@Steve2889 Airbnb will hit you with all kinds of reasons not to turn off Instant Book. They try to scare you. You will also see eventually that you'll get urgings from them on your dashboard to lower your minimum night stay, to take long term bookings, to accept last minute reservations, etc, etc. And show you laughably low "price tips".
None of this has anything to do with them wanting to see you be successful at hosting, and making sure you get respectful guests- it has only one purpose- to make things as easy and attractive for guests as possible so bookings come in fast and furiously. What you have to understand about Airbnb is that despite their touchy-feely rhetoric, all they really care about is their profits, which are generated mainly by guest fees. They don't care if you only make $10/night, seriously.
While using Instant Book does give you a higher search ranking, just as you want to familiarize yourself with the dashboard, the settings, etc. before taking bookings (which is really smart, btw- you wouldn't believe how many new hosts put up a listing without bothering to read anything about how it all works. They don't even understand how hosts get paid, that hosts get penalized for cancelling, or anything, really), it's better for new hosts to learn how to vet potential guests before jumping into IB.
What your goal should be is preventing party scenes, over max guest counts, people bringing 4 dogs, and other objectionable behavior, before it can take place, rather than having to deal with it when the guests are already in residence. Cameras, a nearby co-host, more than 1 or 2 night minimum stays, not accepting last minute bookings, all help, but prevention is preferable to damage control.
So being able to communicate with guests before deciding to accept a booking gives you the opportunity to make sure there's no red flags in the guest's communication, nothing that gives you a wary feeling. Once you get familiar with reading between the lines in reviews, knowing what guest questions are red flags that this is a guest you shouldn't accept, etc, then you can always turn IB on.
Set up your hosting settings in a way that works for you and to get good guests, rather than listening to Airbnbs scare tactics. No settings are written in stone- you can change them any time you want.
