east valley
Volume 2 Issue 31 Mesa, AZ
March 1, 2020
Mesa home on Airbnb’s ‘most wish-listed’ sites BY NICOLE D’ALONZO
Tribune Contributor
A
IN THE BIZ
private East Mesa mountain casita with stunning desert views, beautiful pool in a private yard and a short distance from Tonto National Forest is on Airbnb’s list of “Most Wish Listed Homes” in Arizona. Owned by Caroline Felice and her husband, the home in ZIP code 85207 has earned a 4.95 overall rating from guests – giving the couple “SuperHost” status on Airbnb. Since Airbnb named Felice’s $99-per-night casita to the Top 15 list, it has been getting a lot of attention with 456 views in just one week. The couple have hosted more than 600 guests in the three years they have been renting the home, garnering 272 positive reviews. Superhosts are highly-rated, experienced and committed to providing great stays for guests, according to Airbnb. Felice has maintained a 90 percent response rate or higher from them. “I’ve been lucky,” she said. When she �irst started, her parents questioned who would want to stay there, she said. “I guess I proved them wrong,” she added. Felice has hosted a wide range of guests with various lengths of stay. Some of the longer stays have been by winter visitors as well as new residents who need a place to stay until they �ind a permanent home. In the summer, the bulk of her guests are locals seeking a staycation, especially if they do not have a pool to survive the Arizona heat. At one point she said, her casita was booked out for an entire year. “It’s fun, and not a hard job. You never get sick of doing it and we get to meet a variety of people,” she said. “I try to run my business like a very nice hotel.” Public Notices ............... page 1 © Copyright, 2020 East Valley Tribune
Some of the casita’s more notable amenities include the privacy that comes with a separate entrance and parking space, access to the pool and close proximity to outdoor activities. Felice offers extra amenities similar to a nice hotel – including everything from breakfast and toiletries to a small dog crate since she allows pets. The venue’s privacy and peaceful surroundings enable one young guest from Taiwan to send �ive days meditating, Felice said. Felice said she and her husband listed their private casita with Airbnb because they had the extra space and the means to earn extra income. The constant bookings allow her to now work from home. They also own a cabin in Strawberry that they occasionally list on Airbnb. The Felices’ neighbors have not only accepted the Airbnb guests, but have rented out their casitas on the site as well. When she started, one neighbor noticed a different car in the driveway every so often and inquired with Felice. After the conversation, her neighbor, who owns a similar space asked how to do it. Word spread through the neighborhood and a couple others followed suit. “So, there will be four of us right in the same square,” said Felice. “It’s just extra income that makes life easier.” If Felice’s casita is booked, she will share occupancy leads with her neighbors. The arrangement has become a unique hospitality experience. Although Felice has had success with her neighbors in Mesa, the neighbors in Strawberry are a bit more private and not as welcoming to the idea of living next to an Airbnb destination. “They don’t even know my name, they just call me the Airbnb lady,” Felice said. She said out of respect, she noti�ies her (USPS 004-616) is published weekly
Mailing Address: 1620 W. Fountainhead Pkwy., Suite 219, Tempe, AZ 85282
(480) 898-6500 Steven Strickbine, publisher Paul Maryniak, executive editor
neighbors before she rents the cabin. In order to keep the peace with her Strawberry neighbors, Felice said she only allows families who are usually guests she already knows through prior rental experience. “I see all these articles about Airbnb hosts having problems. I have never had a problem,” she added. Despite the few reports over the years of bad Airbnb guests and police involvement, Mesa Police spokesman Nik Rasheta said his department has not received any reports about rowdy Airbnb guests. Felice believes one reason she has had a relatively smooth booking process is that her guests tend to be over 50 and she has a twoperson occupancy limit. She also keeps the prices competitively higher and follows Airbnb’s direction on verifying the guest through government-issued identi�ication and legitimate payment information – much like any other hotel booking website. She also looks at past reviews of guests and guest information, including the reason for the rental, to maintain security. A bipartisan group of legislatures in both the State House and State Senate have advanced bills that would restore some of the local controls on short-term rentals that were removed in 2016. But Gov. Doug Ducey has signaled that he’s happy with the state of the law as it exists now, saying he doesn’t want to over-regulate what he calls a growing business in Arizona. The Legislature also showed a deep divide between lawmakers who say the current law doesn’t protect neighborhoods from rowdy behavior at some short-term rentals and those who say the issue is a matter of property rights. It’s unclear if supporters of more local controls have the votes to get the measure through the Legislature – or whether Ducey will veto it if it does pass. Subscriptions are $26 for 2 years, $14 for one year. Periodicals postage paid at Phoenix, AZ 85026.
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