How to warn prospective guests without scaring them off?

Question

Hi All,

We are co-hosting an MTR that's a 3rd floor attic apartment. The place is really nice, but several important components were placed under sloping areas of the roof. It's not obvious from the pictures, so I want to make it blatantly clear ahead of time what guests can expect. I don't want someone to arrive and feel mislead.

I want to add the following text to the listing. My partners think I went overboard and will just scare everyone away. As we are only co-hosts, rerranging the kitchen and plumbing are not options. Please let me know your thoughts on this:

"Newly renovated and immaculately decorated, this stunning 3rd floor apartment in a converted attic space has some quirks we’d like you to be aware of before you book. As is common in attic-level apartments, parts of rooms have steeply pitched ceilings that follow the roof line of the house. There are three elements in particular that are affected by this. First, the toilet was placed under a sloping roof, and using the toilet while standing may be uncomfortable for anyone over 5’6” tall. Next, the cooktop in the kitchen may also be a bit awkward for taller people to use - particularly the left burner. And finally, the laundry machine has low clearance, so expect to crouch down when loading or unloading it.”

The apartment really is beautiful, and I feel that people who choose to stay there - knowing those issues in advance - would still be very happy in the space.

What are your thoughts?

Zachary Deal · Answer

I think your descriptions are helpful, but good pictures with some measurements may be your best bet. This is especially important for the toilet. Including a line with approx. measurement in the image in my opinion would sufficient and then have a more general disclosure in the description. I've seen plenty of weird setups in NYC and typically it is not a deal breaker but you want to be upfront about it and let folks decides for themselves.

Alecia Loveless · Answer

@Frank Louvis I had a third floor suite at my bed and breakfast for about 4 years where the bathroom was entirely sloping. No one ever complained. I’m 5’4” and had to duck while walking in it, the shower was a challenge and the toilet was tight.

People loved having a large bedroom and a sitting room with a TV.

I’m not sure I would go to such lengths In your details. I might just put something about 3rd floor accommodations, sloping ceilings.

Just my opinion. And have good pictures.

Colleen F. · Answer

@Frank Louvis I probably would put that due to the sloping ceiling in this stunning 3rd floor apartment taller individuals may not be comfortable in this property and refer them to pictures. Not sure I would put people because that toilet picture would be awkward. Why not show the height in the picture with a line, like a cad drawing?   Show the toilet under the sloping roof and the stove.   It isn't unusual to not raise the washer/dryer but maybe I don't understand the issue.  They have to move that toilet, that is crazy.

Puts me in mind of a house I sold years ago where I had to ask how tall people were before showing because anyone 6 foot or over found the ceilings too low.

Bill B. · Answer

If it affects people who are 5’ 6” (far from tall) you definitely have to have “warnings” about it. Many/some will blow it off or decide to live with it, and some won’t book. But you just have to explain the effect of a few bad reviews in a row. At 5’ 10” I’ve never felt “tall”. Much less while using the toilet.

I assume your co-hosts are willing to move up there and rent out the “decent”/“normal” space, because they don’t want to deal with it. This is exactly how any guests will feel. As you say this should have been changed when it was built/designed. It wasn’t, so it should definitely be explained.

Bonnie Low · Answer

Wow, that's a tough one. I think the language you use is great. But honestly, those are some really tight spaces and just not a great setup. It's always good to be transparent with your guests and if you're advertising it on Airbnb in particular, you really have to be transparent because anything not disclosed can result in a refund that you have no control over. I think it might be best to create a video that shows a taller person using the property. Lots of furniture manufacturers are doing this now so people can get an idea of the scale of the furniture since comfort can vary depending on the size of the viewer. So they'll show a couch, for example. They'll show Anne (5' 4") walking up to and sitting on the couch. Then they'll show the same scene with John (6') walking up to and sitting on the same couch. It's actually really effective. Maybe something like this could serve two purposes. First, people often want to see the property in person before booking but this can be difficult to do if it's rented so a video walkthrough can fit this request. Second, put a person in the video walk through and disclose their height. You can show them standing next to these features to demonstrate the scale. You've provided full disclosure and the person can decide for themselves if it will work. Maybe try it your way for a little while and if that doesn't yield good results, try it your partner's way.

How to warn prospective guests without scaring them off?

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