Be Our Guest, Be Our Guest

We all remember Lumiere singing these words during the scene in Beauty and the Beast when Beauty first enters the Beast's magic castle.  When one becomes a guest there is a moment of escapism when one sometimes forgets the rules of etiquette. As rental agreements are signed, and expectations are outlined between guest and landlord however boundaries and expectations are formally agreed to.  A clear set of expectations by the landlord must be met for the tenant to have the privilege of staying at the property.

In today's real estate world there are both short- and long-term rental arrangements.  Short term rentals can be defined as hotels and or Airbnb type stays.  Long term may be extended term month to month or annual lease terms.  Each type of rental is subject to an agreement of expectations of both the tenant and the landlord.  The tenant must respect the boundaries of the landlord for the agreement to work. Violations may be caused to terminate the stay.  A third less formal stay may be a personal one with family or friends visiting for a period of time.

Since the COVID pandemic there has been some crossover between the traditional and longer term stays as travelers with work at home options seek to visit new travel destinations for longer than usual time periods.  In addition, there have been longer than planned personal visits while family members may work from home to reduce paying rent in high-risk areas. 

When someone does rent using one of the short terms apps, they are subject to review by the landlord.  There are social norms that should be followed to be a good "renter.".  There may be consequences of not being able to rent again in the future if the set boundaries are not met.

In an apartment rental there are guidelines that must be adhered as detailed by the landlord in the rental contract.  If these are not adhered to the renter may have his or her lease terminated either early due to a violation of the contract or upon its renewal.  It will be the landlords decision whether to extend or end the tenant/landlord relationship.  

On the personal front although not specified in a formal contract if a guest extends his or her stay or does not abide by the house rules, he or she may risk a future invitation.  I wrote a blog post a few years ago about how to be both the perfect guest visitor and how to be the perfect host which I recommend referring to on each link.

In each of these scenarios the common thread is that boundaries need to be set by the party who controls the property.  The guest has the privilege of visiting or renting the property and will be paying to use it in agreement to specified guidelines.  As we head towards the summer season and travel begins to open up please read the recommended rental guidelines as suggested in the Boston Globe article here.  The lyrics to Lumiere’s song may continue ring in a guests ears if they follow the appropriate etiquette and are welcomed back for future stays.

Wendy is Realtor with Coldwell Banker and an upcoming author of her first book.  "COFFEE CONNECTION: A LONG-TERM RELATIONSHIP WITH MY DAILY BREW".   Travel is one of her greatest passions.  In addition, she enjoys coffee, walking her dog, theater/arts, reading, writing and meeting new people.  She always welcomes the opportunity to have a virtual coffee now that we are amidst the “new normal”.  

Check out her website at www.wendybcb.com or her FB page @wendybcb as she posts up to date content to meet the ever-changing marketplace.