Couple Nixes Turning Extra Room Into Airbnb After Realizing It Means Keeping Place Clean

Guests expect a standard of tidiness to which the household has long aspired but rarely achieved.

Jerusalem, March 27 – A family that in its current life stage no longer needs its unoccupied bedroom considered using it to generate some cash by transforming it into short-term accommodations, but backed away from the idea, they disclosed today, when it dawned on them that maintaining the necessary level of hygiene lies some distance beyond their capabilities.

Netta and Gershon Sasson, parents of four children, at least two of whom now live away, told a reporter Thursday that the room, which once housed their oldest daughter, sees only occasional use for guests, and that Jerusalem’s status as a year-round destination for tourists from all over the world could help them generate some revenue. After looking into the terms and conditions on sites such as Booking and Airbnb, they determined that the cleanliness demanded of hosts on those platforms sits far, far beyond what the Sassons typically achieve.

“It’s the most famous city in history, the center of the world in many ways, and a magnet for visitors,” explained Gershon, 53. Our home is placed and poised to serve any of the millions of those who come for a few days, a week, even a few weeks. The spare room has its own bathroom and good natural light. It’s perfect for singles, couples, or small families willing to get cozy and maybe use the spare cot we put in there.”

“Sounded great. I kept talking up the idea to my wife,” he continued. “She was a little hesitant to surrender some of our privacy, but the money potential won her over. Life is expensive, you know?”

However, his subsequent research into the arrangement revealed an unpleasant truth: guests expect a standard of order and cleanliness to which the Sasson household has long aspired but rarely achieved. “For like two days in the spring each year, maybe,” acknowledged Netta, referring to preparations for Passover that include a thorough inspection and cleaning of the residence to identify and remove grain products forbidden to consume, or even possess, during the festival.

“Once the cooking for the holiday begins, forget about it,” she lamented. “We thought, briefly, that with the kids a little older now, it would be easier to keep the place somewhat tidy,” she shook her head. “It’s not the kids, though. Do you know how often we even wash the living room floor in its entirety? Yeah. Just before those two days in the spring each year.”

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