I’m somewhat new to hosting on Peerspace. I would love to hear what some more veteran hosts have to say about a couple issues I’ve noticed.
I’ve seen on a few listings that confetti/glitter is forbidden. Is this something that has impacted the number of inquiries you receive? If you’ve added a cleaning fee, do guests end up leaving a huge mess? And is the cleaning fee automatic for every booking? Or do you offer it as an add-on? I’m still cleaning up confetti from two weeks ago.
Do you collect any type of security deposit for the use of your amenities (things that are no additional charge/come with the booking) like tables and chairs? I know Peerspace covers us with general liability insurance but that doesn’t necessarily cover any damages. We’ve had clients/guests break tables and chairs without any way of being paid for that. In your opinion, is that something we should pursue by putting a small deposit in our add-ons section for use of our items? Or do you think that’s just part of the cost of doing these events?
I’ve noticed clients/guests will bring food that ends up stuck to our floors. Basically destroying them and requiring a full paint job. Like chocolates/candies/etc. It’s kind of a bummer that we can’t do anything about that. I’m wondering if you’ve encountered this and how you’ve managed it.
Do you have any other suggestions? Any add-ons or items that have improved the way you do business?
I’d really appreciate any advice or support you can offer me. Of course this is all a learning experience, and I’m the type that loves to learn from MISTAKES!
One more question:
If an event ends up having a bigger show than they explained (carnival rides, game truck, dancers, etc) and it’s absolutely against your rules and regulations (parking in red zones, blocking neighboring businesses), how do you close it down kindly and respectfully. It’s definitely tough to know what to say to stand your ground at the same time as keeping it professional…
I only book productions, not events at my many locations I rep in NYC, so sounds like it’s quite different. But hard rules regardless - no bookings without a client sending me their COI (certificate of insurance) - Peerspace liability is not sufficient coverage; I also hold a $500/day security deposit before any load in occurs; I write up the agreement and have the host and the client sign off to all details they agreed to (this includes the # of ppl) so I have that all in writing with signatures.
Good luck!
Also - when you do include the new add-on in the report after the booking, what is the response? Do you need to provide evidence? Do you deal with Peerspace or directly with the client? Do the clients have a choice in whether or not to pay?
@Maggey_L These are some really great questions! Thanks for posting them here!
First, I would definitely suggest reading over some helpful support articles like the ones below: Add-ons Damages/Missed Expectations
Additionally, maybe @Brad_B or @Eli_P could jump in as they always have incredibly insightful tips!
@Brad_B Knows so much more than me. I recommend not accepting the glitter/confetti clients unless they pay your cleanup fee and a returnable deposit. But before they check out I will let them know they have 30 mins left and they need to clean up. If they can not clean up during the booking time I would charge the same rate(some studios charge more 1.5x or 2x, there is no wrong answer here).
I typically require for events and offsite not for a small production. Keep in mind, my studio is a simple white wall and cement floor studio. Nothing expensive here, @Brad_B and @Deacon_T have experience on this. I do charge for rental of additional chairs, tables etc.
For Events and off site I REQUIRE the guest come in before to go over the details(hard time in, hard time out, must bring the studio back to normal, insurance, security deposit, etc. Basically anything you want to tell them you should here). Your clients should be bringing the studio back to normal or usable for the next guest. 30 mins before the booking ends I always call the customer and remind them to clean up.
Let me know if you have any other questions, would love to help and give back to the community. @Deacon_T has a lot of good points, but just remember we all have different locations and we should have different rules.
In my Rules section I make it clear that the following are not allowed:
No confetti, glitter, rice, sand, flower pedals or similar small-sized decorations.
No silly string or wax.
No real-flame candles.
Balloons are not allowed to be filled with glitter or confetti or similar.
Specifying that balloons can’t be filled with things is an important one because at the end of the event when they pop the balloons the glitter/confetti goes everywhere.
I have an outdoor space and I also prohibit mylar balloons filled with helium because they can cause power outages if they accidentally get released into the air and hit power lines.
I charge a $100 cleaning fee and it’s been totally fine doing so. I would encourage everyone to do at least a $100 cleaning fee. That should be the bare minimum for the amount of time spent cleaning and guests should come to expect at least that amount.
In my Rules section I also make it very clear that the cleaning fee covers sanitizing and trash disposal and the guest is required to make sure the place looks the same as when they arrived. Any spilled food, candy, drinks left behind will result in additional charges.
And when an interested guest messages me I always direct them to review my Rules section so everything is understood.
Oh and as far as damages being handled by Peerspace… a lot of hosts have negative experiences they’ve voiced on here, but I’ve had an overall positive experience with them handling damages and overages. I think as is the case with most things, people are more inclined to write about a negative experience vs the positive ones because there’s more motivation to talk about it. Peerspace has done a very solid job with handling overages and damage charges for me.
Installing security cameras is extremely helpful, but you can also just use your phone to snap some pics or take a video of the damages. Be sure to have images of how the area looked before the guest arrived. Ring, Blink, and Wyze security cameras have some solid affordable options. I use a combo of Ring and Wyze – I prefer the Ring cameras. Having security cameras spread throughout has made things much easier and smoother (Prime Day and Black Friday are ideal times to make these purchases).
Including potential overages as Add-Ons is a good way of managing things, too, but the photo proof is what is key.
As far as an event ending up bigger than explained… this is an area that Peerspace needs to improve how they handle things because there 100% needs to be repercussions for the guest. There are certain arbitrary charges that they have not figured out how to properly address such as your example of an event including activities that were not disclosed. What they do allow, though, are charges for a Site Rep and when a booking does something that is against your rules well then the Site Rep has to take care of it. So that is a good angle of approach for additional charges with particular broken rules.
Make sure your Rules section is very thorough… that is very helpful. I make it very clear in my Rules that any undisclosed aspect of their booking will incur additional charges and/or result in the booking being shut down and do my best to inquire about what will be involved beforehand. Overtime as my Rules section has become more and more detailed I have had less and less issues.
As others have suggested, requiring a security deposit is a good option, too (Venmo or proper credit card authorization as opposed to cash). I haven’t actually ended up requiring one for anything that I’ve booked but there have been certain inquiries where I’ve said I would require it (those bookings didn’t end up happening, but I wouldn’t have felt comfortable moving forward without requesting them).
Hey everyone, thank you so much for all the input.
It’s basically impossible to not accept clients that use confetti. There’s no way of knowing if the client will use it. Based on the type of events we host and clients we’ve attracted, they tend to tell me what I want to hear and do what they want anyways. At the same time, I don’t want to scare anyone away with security deposits and cleaning fees. But it does seem to be the only logical course of action. I can see this being an issue; my clients are already troubled by having to pay for the time it takes to set-up and clean-up. Asking them to spend more money for a security deposit definitely needs to be approached correctly.
How do you guys handle separate returnable security deposits? Venmo, cash, through Peerspace?
I thought it would be wise to put these items (confetti usage, floor repaint) on the add-ons section. That way, they can see it clear as day that if this happens, we’ll be adding this on after the booking ends. We have security cameras covering the entire indoor and outdoor space so proof is never an issue. But Peerspace doesn’t recognize these as legitimate. “Arbitrary fees”… I totally understand how these fees are considered arbitrary and not easy to price from their perspective. But from my perspective, that’s how much it costs to pay two guys to come paint the floor. And if the client knows about these add-ons beforehand, I should be able to determine if these charges are legitimate while having screenshots as proof to show Peerspace help to back up my claim.
The guest has a chance to see what the charges will be if they cause damage. If they know about the add-ons and do it anyways, I should be able to collect.
But based on my conversation with Peerspace help, the add-ons are out.
I’m feeling a little powerless and very frustrated. I try my best to vet every event for any activities or plans that exceed what we are willing to handle. But people lie and take advantage. These small events have saved our a**es as of late. Our day gig here is just not what it used to be. But it feels pointless if clients are allowed to abuse our space without any consequences.
Again, thank you for making little old me feel supported by a big community.
Also, Peerspace has to contact the client to “confirm the charges”. What if the client doesn’t want to pay?
They are obviously going to have a problem paying any sort of additional fee.
Now I’ve just received an angry message from the client asking about the charges.
Now what???
Hey @Maggey_L what did you mean when you wrote this:
Did you ask Peerspace about including certain things as an Add-On and they said they wouldn’t honor them? Can you elaborate on what that conversation was and what you were wanting to put as an Add-On?
In regards to the angry client, what are they angry about? What are the additional charges you submitted? If the client left a mess or caused damages then they need to cover the cost. They can complain and try to make you feel bad but that doesn’t change the fact that they are responsible for how they treat your place. It sounds like they were disrespectful to your studio and now to you as well. Politely refer them to the Peerspace rules when it comes to what is expected of a guest… and moving forward be sure to emphasis what is expected of them in your own Rules section.
Basically I can’t use my add-on “floor repaint” after the event is over when the floor is damaged because it’s still considered arbitrary. It seems like I should be able to have my own rules that Peerspace doesn’t get to call arbitrary if it’s clearly stated on my listing that this is what it costs if you damage our floor.
Thanks for validating my frustrations lol.
I think we are just TOO cheap. The clients and events we’re getting are insane. These people act like animals and trash the place. Everyone lies, things never go according to plan. Broken tables, broken chairs, and don’t get me started on what my parking lot looks like right now.
I am working with Peerspace to help update our pricing. I’d rather have zero events than deal with the type of people we attract and the aftermath of their “social gathering”.
Just having trouble figuring out this tiered pricing. I know we need to be charging more.
Yeah it for sure sounds like you aren’t charging enough if you’re having an abundance of guests that trash the place and mistreat it. As far as the floor repaint, I can understand why that wouldn’t be considered a proper Add-On, but I don’t understand why you’re having issues with getting those charges signed off on. If your floor is damaged and you need to repaint it then that should qualify as damages. If your floor ALWAYS has to be repainted after a booking than I can understand them denying it since regular usage should not necessitate a repaint charge.
