Listing Critique
Space and intended demographic: Room rental in owner-occupied 2x2, 30+ days, high cost-of-living area. I think l've got a great offering for single contract workers, digital nomads, people in transition, etc. who are looking for a very-well equipped, comfortable, "pretty" space that's in a bedroom community centralized between lots of day-trip type places.
Note: I lowered my pricing in mid-November. First three guests paid enough that I earned $1,350-1,500 monthly. With current pricing, I would make around $1,100 monthly. I'm on every platform I can think of that's suited for my space.
Issues: It's slow season and my town is central, but not an attraction in and of itself. I had a bad guest turned CS nightmare in October. Retaliatory review was removed quickly, but I was a huge thorn in Support's side for weeks. Since then, my views are about normal, but zero inquiries on ABB. (ABB back-end shenanigans??) Also, there was a not-great review and reply situation with my first guest in the spring, but that didn't slow my inquiries at all between then and October. Second guest actually said that it helped solidify her decision to book. "He looked like a jerk." Nightmare guest never mentioned it.
Why worry?: I NEED bookings to help with the mortgage while l'm still living in it--following divorce and after interest rates spiked, I p purchased and designed unit specifically as furnished MTR to lower living costs. I know it will book much easier as a whole home--plans for that next year when I become a contract worker myself.
Tell me: In General: How well is the listing laid out? Do I speak to my target audience (call-in the right type of guests?) Thoughts on photos, amenities, etc.? Does my in-depth presentation of information about the space itself and the general area make you feel confident that I would be a good host and that it's a nice location?
House Rules: (I know what you're probably thinking. Super intense. Yes. Like I said, October guest gave me the opportunity to see through Support's veil, so I beefed them up and made them sound more lease-adjacent.) Aside from that reaction...did I cover things as well as I can so that mishaps caused by sub-optimal guests will have ground to stand on with Support if/when trouble arises again? Any ideas for keeping the basic rules but stating them in a different way to sound less intense? My hope is that most guests won't be thorough enough to check rules right away and we can have the usual pleasantries/build rapport/make tentative plans in chat before they see them and then, just before accepting the booking, I can point them out and ask for acknowledgement for CS compliance. Hopefully, by then, guests will have dealt with me enough feel like I'm kind, considerate, + sane and the rules will come off as just what they are: necessary protection of my assets and wellbeing against guests that don't have those traits and a platform that seems to side with them at any cost.
Anything else you think of...? Thanks in advance!
Posted Dec 4, 2025, 2:36 AM UTC