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My family has a bunch of rental properties in Myrtle Beach. We have them at Ocean Creek, Kingston Plantation, Sea Watch and a few other places.
When friends or family that we aren't close to or are overstepping their boundaries want to stay there, we make them call the property management company who will not discount let alone do freebies.
Any longer, the only freebies we do are for charity auctions.
Peak season Saturday to Saturday only, check in 3PM, check out 11AM, no late checkouts.
OP, you've done the right thing. I think next year you should claim to have a month long tennent over their time period.
We have a couple of short term rentals and one is a lake house we allow friends and family to enjoy when we can. I agreed to give a group a week during the summer with very specific dates. I recently learned they bought plane tickets (VERY early) for a day beyond what we offered. Both my mate and I were extremely clear as we have paid guests checking in on the morning of the day of that these guests are now saying they will also be staying on.
My mate said "you will have to find a hotel that night" and the group suggested that they stay with us (not nearby) due to the 'misunderstanding. " We will both be working and cannot accommodate them. We told them this and said "you can change your ticket or we can suggest a hotel near the lake house. Its early enough that both should be available. " No.word back yet except that they are excited to stay.
Its clear that these people think we should put them up and fo not want to incur a change fee for tickets. We sent dates in writing and spoke verbally. I'm about to withdraw the entire invitation. How would you handle it?
I would refund them their money and tell them to find other accommodations .
I think it's stupid of you and your spouse to be letting friends stay there for free. They probably think it's stupid too but that won't stop them from taking advantage of your offer and then asking for more and pushing the limits of the boundaries you try to set for them.
Being taken advantage of by acquaintances and relatives seems to be the story of your life. You both allow it to happen repeatedly so it's no wonder that so many of your friends and relatives treat you like pushovers.
Maybe you should both be re-evaluating what it is about yourselves that you're trying to prove to these people that you let take advantage of your foolish generosity.
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This is a bit over the top. Some people (like my husband) come from a cultural background where "foolish generosity " is the norm especially when it comes to family members and people who have been friends of the family for a long time. It's just the way he was raised.
Personally I prefer not to have guests in my home for more than a few days as we have a toddler and are very busy. Offering the lake house has allowed us to enjoy visiting our guests in that environment instead of their staying with us. It's an hour and change away and very spacious/lots to do/has it's own dock, etc. This is is a solution to weeks (or even months) long visitations from people who get under foot. They have their own space and we have ours. Most people truly appreciate this option. Every now and again there is one who does not.
Many posters are truly driving this into the stratosphere jumping to conclusions about all sorts of unrelated issues. I just want suggestions on what to do now to ensure these people are gone when they should be.
This is a bit over the top. Some people (like my husband) come from a cultural background where "foolish generosity " is the norm especially when it comes to family members and people who have been friends of the family for a long time. It's just the way he was raised.
Personally I prefer not to have guests in my home for more than a few days as we have a toddler and are very busy. Offering the lake house has allowed us to enjoy visiting our guests in that environment instead of their staying with us. It's an hour and change away and very spacious/lots to do/has it's own dock, etc. This is is a solution to weeks (or even months) long visitations from people who get under foot. They have their own space and we have ours. Most people truly appreciate this option. Every now and again there is one who does not.
Many posters are truly driving this into the stratosphere jumping to conclusions about all sorts of unrelated issues. I just want suggestions on what to do now to ensure these people are gone when they should be.
The wording of that post could have been a little more tactful, OP, I agree. But the fundamental advice is sound because if you're just letting "friends" and family stay in a resort property that you own for free, you are setting yourself up to be taken advantage of. You certainly have expenses to maintain this, taxes and utilities to pay, etc. I know I've stayed in the second homes of relatives before but never would be so presumptuous to think they should let me stay there for free. I might be getting a small discount (which I appreciate) since they aren't hiring a property manager to deal with short term leases or housekeeping staff since me and my guest clean the home thoroughly before we're leaving. But that discount is along the lines of $125 a night instead of $160 a night, not $125 a week or something that far below market.
The wording of that post could have been a little more tactful, OP, I agree. But the fundamental advice is sound because if you're just letting "friends" and family stay in a resort property that you own for free, you are setting yourself up to be taken advantage of. You certainly have expenses to maintain this, taxes and utilities to pay, etc. I know I've stayed in the second homes of relatives before but never would be so presumptuous to think they should let me stay there for free. I might be getting a small discount (which I appreciate) since they aren't hiring a property manager to deal with short term leases or housekeeping staff since me and my guest clean the home thoroughly before we're leaving. But that discount is along the lines of $125 a night instead of $160 a night, not $125 a week or something that far below market.
I think you missed the part about cultural differences.
We have a couple of short term rentals and one is a lake house we allow friends and family to enjoy when we can. I agreed to give a group a week during the summer with very specific dates. I recently learned they bought plane tickets (VERY early) for a day beyond what we offered. Both my mate and I were extremely clear as we have paid guests checking in on the morning of the day of that these guests are now saying they will also be staying on.
My mate said "you will have to find a hotel that night" and the group suggested that they stay with us (not nearby) due to the 'misunderstanding. " We will both be working and cannot accommodate them. We told them this and said "you can change your ticket or we can suggest a hotel near the lake house. Its early enough that both should be available. " No.word back yet except that they are excited to stay.
Its clear that these people think we should put them up and fo not want to incur a change fee for tickets. We sent dates in writing and spoke verbally. I'm about to withdraw the entire invitation. How would you handle it?
I think it's pretty clear they have no intention of vacating as they already bought their plane tickets. They know you do not have guests checking in until the next day and they intend to stay up until the last minute.
For the future, do not give any explanation for why someone needs to vacate as they may use this information to their advantage.
Insofar as the current situation, you may need to take hardball tactics that someone will be at the home to make sure the house is vacated by xx time. You hope they will make other arrangements and it will not come to that and you will take this into consideration if they request to use the vacation house in the future.
Please confirm with you that they have made arrangements to vacate the home as you have requested.
Unfortunately with people like this, they do not worry about the inconvenience and/or expense to you. You must be firm almost to the point of being aggressive so they do not misinterpret niceness/politeness as pushover. Furthermore, they have insulted your intelligence by mischaracterizing the situation as a "misunderstanding" for which you are responsible. Do not offer suggestions, i.e., hotel -- this is not your problem to solve. They know how to solve this but they do not want it to cost them anything ---after getting your vacation home for free. Be factual -- you expect them to vacation on xx date as per e-mail, your primary home is not available, . . . .
If it was me, I would probably add, it appears that you made some assumptions about extending your stay and for making those assumptions you will be incurring some additional costs.
OP, we had a vacation home that we did not rent out and rarely let anyone stay there for free. It can get awkward if there is damage to your home, someone gets injured, etc. Do you want to be filing an insurance claim for these non-paying guests? They may claim you were negligent in some way.
Last edited by Maddie104; 01-09-2020 at 08:04 AM..
You certainly have expenses to maintain this, taxes and utilities to pay, etc. I know I've stayed in the second homes of relatives before but never would be so presumptuous to think they should let me stay there for free. I might be getting a small discount (which I appreciate) since they aren't hiring a property manager to deal with short term leases or housekeeping staff since me and my guest clean the home thoroughly before we're leaving. But that discount is along the lines of $125 a night instead of $160 a night, not $125 a week or something that far below market.
I have a friend who has a Florida condo they visit intermittently but do not rent out. She offered it to me for 10 days one winter, which I gratefully accepted. She had no expectation of being compensated, and had I offered her money directly she would have turned it down. I bought a gift card for the local grocery store and sent it with a thank you note. After all, we would have easily paid $1,000 or more for a comparable place.
OP: I would e-mail (and tell her directly) again that you have PAYING guests coming who expect the unit to be available at their agreed upon time and that she (your friend) ABSOLUTELY must be gone as you originally set up. Put it in bold, all caps: “I CANNOT STRESS ENOUGH YOU CANNOT STAY LONGER.” Point out that you rent it out as a business, and a bad experience with a paying customer will have repercussions on your bottom line in the realm of bad reviews, etc. and I wouldn’t invite her back again.
I have a friend who has a Florida condo they visit intermittently but do not rent out. She offered it to me for 10 days one winter, which I gratefully accepted. She had no expectation of being compensated, and had I offered her money directly she would have turned it down. I bought a gift card for the local grocery store and sent it with a thank you note. After all, we would have easily paid $1,000 or more for a comparable place.
OP: I would e-mail (and tell her directly) again that you have PAYING guests coming who expect the unit to be available at their agreed upon time and that she (your friend) ABSOLUTELY must be gone as you originally set up. Put it in bold, all caps: “I CANNOT STRESS ENOUGH YOU CANNOT STAY LONGER.” Point out that you rent it out as a business, and a bad experience with a paying customer will have repercussions on your bottom line in the realm of bad reviews, etc. and I wouldn’t invite her back again.
The problem is they now expect to stay at the OP's personal home because of the "misunderstanding."
Why do people make things so hard for themselves? At this point tell them they are not welcome PERIOD if they cannot understand you have paying guests and they cannot stay those additional days. Your personal house IS NOT a hotel and tell them to stop being cheap and get a hotel room.
Buck up and stand your ground. Otherwise get new friends
Yes we have to hold firm because we do use this as an income property. We are happy to host but as you have experienced, some guests get very entitled over time
I'd happily pay for a trip to the airport I'd it meant they were actually out of the house.
Why do you feel the need to mention the maid?? Are you trying to sound better?
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