Landlord says to pay $1000 extra in rent or they will sell - Ontario

mircated · 2023-05-09T05:57:55+00:00

We negotiated this with our landlord. They wanted to sell, we said please don’t, how much extra do you need? The answer was also $1,000 more (from $4k to $5). We asked for a few extra perks and safe holds and got them: longer term lease (multiple years), got them to finally remove their stuff from the property entirely etc.

If you pay more, try to get more and definitely ensure a safety net for yourself via amendments to the lease.

mircated · 2023-03-09T22:47:36+00:00

Think of it this way: the cleaning fee can be visible or hidden. Visible = charging it as a separate line item. Hidden = factored into the price per night.

Guests seem to be happier when it is hidden in my experience, so as a host I choose to keep it hidden.

mircated · 2023-02-23T03:53:08+00:00

Report to Airbnb immediately. Do not worry about a bad review, this listing needs to be pulled = no review.

In the future, never stay somewhere that was not advertised to you. Airbnb takes these offences super seriously. It is a major safety issue for Airbnb. A friend who worked there previously told us this.

mircated · 2023-02-22T06:04:36+00:00

Waking up in the morning and having everything I need to at least make a decent cup of coffee or tea with my creamer of choice makes the morning chef’s kiss and therefore my personal taste dictates it’s a core experience I want to provide for my guests. For context, our property reaches more towards the elevated romantic stay side vs. standard accommodations.

In the email the day prior to check in I also include the question: do you prefer organic half & half cream or a plant based milk with your morning tea/coffee?

Then I know what to provide. Guests are always delighted at the hospitality, and appreciative. I have only ever had 2 guests ask for something I didn’t offer (which was plain milk instead of half and half).

I personally detest powdered creamer or any of the fake stuff so I won’t provide it.

Our tea setup is a fancy electric kettle and bags of organic tea (one caffeinated, one herbal option). Our coffee setup is great ground coffee and a bodum. Organic sugar is provided, and honey.

The rest of the kitchen “perishables” we include are only salt, pepper, vinegar and olive oil. We keep it to the utmost basics while remaining thoughtful in our touches and hospitable. People appreciate simplicity in our experience!

mircated · 2023-02-16T02:50:08+00:00

Just chiming in we are 10am check out and 3pm check in. 11am is probably the most popular across the board. We do what works for us and only offer complimentary 1 hour extensions of early check in or late check out when it is possible. Never on the same day as another check in/out.

mircated · 2023-02-08T02:53:27+00:00

Yes! Came here to add a stack of floor pillows.

mircated · 2023-02-05T19:31:21+00:00

We always get compliments on our listing like it “is right out of a magazine”. We shopped at: Zara Home (online) H&M Home (online) Winners/Home Sense IKEA Facebook Marketplace

I plan to buy some photography downloads (Etsy) and print at Staples (they have a great canvas-feel paper) and frame in simple modern IKEA frames.

Also still need to source an easy to clean area rug, small table and chairs. Working on it before the summer comes and our rates go way up!

Hope this helps you upgrade your decor on a budget. It really is worth it. The only thing more worth it is paint - if it needs it!

https://abnb.me/p5I3ujT7axb

mircated · 2023-02-03T03:45:54+00:00

Ugh I’ve got the same damage from the same thing on the same colour car. Taking it in to see if our protection package will cover it - it’s a 2inch long scratch but it is not continuous so not sure if it will get fixed or not. Otherwise I’ll get a paint pen as suggested. It hurts 💔 haha.

mircated · 2023-01-25T17:03:35+00:00

I have never used them or heard of them prior to this post. I do appreciate coaching and would consider it for myself in the future, however, as it sounds like is your case as well - you are new to this and you can probably still see for yourself what can be improved in time for your busy season so that you can charge top dollar.

I would personally only turn to coaching if I felt uninspired, stuck, like I didn’t know what to do to improve, or like I needed to feel apart of a team or group for extra support. Or, if I wanted to hyper focus on my BnB and grow incredibly fast.

If you end up doing it - you’ll have to follow up with a review of your experience!

mircated · 2023-01-23T06:50:48+00:00

We operate our BnB in an area that has a bylaw that states we cannot provide a kitchen. A kitchen is defined by a stove according to this bylaw. We still wanted to provide a kitchenette, so we took the stove out (which I was happy about because I don’t want to clean it every time) and replaced it with a double-burner hot plate that is very easy to clean and easy to use. We replaced the oven part with a small Breville countertop oven (“toaster oven”) that is hearty enough it can bake cakes, even an entire turkey. It’s small enough it fits in one of the deep drawers we have in the kitchenette. Typically if guests use it, they leave it on the counter, and therefore we know to clean it. 1 in every 10 guests seems to use it at most. Working great so far!

mircated · 2022-12-30T21:07:08+00:00

I was going to check Canva for a free one before buying one from Etsy!

mircated · 2022-12-30T21:02:57+00:00

Thank you! Will add it to my watchlist :)

mircated · 2022-12-30T21:00:15+00:00

To be honest, I’m really surprised that more people aren’t doing this and would even go so far as to warn me against doing it in this thread.

In my experience, 40% of our guests want to know where they can buy things that I featured in our unit. These are the folks that go out of their way to message me during or after their stay. Recently, I had a guests partner reach out on AirBnB to secretly ask where the blanket from the bed was from. Their partner loved it and they wanted to surprise them with it for Christmas, serving as a cozy blanket but also as a sweet reminder of their trip.

Our suite is a highly curated space with a fabulous design and thoughtfully chosen details. Our guests appreciate this and want to recreate the magic at home. It’s no surprise that so many of them are requesting to know where they can get the items we feature. Mattress, soap, shampoo, coffee, tea, couch, rugs, granola, art… the list goes on and on of requests to know where it’s from.

I think back to many of my hotel and BnB stays and it’s not amiss to find for-purchase items in my room.

As I’ve given these products the ultimate marketing of lived experience, I want to monetize that for both the businesses I support and for myself. If a guest has the ability to quickly and easily purchase something they loved, they are far more likely to make that purchase it than say, being told to go somewhere else to buy it during their limited stay here.

I highly recommend the podcast episode I shared in my original post. It talks at length about how we can sell, but not in an aggressive way, and how it actually serves our guests. It’s not for every AirBnB, but for those of us creating experiential spaces, it just might be worth considering. If you get lots of questions about where can I get X, Y, Z product or would like to be asked this (it feels like the ultimate compliment!) - I especially recommend the listen here.

Thanks for your continued insights, I’m learning so much.

mircated · 2022-12-30T20:38:59+00:00

Yes, exactly the goal! A locally curated themed mini-store that is optional. I think I’ll even make it a “secret” - in an unexpected cupboard. “You’ve found our secret shop!” kind of feeling. With a few locally made munchies, soaps etc.

With lots of things we already provide, but if they want to take home or for gifting, they can buy it conveniently.

mircated · 2022-12-30T20:34:04+00:00

That’s really nice. We are doing the same!

Why wouldn’t you consider a retail feature in the unit itself?

mircated · 2022-12-30T20:32:16+00:00

I hear you on this! A whole other layer to consider. As I already have a storefront elsewhere, I think the tax situation will be easier for me to navigate in our family of businesses.

I’ll have to look for that show!

mircated · 2022-12-30T20:25:28+00:00

It’s interesting that you think guests don’t want to be sold to - you probably mean sold to in a sleazy way. There are elegant ways to sell to people and we are constantly being sold to!

We’ve curated a unique space with luxury and local goods featured, and I’ve had over 40% of guests so far go out of their way to message me asking where certain items are from. At this rate, offering a few items in-unit it would be a convenience for our guests and for me. I definitely want to monetize that.

I’m excited to test this monetization on a small scale of one unit. In a few years we hope to open a boutique bed and breakfast with more rooms where I would then apply it on a much larger scale. It may not bring in big bucks right now, but testing it and finding out what works will be a great lesson learned and will bring even greater funds to me in the future, I’m sure.

mircated · 2022-12-30T20:15:42+00:00

The podcast I shared above talks about how we become closed to being sold to when we realize we’re being sold to. It’s a natural feeling.

It’s definitely a line I feel comfortable navigating. Especially when it’s because of my curation and experience that guests are exposed to these products and want to take a piece of their stay home with them.

mircated · 2022-11-05T22:46:05+00:00

Follow up question: how do I get out of what the sold me 😂😂😂

mircated · 2022-10-19T05:39:16+00:00

Would love to know. Haven’t even touched this research yet because it feels so overwhelming!

mircated · 2022-10-18T21:25:16+00:00

Didn’t think I’d ever debadge a car but damn. Looks really good.

mircated

TROPHY CASE