How can I broach subject with family regarding staying at my rental properties?

My spouse has this problem at the daycare business and I also have it at my business - a veterinary hospital.

We have established a rule with family that paying customers have to come first. If I am turning away paying customers to care for family for free, I am in essence paying full price out of my own pay.

I think it's perfectly reasonable to tell family that they are welcome to stay for free if the property is vacant, but that you cannot afford to turn down paying customers.

If you want to offer your family a discounted rate for an advance reservation, that's up to you. You could also gift your parents (or whomever) a certain number of days per year at no cost.

It's tough. People really don't "get" how much this costs out of your own pocket.

You might consider limiting your freebies and discounts to a small number of people. People who are more distant can just be told, "Oh, I'm very sorry but the property is already booked that weekend" if they are a pain about it.

My cousin has a beach house and lets friends/family use it (when it's vacant) but she still charges $150 per use. She has her cleaning service clean it, even after family stays there, so that she knows it's properly ready for the next paying guest. It also helps prevent people from taking advantage of her.

ETA: I don't see why you need to pay anyone's hotel room unless you INVITED them to come stay. It sounds like these people are visiting your area at their whim and convenience. That means they pay.

You are more than free to charge them something while they stay! Family does not mean that they get to cost you thousands of dollars, and, as family, they shouldn't want to. Everything that you just explained here you can also explain to them, so that they understand why it wasn't much of an issue before but now, you are no longer able to accommodate them so freely.

You should send them a letter email or communicate with them through some method that you are no longer able to have a place for them to stay while visiting.

You may recommend several local hotels/motels to them. They should make their own reservations as if you make them,there might be a belief that since you made the reservation, you might be expected to pay for the accommodations used by them.

I hope this has been of some benefit to you, good luck.

"FIGHT ON"

Simply inform your family that you are running a business, and you can no longer afford to lose revenue by having someone stay at any of your rental properties. Advice them to plan on booking themselves into a hotel for future visits.

Send out a note saying that since you no longer have the B&B, you are no longer in a position to provide lodging when they visit - that you value their visits, and will be happy to recommend a couple local hotels for them to reserve rooms at. You should not feel obliged to pay for the hotel rooms, although with your parents, if paying for a room would be a hardship for them, you might offer to.

your family ought to know better than expect the same treatment when you had a huge house and now have a one bedroom

when they plan to visit it should be clear to them there is no place for them

if you have a condo for rent, that is what it is for, you can't put your tenants out when the family comes to visit, the family will have to make other plans

You need to remind them that this is your business and if they stay there then you don't make money. It is no different then if you owned a restaurant and they wanted to randomly show up, close down your restaurant and have it for their own personal use for free.

You should charge them at least $200 a day. That includes food and water and electricity. Tell them if they want to cook their own foods, you will charge them less than $200.

Explain you no longer can furnish living quarters as in the past due to your current business endeavors. You welcome their visits but they will have to make reservations for their lodgings when in the area. You should no longer offer your rental properties as they have to be available for past and new customers. Get firm and make it known your properties are your livelihood and no longer available for guests.

you lived rent free.including food......10 days at a hotel is 1500 bucks...plus a car.....you greedy ungrateful cun_T.....people like you expect your parents money when they die....suggest a reverse mortgage for them....take that option off the table