Advice to avoid bad guests

[Charlotte759]

Hi All,

I would really appreciate some advice as we have just recently put our flat for rent on air bnb and we have a guest that has booked for next weekend. The guest has a new profile with no feedback and is unverified. It appears she is also local. My concern is she is going to use it for a party this weekend. Obviously feedback for us is critical so I would just like to hear from the more experienced hosts firstly how best to deal with the current situation and secondly how best to proceed for future bookings.

I’m thinking of sending her a message asking that she either verify herself or provide us with photo ID. Will AirBnb allow this or will it be very difficult to communicate direct with her? Perhaps I can ask her reason for travel and mention that I have a noise monitor if they were planning a party (I will have to think of a way to communicate this without causing offence)

Any help or thoughts would be much appreciated

[Mike-And-Helen0]

@Charlotte759 Hello and welcome!

[Paul41]

Here are my tips my main listing is for a house that can have 16 guests. Mainly let to hen parties. I  very rarely  have any problems. 

1 make house rules clear in listing 

2 repeat house rules in first message

3 make it clear you are kocal ( I mention I am a few minutes away if there are any problems ) 

3 meet the guests to hand over keys 

4 insist you will collect the keys in person ( if you cant you say you will collect keys and message on check out to say somethings come up and you cant. ) 

5 Mention neighbours have your number 

6 If possible do a drive by during the stay 

7 Have a 2 night minimum ( especially weekends)

Finally I  would say your listing price isnt high enough . Your place looks lovely I charge a lot more for my place but I bet your house price is double mine at least .  You dont want to provide a cheap place to have a party. 

Hope this helps 

[Helen3]

Hello @Charlotte759 

Can I ask how you are able to accept bookings when we are not able to accept bookings in the UK until 4 July as STRs are banned under the corona virus legislation?

You shouldn't be accepting any bookings unless they are permitted under our legislation such as key workers, those attending a funeral, or those who are in the UK with no access to the their permanent home?

If you haven't done so already you should block your calendar until 4 July and register for the key worker scheme if you want to accept key workers.

[Ian-And-Anne-Marie0]

@Charlotte759 

You may not have any problems, but your place looks like a great place to have a party and your first few photos only affirms that.

Further to some of the already good suggestions you have had, I would suggest these:

To ease your worries you can register each guest on arrival and confirm their ID and address details - 'As its a UK legal requirement' - Immigration and Hotel Records Order 1972. (It is.) Add this to your House Rules.

Airbnb have a guest utility in the booking guests dashboard "Add guests to Itinerary". You should make this a requirement, add it to your House Rules and remind the booking guest this is a condition of their booking. Prior to arrival guests will know that you are not going to mess around, and you want or will have all their details should you need to find them. It is pointless relying on Airbnb for this as you won't even know the booking guests address. So start stacking the cards in your favour.

You can also check out guests using Facebook and Linked-In.

We have groups of up to 8 here, we live on site so can keep a passive eye on things. 8 people having a 'celebration' and 8 people having a 'party' are different animals. I point this out at booking time, those who just want a 'celebration' understand the difference without explanation and continue with booking.

Good luck with your booking.

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Ian-And-Anne-Marie0 - Just read the immigration order you refer to. I didn't know anything about it (sadly ignorance of a law is no defence).

I wonder if  other UK hosts actually comply with this order.

[Ian-And-Anne-Marie0]

@Mike-And-Jane0 

Very likely not. I do, because I want to know who will have keys to my property and where to find those guests if I need to. All UK hosts SHOULD register their guests. It then becomes the 'norm' and will end the anonymous existence associated with problem guests.

Likewise the 'Add guests to Itinerary'. A side effect of this is that all guests registered to a booking with an Airbnb profile get any review 'associated' with their profile. Airbnb should make this compulsory for any group bookings. When the booking guest doesn't arrive first, as is often the case with groups, at least you can check that the unknown guest exists on the list.

Things might be different if you book directly with the guests. You will have their registered address and a credit card registered to them at their address. You will note too, that even hotels take the details of a wife/husband/other guest who might accompany the booking. Airbnb will give you no addresses. Not even if you ask them.

[Charlotte759]

Thanks for all of your amazing advice! Much appreciated 

[Vivian860]

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