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This is what we are worried about....that they will overstay because of another "misunderstanding " or leave the place messy. It's a little tense right now because we kept asking about the dates. We don't have any intention of hosting them again especially at no charge.
You could apologize and say that as it is your for profit property- you have to cancel and accept paying guests. You could say that it is repeat guests who you don’t want to lose
It seems that the visitors are a bit on the tricky side and not really your friends.
Is there any chance into awkward running into them again in the future?
If not- just apologize and cancel. Be a bad guy for one day- it is a lesson for you.
I don’t see how it is damaging to visitors. They can afford to take the time off as well as airplane tickets- they could swing for an inexpensive hotel somewhere
You could suggest hotels nearby in a different price range for them.
They have a ticket to the US- if no free stay is available at the lake house- they could be better off planning another itinerary - we have a lot to offer...
I don't get all the hate for the friends....
I guess to me there is just a disconnect to the OP calling these people friends and allowing them a free week at her vacation rental, but then acting like they're these horrible, scheming people that she doesn't want anything to do with.
Are they friends? Or are they your mate's family members that you dislike? The manscaping one maybe?
The OP is not “acting” like they are “scheming” people.
They are.
First-
the free week at the lake house- mind you not for the first time.
I don’t think that OP was ringing their phone off the hook to beg them to come (while the OP is overwhelmingly busy) and use her lake house for free.
I bet the visitors were making that request.
The OP won’t even have a chance to really visit with them.
A proper visitor’s response: “May we come for free at this dates?
The OP: “you could but we are busy”
The visitors: “Maybe some other time..”
Second strike: make whatever regarding “dates mishaps” and booking a ticket without confirming with the OP ( airlines allow you to cancel within 24 hours usually)
The third: not replying ASAP when the OP raised a concern regarding departure.
Creating anguish.. could be trying to extend the stay - not very friendly
The fourth: insisting on staying and changing the airplane ticket when they realized that the could lose their freebie.
The proper response of a caring person to the OP: “ Looks like you maybe able to rent the house to paying guests- we hate to see you losing money- we are happy to visit at another time...
P.S.
We have friends with the lake house which they offer to us for free to visit them..
I agree with your thinking. It puzzles me that some people here take the side of the offenders. You are the nice person who offered this to them. It should not be a tense situation like they have created. I still say not to let them stay. Friends don't do this to friends.
There are apparently some bad manners here on CD if they think this sort of guest behavior is warranted. But that doesn't surprise me at all.
Its very clear that these guests wanted to push their free stay into the next week or show up at our primary home expecting to be entertained. My mate thinks we should just go ahead and keep our plans with them but I am very uneasy. Ironically I did get in inquiry from a paying guest for their time just yesterday. We plan to let them know that the house will no longer be available after their stay (if we end up allowing it.) They have in the past liked to "get on the calendar " far in advance so my concern is that because this stay is months from now they will try to book next years when this all dies down and we will have to inform them of the changed circumstances early. That's a recipe for a spitefully messy house and who knows what else.
There are apparently some bad manners here on CD if they think this sort of guest behavior is warranted. But that doesn't surprise me at all.
Its very clear that these guests wanted to push their free stay into the next week or show up at our primary home expecting to be entertained. My mate thinks we should just go ahead and keep our plans with them but I am very uneasy. Ironically I did get in inquiry from a paying guest for their time just yesterday. We plan to let them know that the house will no longer be available after their stay (if we end up allowing it.) They have in the past liked to "get on the calendar " far in advance so my concern is that because this stay is months from now they will try to book next years when this all dies down and we will have to inform them of the changed circumstances early. That's a recipe for a spitefully messy house and who knows what else.
Another option is to just state that you must give priority to paying guests and are only allowing non-paying guests to book thirty days in advance based on availability. If they again try to book then, you have no availability.
Or,you could simply book the paying guest and reimburse your non-paying guests their airfare.
I agree that if you let them know the house will no longer be available after their stay, they may try some form of retaliation.
I don’t know how close they are to you family wise or distance wise.
If they are not that close and they contact you for another free vacation place to stay at just tell them that you are turning over this property to a property manager more or less full time and you will only be using it when it is not rented out.
We personally had to do a little creative juggling to keep a person away from our place.
I think they know though but it did set some boundaries that I can live with.
This is what we are worried about....that they will overstay because of another "misunderstanding " or leave the place messy. It's a little tense right now because we kept asking about the dates. We don't have any intention of hosting them again especially at no charge.
I would be firm with them. Tell them you have paying guests, you need to know by Friday what the dates are or you have to record the offer. They are being ridiculous!
There are apparently some bad manners here on CD if they think this sort of guest behavior is warranted. But that doesn't surprise me at all.
To me, bad manners is not providing more info about who these people are. The type of relationship you have with them matters. It very much matters. You've been asked numerous times throughout this ~180 post thread.
Another option is to just state that you must give priority to paying guests and are only allowing non-paying guests to book thirty days in advance based on availability. If they again try to book then, you have no availability.
Or,you could simply book the paying guest and reimburse your non-paying guests their airfare.
I agree that if you let them know the house will no longer be available after their stay, they may try some form of retaliation.
Good idea! The would-be guests are not only cheapskates, they are extremely selfish in wanting to monopolize the house for free, so far in advance.
In addition to that, it keeps the OWNERS themselves from being able to do what they want. In effect, the people are making blackout periods in the rental business—at zero cost to themselves.
Another option is to just state that you must give priority to paying guests and are only allowing non-paying guests to book thirty days in advance based on availability. If they again try to book then, you have no availability.
My late aunt owned a large bed and breakfast and she did something like that. Heck, often she would only invite relatives to stay for free (we usually paid for the food) at the very last minute (a few days in advance) and only if she had a late cancellation. Or invite us at the very beginning or very end of the season (when the weather was not as nice and few people were booking stays).
Now, that wouldn't work as well if people had to get airplane tickets, but it is something to think about.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Maddie104
I agree that if you let them know the house will no longer be available after their stay, they may try some form of retaliation.
I also agree. I would wait to tell them after their visit.
What does your husband say about all this? Are they close relatives of his or joint friends of both of you? It would make a huge difference if they were your husband's aunt and uncle vs. second or third cousins vs. casual buddies that you knew from your college days vs. your very best friends who were Matron of Honor and Best Man at your wedding.
Good luck.
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