- Jon Martin
  Member since 2022 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
  9mo
  Quote from @Ashley Bitner:
  
  Especially because many of them in that Sub are owner occupants renting out rooms in their personal home, or some other dime store listing where they are basically charging what motels charge.
  
  Yeah, I'd be a bucket of stress too! Lol
  1 Reply
Collin HaysBusiness Member
Property Manager · Gatlinburg, TN · Member since 2020 · 3k+ posts · 4k+ votes
9mo
I own a franchise business, and our Google reviews are tops among our competitors. But Google keeps one negative review at the top when you pull up our business that has been on there for 3 years.
Crazy.
[email protected]806-672-7102
SMOKY MOUNTAIN FALLS INC.51 Review
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