Maybe You Want Too Much From Your Airbnb --- As prices have climbed, so have demands from guests at short-term rentals

"What do travelers want from an Airbnb right now? Their hosts have an answer: too much.

The number of short-term rentals on sites such as Airbnb and Vrbo hit a record high in July, according to AirDNA, a market-research firm. Hosts now have more competition for bookings, while guests have more options. And opinions.

Trish Tonn's Minneapolis home has four TVs, plenty of toys -- though she has no children -- and "more games than any human needs." Airbnb guests once complained that the house, which she lists when she's away for work, was poorly stocked.

Visitors forget that Airbnbs are often people's homes and not "mini-hotels," Tonn says.

Pickiness comes partly because prices are up. Across the board, U.S. short-term rental prices increased nearly 20% compared with 2019, according to AirDNA.

Budget short-term rentals charged an average rate of $201 a night from January through July, a 13% increase from last year, an AirDNA analysis of U.S. short-term rentals shows. Luxury properties charged an average rate of $558 a night, a 6% decrease from 2023.

Airbnb says its average daily rate across all U.S. properties has remained steady over the past year.

Travelers say short-term rentals can provide more amenities than a similarly priced hotel room. They are often more cost-effective than multiple hotel rooms for those traveling with their families or a group.

According to numerous Airbnb hosts, budget travelers often have the highest expectations. Outdated interiors and wall-to-wall carpet don't cut it anymore, and hosts are adding hot tubs, pools, pickleball courts or even lawn bowling to stand out.

Hosts can't ignore guest complaints, even if they'd like to. Airbnb culls listings whose reviews don't meet quality standards, says Dave Stephenson, the company's chief business officer.

Since April of last year, Airbnb has removed over 200,000 listings from its database of more than eight million stays.

Guests rated luxury properties an average of 4.87, with a cleanliness score of 4.89 in 2024, according to AirDNA. Budget properties received overall ratings of 4.80, with a cleanliness score of 4.82. Because most listings rank between 4.7 and 5 stars, these decimal places make a difference to their business, hosts say.

David Hopkins began hosting on Airbnb about 11 years ago, booking primarily to backpackers in Chicago. Over time, because of city restrictions, he began leasing out designer short-term rentals instead of couch-surfing stays. 

He now pays extra for cleaning to meet the standard that people would expect at a chain hotel.

"I have to pay somebody to check every spoon for someone's cornflake and go on the hunt for any errant hair," he says.

He has raised rates over time and feels bad that he can't provide cheaper stays and now targets higher-paying customers.

"I wish there was an option for a guest to be like, 'I promise to not complain about X, Y or Z if you're going to provide me a room at $45 a night,' " he says. Under the existing five-star review system, Hopkins says one bad review would drag his entire business down.

Cole FauntLeRoy, a host in Seattle, started renting out part of his duplex in February 2023.

He kept prices low at the beginning to build up good reviews, he says. 

Three guests stayed in the duplex and complained that he had only six bowls. Complaints have decreased since he raised prices.

"It's almost like you get a different group of people that aren't bargain shopping and are actually just looking for the best quality," he says.

He charged $99 a night in the offseason when he started. Now he charges up to $250 on weekends and $200 on nonholiday weekdays.

Travelers say they just want value for their money, especially given the requests around cleaning that hosts can make of them for wrapping up a stay.

"If I'm paying 50 bucks a night, do I really expect it to be the Taj Mahal? No," says Joseph Sanchez, a 28-year-old accountant from South Bend, Ind. "If I'm paying more than I would be at a hotel, I would expect the quality to be like a hotel."

Rebecca Carroll travels to St. Augustine, Fla., every Thanksgiving for a family vacation. The cost of renting a house has surged since they started visiting in 2019 but remains cheaper than multiple hotel rooms.

When booking a property, the university department chair from Winter Park, Fla., reads reviews closely, looking for words such as "but" or "unfortunately," and aims to book properties listed as recently renovated.

Many are slightly outdated, with wood paneling, older bathrooms with 1980s-era decor and lots of carpet. They still cost more than they did five years ago.

"My expectations changed because of price," she says. "I'm OK with the outdated property, but it's tough when it costs $200 more per night."

Some Airbnb hosts also say the dynamic with guests is less personable than it once was. Guests now prefer to interact with hosts less and complain about seeing their personal belongings in a rental, hosts say.

Chad Hensel rents five properties in Greenville, S.C. Visitors push back on cleaning fees while expecting spotless properties and a great value, he says.

Six years ago, hosts could get away with having one 55-inch TV in the living room, says Hensel, who previously worked in short-term rental property management.

Now, every bedroom needs a TV, the living room display should be at least 70 inches and the house should have Bluetooth speakers to appeal to high-spending guests, he says. His properties now include retro arcade games, air-hockey tables and hot tubs.

"It's no longer enough to go to a destination," Hensel says. "Wherever you're laying your head at night, that has to be Instagram-worthy as well."" [1]

1. Maybe You Want Too Much From Your Airbnb --- As prices have climbed, so have demands from guests at short-term rentals. Pohle, Allison.  Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition; New York, N.Y.. 03 Sep 2024: A.1.