This forum is dedicated to connecting hosts with other hosts. Sign up to get the latest updates and news just for AirBnb hosts! Note that we are not affiliated with Airbnb - we are just passionate hosts!
I have only been hosting for a few months now and had a handful of guests, all positive experiences so far and 5 star reviews. Most guests stayed through some of the coldest winters we had lately with no problem.
We are now in spring and I have two guests at the moment staying for 2 nights. After their first night I received a text message saying they are “freezing” in the apartment and that they would like an extra heater. Providing an extra heater is not a problem for me however I am envisioning my first negative review coming up. I do provide a fan heater however Malta being an island we do get high humidity which makes things feel “colder”. Also in Malta we do not have central heating in our homes. What we do to keep warm in winter is wear warm clothes when we are inside.
Apart from the extra heater, is there anything I could do to avoid the inevitable negative review?
Nothing more you could do that I can see, except remember that 99% of your guests are not from Malta, and what you take for granted in terms of temperatures and comfort – may not be acceptable to guests from Europe, Africa or North America. They may not travel with enough extra clothes to add extra layers. If it were me, I would just keep that “extra” heater in the apartment, and make sure there is at least a spare blanket.
I have a very old home and it is cool enough even in the summer (in the West of Ireland) and chilly enough in the Spring. I can’t afford to keep the oil heating on all the time but I have started leaving blankets out for guests and also asking them to let me know if they are too cold or even freezing.
I have a spare electric blanket , 2 large quilts and a portable heater. 2 fleece blankets in both rooms
Summer and winter duvets. I dont like the cold, can u tell.
Am in the east of ireland, its 8 degrees today. I normally advise incoming guests of current weather conditions.
• Winter: Like most New England homes, our house is built of wood and slightly creaky. Our heating system is also classic-- steam radiators. It is the nature of radiators to hiss and bang once in a while as the system adjusts itself. Occasionally someone finds these things odd. In winter, we keep the interior temperature of our house at around 67°F / 19.4°C during the day, less at night. This is common for the Northeast USA where energy costs are high and old houses leak heat badly. Everyone here wears sweaters indoors, sometimes two.
Absolutely! When the temperature dips below 75 I add a sweater, socks and scarf to my usual jeans-and-tshirt ensemble.
My current guests are from California and are wearing anoraks when they go out. No doubt they are also using the space heater. The guests before them were from the frozen wastes of Canada and had the AC set at 65 all the time.
Here 65º F is normal in a house in Malta. Sometimes it goes below that. The only alternative I found to central heating (which you can’t find here) is using an air-conditioner on heat mode. Although installation will be a bit of a problem as my apartment is in a historic conservation area.
