Do you take everyone that contacts you?

[Rolacoy]

I know from reading some of your websites that some of you don't allow pets, children, etc.
How do you "weed out" people who you don't want?

 

[YellowSocks]

No pets, but everyone else is welcome.
You pay my price, you stay in my room!
First come, first served...
=)
Kk.

 

[swirt]

No pets, couples-only, also see the thread about PITA Radar.
Pick your requirements based on your target market. Example: If your target market is romantic getaway, then no kids. Some manage to do the shotgun approach and go after any and all, while others go for a specific niche or two. I suggest not trying to be ALL things to ALL people.

 

[gillumhouse]

We take kids but do not "actively" persue that market. Have the house booked Sunday to a family traveling with 4 kids. I do not take pets (due to alergies of the hosts....). I have, in talking with a person, suggested they might wish to try somewhere "closer to your target destination". And the fellow who told me they probably would not be staying for breakfast was told we are not a by the hour.

 

[JunieBJones (JBJ)]

Adults and children over 14. BUT we only have the rooms set up for 2 people, ie one bed.

 

[JunieBJones (JBJ)]

If you charge alot for the extra person you can dissuade that. (SP?) Rooms can accomodate two persons.

 

[Morticia]

We have pretty much taken everyone who has called who we can accommodate. We don't take more in a room than we have determined is a good fit, we don't take pets in all rooms. Otherwise, we have taken everyone who has called. Some were ok, some weren't. More good than bad!
I HAVE rejected online reservations from guests who have 5 in their party who want to squeeze them all into a room with one bed.

 

[EmptyNest]

You set up your policies and know what they are and stick to them BEFORE you open. Then you can adjust a bit if you want to as you get to know the business better. Of course, it all depends on your B & B..if it is a small lifestyle one that you don't need to make a living off of..you can be as selective as you want. If you only want to take 2 night min...then so be it. If you do not want children or pets...so be it...you DECIDE..not the guests.
It is YOUR HOME and your RULES...
My husband always told me...don't do anything that will cause you to stress out. Make it easy on yourself. If on the other hand, you have a larger inn and you are counting on this for your income, then you probably don't want to be too limiting. It is just something you have to work on for yourself. You can follow others examples and give it a try, but if it doesn't work for you don't feel you have to do it.
I made it 7 years and that was all I could take. It was a fun ride, but I am glad we have closed and I have my house back for just us.

 

[Rolacoy]

Here is a layout of our property.
http://www.waskomtexas.com/waskom_garden/room_layout.html
I just rendered a quick image in a 3D modeling program that I use. The area that is Orange is the area that we will rent out. Our guests will also have excess to a garden & gazebo that I will be building. Also our property has a common border with the city park and they will also be able to use the park.
As far as the rules, I know that we will not allow pets. After 25 years in the rental business we know the two most destructive things on the planet are dogs and teenage boys. We do plan to allow people to bring their kids. The living room has a hid-a-bed so kids could sleep on it. Also two couples could rent our property. We would limit it to two couples or a family of no more than 5.
The thing that bothers me the most is moral issues. We are Christian people and do not want to have some guy with his "shack-up-honey" for the night. In the rental business we found that we would just ask, "how many are in your family" and they had no shame, they would tell us that it was "me and my girl/boy friend". We would tell them that we do not rent to unmarried couples. We were able to do that because that kind of a business deal had too many risks. In a B&B it's, in most cases a "one night stand" anyway so we can not use that reason.
I know we can not set the moral standards for the world, but we will set them in our property. Or not do the B&B at all.

 

[EmptyNest]

Here is a layout of our property.
http://www.waskomtexas.com/waskom_garden/room_layout.html
I just rendered a quick image in a 3D modeling program that I use. The area that is Orange is the area that we will rent out. Our guests will also have excess to a garden & gazebo that I will be building. Also our property has a common border with the city park and they will also be able to use the park.
As far as the rules, I know that we will not allow pets. After 25 years in the rental business we know the two most destructive things on the planet are dogs and teenage boys. We do plan to allow people to bring their kids. The living room has a hid-a-bed so kids could sleep on it. Also two couples could rent our property. We would limit it to two couples or a family of no more than 5.
The thing that bothers me the most is moral issues. We are Christian people and do not want to have some guy with his "shack-up-honey" for the night. In the rental business we found that we would just ask, "how many are in your family" and they had no shame, they would tell us that it was "me and my girl/boy friend". We would tell them that we do not rent to unmarried couples. We were able to do that because that kind of a business deal had too many risks. In a B&B it's, in most cases a "one night stand" anyway so we can not use that reason.
I know we can not set the moral standards for the world, but we will set them in our property. Or not do the B&B at all..

Well, sorry to say this, but the majority of people who stayed with us...are / were couples and not married. They pay and they stay...no questions asked. We too are Christians, but it is not for us to be judge...we have a business and anyone who can pay, can stay.
It is against the law to discriminate, so you are on shaky ground here if someone decides to call you on it.
I understand where you are coming from, but when in business, you are going to encounter a wide variety of issues.
Looking at your floor plan, it seems like you are just renting out an APT. Since there is a kitchen there, are you going to serve breakfast?
Maybe you just ought to reconsider doing a B & B and do one long term rental that way you can "check out" the renter and decide IF you want them.
SORRY..YOU ARE AKSING FOR TROUBLE HERE.

 

[Rolacoy]

You may be right, we can still lease it out. It just seems like something we would like to try.

 

[Copperhead]

Here is a layout of our property.
http://www.waskomtexas.com/waskom_garden/room_layout.html
I just rendered a quick image in a 3D modeling program that I use. The area that is Orange is the area that we will rent out. Our guests will also have excess to a garden & gazebo that I will be building. Also our property has a common border with the city park and they will also be able to use the park.
As far as the rules, I know that we will not allow pets. After 25 years in the rental business we know the two most destructive things on the planet are dogs and teenage boys. We do plan to allow people to bring their kids. The living room has a hid-a-bed so kids could sleep on it. Also two couples could rent our property. We would limit it to two couples or a family of no more than 5.
The thing that bothers me the most is moral issues. We are Christian people and do not want to have some guy with his "shack-up-honey" for the night. In the rental business we found that we would just ask, "how many are in your family" and they had no shame, they would tell us that it was "me and my girl/boy friend". We would tell them that we do not rent to unmarried couples. We were able to do that because that kind of a business deal had too many risks. In a B&B it's, in most cases a "one night stand" anyway so we can not use that reason.
I know we can not set the moral standards for the world, but we will set them in our property. Or not do the B&B at all..

Rolacoy stated "We are Christian people and do not want to have some guy with his "shack-up-honey" for the night."
I understand what you are saying but unfortunately that is something that you can not control. You can ask for the names of everyone in the party, but when he says Mr & Mrs Jones, that's it! I know some ask for drivers license, but that is for the person paying, not for all in the party. Some states have age restriction laws to help with the younger population so check that for assistance.
I think you would have had more control over who was living in your rental (long term I surmise) than with an overnight type rental.
One thing I can say to help guide you is to use your gut feelings. If they eat at your gut when they call, simply 'sorry no availability'. I also tend to think that those that book 'ahead' are more likely a couple. That does not mean that it is a legal couple, only that it is more likely not a one night stand. You may also want to boast your christian belief on your website. (i.e. fish logo, cross etc.) This would attract other christians while pursuading others to look elsewhere. Nothing will totally eliminate the possibility.

 

[Morticia]

Here is a layout of our property.
http://www.waskomtexas.com/waskom_garden/room_layout.html
I just rendered a quick image in a 3D modeling program that I use. The area that is Orange is the area that we will rent out. Our guests will also have excess to a garden & gazebo that I will be building. Also our property has a common border with the city park and they will also be able to use the park.
As far as the rules, I know that we will not allow pets. After 25 years in the rental business we know the two most destructive things on the planet are dogs and teenage boys. We do plan to allow people to bring their kids. The living room has a hid-a-bed so kids could sleep on it. Also two couples could rent our property. We would limit it to two couples or a family of no more than 5.
The thing that bothers me the most is moral issues. We are Christian people and do not want to have some guy with his "shack-up-honey" for the night. In the rental business we found that we would just ask, "how many are in your family" and they had no shame, they would tell us that it was "me and my girl/boy friend". We would tell them that we do not rent to unmarried couples. We were able to do that because that kind of a business deal had too many risks. In a B&B it's, in most cases a "one night stand" anyway so we can not use that reason.
I know we can not set the moral standards for the world, but we will set them in our property. Or not do the B&B at all..

The thing that bothers me the most is moral issues. We are Christian people and do not want to have some guy with his "shack-up-honey" for the night. In the rental business we found that we would just ask, "how many are in your family" and they had no shame, they would tell us that it was "me and my girl/boy friend". We would tell them that we do not rent to unmarried couples. We were able to do that because that kind of a business deal had too many risks. In a B&B it's, in most cases a "one night stand" anyway so we can not use that reason.
I know we can not set the moral standards for the world, but we will set them in our property. Or not do the B&B at all.

If you want to do the B&B but you want to have only guests who are like-minded, then you get on the Christian B&B websites and into Christian networks. You make it abundantly clear on your own website that you are a Christian family. I can guarantee that folks like myself would steer clear of your place if you had Bible quotations or anything like that on your website. If I saw a crucifix over the bed, I'd steer clear. If you had anything like, 'The Good Lord has provided us with...(fill in the blank)' I would steer clear.
You could show a bedside table with a Bible and crucifix. Guests know what to look for when they are booking. Gays know what to look for to avoid places they won't be welcome (and places they will be welcome).
Altho a Bible, etc might not be a big enough clue for some, it will be for most. And the rest you can figure out as you go.

 

[JunieBJones (JBJ)]

You may be right, we can still lease it out. It just seems like something we would like to try..

Just so you know, there are unmarried people, married, same sex couples as well as gay and lesbian n this forum (and those who read it who are not users, but guests to the forum) this is the WWW.
There are also laws about discimination.
You will never know who a person is before they step through your door anyway, so how can you even attempt to pick and choose.
When you first stated the question, we all - as usual thought you meant, kids, dogs, smokers. Those are things you can regulate. You can't regulate one night stands, extra marital affairs, unmarried same sex anything.
I know there are laws in places still on the books. But you will be asking for lawsuits if you descrimate in this day and age.
If this is something you will not be comfortable with, then you might reconsider this venture. Maybe the reason out of town cousin John is not staying at the rel's house for the wedding is because he is gay and has his partner with him. Food for thought.

 

[Samster]

If you are a business & you open your home to the public, you'll have a hard time "weeding out" people. There are laws against discrimination. If you're not comfortable with having all kinds of folks on your property, this may be the wrong business for you. In the short time that we've been open, we've had all kinds of folks and they are welcome here. However, the smokers have to smoke outside, we're really not set up for younger children (historic property, no childproofing, low bannisters, no kid gear, that kind of thing), and we don't take guest pets (of course service animals are a different story). We have enjoyed all of our guests, from all walks of life.

 

[YellowSocks]

My dh and I are Christians... we've had discussions about this topic long before we ever considered opening a B&B, simply in terms of visiting relatives who were living together and other situations over the years.
What we came to understand long ago is that we do not expect non-Christians to live to our standards. Actually, we don’t always expect that Christians will, either! The way we choose to live is a choice we’ve made based on our religious understanding and our history and many other factors. If another person hasn’t had a similar set of experiences, convictions, or beliefs, then why would they choose to live the way we do? Or, to put it another way, before I was a Christian I did plenty of horrible things and thought nothing of them. It wasn’t until my belief system changed that I changed. So why would I expect someone who doesn’t have my belief system to act like I think is right? I know I sure didn’t!
So, then we opened our B&B and the topic came up again. But it isn’t really different and our opinion hasn’t changed. We like all sorts of people, regardless of whether they share our belief system or not. Some of the nicest people we know are not Christians… my dh’s best friend here in town is his lesbian co-worker. So, we try to leave the judgment to God and practice hospitality as best we can. Another Christian innkeeper I know has a similar viewpoint. It used to bother her no end when a couple came who was not married, but one day she felt that God was telling her it wasn’t her job to judge, but to love. Yet another Christian innkeeper I met (who had Bible verses on her paper napkins by her coffee service) enjoyed the opportunities she had over the years to have religious discussions with the many people she’d hosted.
That said, I have small children and I would expect that any person visiting my home, regardless of religion, orientation, or marital status will be sensitive to that fact and not act inappropriately in front of them. In their room, we don’t care what our guests do. (Well, as long as it doesn’t destroy the room!)
So far the vast majority of the visitors we’ve had have been married, whether traveling with or without their spouse. We take children (since we have them!) and many of the families we’ve had have been extremely grateful to find a family friendly place to stay. I know of one gay guy who stayed, but I only knew he was gay because his traveling companion (a woman) told me so when she made the reservation, “He’s gay, so nothing’s going on, we just want to share the room to save costs.” I’m like, whatever! What you do in your room is your business. They were interesting and wonderful guests and they’re welcome to come back any time.
We haven’t had very many unmarried couples, although I think I can remember one or two, and I know there’s some coming up. It’s not like we charge by the hour, or people meet at the bar and wander over for the night. The unmarried couples we have are couples, and as far as meeting, greeting, and feeding them they are no different whatsoever from unmarried couples.
As another poster said, if you have a lot of emphasis on your website about being Christians, with fish and cross and Christian links (but please, no little angels flying across the screen!) you’ll find that a lot of people will self select and stay elsewhere. And as your target market is family friendly, and your B&B very small, you’ll also find fewer instances of unmarried couples coming… couples who want a romantic getaway go to big, fancy places with whirlpool tubs and at least a modicum of anonymity. They don’t go to a little, two room B&B in a small town… As someone I know says, “It’s all about the hotel sex.”
Being an innkeeper is very good for your Christian walk… you spend the day cooking, serving, and cleaning up after total strangers, you get to practice hospitality, and dying to self, and loving and serving others. I highly recommend it! We’re delighted with the choice we’ve made and we will continue to welcome all types of people to come and stay with us.
=)
Kk.

 

[JunieBJones (JBJ)]

If you are a business & you open your home to the public, you'll have a hard time "weeding out" people. There are laws against discrimination. If you're not comfortable with having all kinds of folks on your property, this may be the wrong business for you. In the short time that we've been open, we've had all kinds of folks and they are welcome here. However, the smokers have to smoke outside, we're really not set up for younger children (historic property, no childproofing, low bannisters, no kid gear, that kind of thing), and we don't take guest pets (of course service animals are a different story). We have enjoyed all of our guests, from all walks of life..

If you are a business & you open your home to the public, you'll have a hard time "weeding out" people. There are laws against discrimination. If you're not comfortable with having all kinds of folks on your property, this may be the wrong business for you. In the short time that we've been open, we've had all kinds of folks and they are welcome here. However, the smokers have to smoke outside, we're really not set up for younger children (historic property, no childproofing, low bannisters, no kid gear, that kind of thing), and we don't take guest pets (of course service animals are a different story). We have enjoyed all of our guests, from all walks of life.

There are a couple innkeepers here on the forum who do not have the same last name as their spouse. Would that mean they aren't married? Like mentioned it really is not our call. Unless there is some sort of 'disruption' to the B&B (sorry couldn't resist using that word). We had a couple here - probably on a fling, and partying (naked twister guy). That was the disruption for the other guests and ourselves. How would I ever know it was a fling, well I have my suspicions, but that is their business. I would never ask someone something like that.
Sometimes we discuss stuff on here and forget non innkeepers read it. Much of the time the things we discuss are purely entertaining. We get a kick out of it, or a chuckle. So, as they say, we are often airing our dirty laundry on this forum. Maybe it is something that should not be privvy to the rest of the world, but only to innkeepers.

 

[gillumhouse]

I also thought smokers, kids, etc.
Basically it is like this: a B & B is a business. One opens a business to make money. I do not know any gas station in the country that provides gas only to Chevys or only to Fords or no Toyotas allowed. It is not our place to judge - Christian or non-believer alike - That belongs to HE who is perfect and that certainly is not evil little me! I know many people the "Church" (pick a brand) would frown on who are better people and better "Christians" than many of the #$#$%^& "pillars of the church". If I ever find out which of those stalwarts is responsible for running the best pastor I ever knew out of the church here, I will forget my not-for-me-to-judge stance, the freaking hypocrites!
To put this on the Christian perspective, we are told that on a dark December night, there was no room at the inn but a stable stall was deemed "good enough". As long as there is an empty bed in my inn, there is room at the inn for whomever. And I have been known to provide a room to a weary traveler having problems (and I am not talking at regular rate and sometimes it has been a thank you).
I believe tha we are put on this Earth for a reason, and many times have been made to feel that my reason is to meet people. I am surprised at how many have told me I have helped them - because all I did was converse and trust me, spouting religion is not my thing. My Pappy always said there is nothing worse than a reformed drunk except a reformed drunk who got relgion! (He was talking about his brother!)
Not meaning to get on a religion thing here. Just trying to explain what an innkeeper's place is - supplier of sleeping accommodations, not morality cop. We only ask name address, phone, credit card number. I do not care if they are black, white, green, or blue, gay, straight, or or crooked. As JBJ says,"They stay, they pay, they go away!"

 

[YellowSocks]

Ya know, I've been thinking about those innkeepers who gave Joseph and Mary the stable. I mean, here they are, in the peak of their busiest season ever, every room booked for a month, and here come this impoverished couple and the wife's due any minute. It seems to me they were very accommodating!
Likewise the innkeeper in the parable of the Good Samaritan. Here comes a regular customer and with him he's got this beat up, bruised and bloody, almost naked guy in tow whom he proposes to leave behind as he goes off on his regular beat. Once again, no credit for the innkeeper who took him in!
=)
Kk.

 

[JunieBJones (JBJ)]

Ya know, I've been thinking about those innkeepers who gave Joseph and Mary the stable. I mean, here they are, in the peak of their busiest season ever, every room booked for a month, and here come this impoverished couple and the wife's due any minute. It seems to me they were very accommodating!
Likewise the innkeeper in the parable of the Good Samaritan. Here comes a regular customer and with him he's got this beat up, bruised and bloody, almost naked guy in tow whom he proposes to leave behind as he goes off on his regular beat. Once again, no credit for the innkeeper who took him in!
=)
Kk..

Ya know, I've been thinking about those innkeepers who gave Joseph and Mary the stable. I mean, here they are, in the peak of their busiest season ever, every room booked for a month, and here come this impoverished couple and the wife's due any minute. It seems to me they were very accommodating!
Likewise the innkeeper in the parable of the Good Samaritan. Here comes a regular customer and with him he's got this beat up, bruised and bloody, almost naked guy in tow whom he proposes to leave behind as he goes off on his regular beat. Once again, no credit for the innkeeper who took him in!
=)
Kk.

That innkeeper is being remembered. Don't worry.
Actually there is a fantastic comedian/actor in the NW who does this whole one person play on that innkeeper. I have seen him 3 or 4 times (usually around Christmas of course). It is called "The Innkeeper's Dream."