Copy and Paste of a Letter to Airbnb from Host...worth reading.

[James R.]

I found this late last night in a chat room where Airbnb hosts talk about their "experiences" with guests.  

This one appears to be a letter written by a host directly to Airbnb.  I'm guessing it went unanswered and that's why it was posted publicly.

Here's the copy and paste: 

Dear Airbnb:  

I just want you to know that we hosts experience a lot of “stuff” in our homes that you may never hear about. Airbnb is about the sharing economy and that’s why I joined, but
I understand also that being an Airbnb host requires quite a bit of tolerance of others’ habits, even if for a day or two or more. However, I get the idea that being a Superhost can translate to “Doormat”. Let me say, that the majority of my guests have been great and are welcome back. Other guests, I have been left gnashing my teeth counting the minutes until they leave. Screening out these guests is difficult. I have raised my prices and I’m more “direct” on my profile about what I will and will not tolerate.

Here are just two examples of what I experienced my first year as a “Superhost”.


The One Night Stand Hookup - complete with loud and raucous sex throughout the night and morning hours. I left my home early, came back at 11:30am to hear more groaning, moaning, spanking as my “guests” reached yet another orgasm. This guest was described by previous hosts as a “lovely young lady, who teaches bible study.”

The Home Invasion Couple from Hell - even though I have made it very clear that if you smoke, you should not book my room, guests do it making for a very awkward and uncomfortable situation, as they attempt to hide their smoking throughout their stay up to and including smoking by an open window while the room air conditioner is running.

This couple also left beer cans throughout my home, presumably when they finished chugging them and crushing the cans on their foreheads. The best was my double sink vanity filled with crushed Guinness cans. Why, oh why did I not take photos to show you!! I guess that I was in such shock, I just wanted to clean up the mess and focus on my next guest.

These people described themselves as “Fun-loving, retired teachers.” I should have written in my review of them that they were obnoxious, chain-smoking alcoholics…but wait I’m a Superhost, so I dont’ do that, because that would not have been in the spirit of the whole “Airbnb make a new friend” mantra.

I could go on an on, but what’s the point, right? You are just going to tell me that I am the one who has complete control over my property, so what do I want you to do about it?

I am simply letting off some steam to let you know what your Airbnb hosts have to go through and tolerate while allowing people to book rooms in their homes.

A badge on my profile isn’t enough. Your company is making a lot of money, so why not let Superhosts be exempt from paying any fees for using your website for starters? I don’t think that my bookings would go down, if I wasn’t a Superhost, so what am I losing other than the “kumbaiya” feeling of being a Superhost?

Some compensation or show of appreciation in a monetary form would be nice and I don’t mean a voucher for $100.00 off my next stay with Airbnb. I have bills to pay. I want money!

Thank you for reading this far. I look forward to your response, which by the way, is very hard to get, even as a “Superhost”.