I never automaticallydeclina a guest simply based on age. However, I do use different lines of questioning and I am far more rigorous in my screening, especially if they are new profiles, with no pictures or reviews. Depending on the answers, I can either decline, or sometimes I’ve had guests cancel their reservation on their own once I insist that they send acknowledgement that they accept our house rules - including our policies regarding extra guests and hosting parties. I also make it known that our nosey neighbours watch our place carefully, and report any arrivals of extra guests, and that breaking our rules will result in cancellation of their reservation. I’m convinced that I’ve weeded out a number of potential problematic guests this way. I don’t think every guest deserves this kind of scrutiny, just the ones who are more likely to abuse our home, but we will have to be even more cautious in the future now that this tool has been taken away. All guests will be subject to higher scrutiny, even ones with good reviews now that we can’t determine their age. A guest who hosted a party, trashed our place and damaged several items including our new sofa was young, but had seven good reviews so we trusted her. She lied about her guests and indicated a child so we wouldn’t suspect partiers. Then she lied again denying responsibility so that we couldn’t claim damages from the “security” deposit. If AirBnB refuses to give us tools to ensure our safety as hosts, then we have no choice but to take matters into our own hands. No reviews, and new accounts are likely to be denied from now on, since we no longer have even a photo to help us determine what kind of guest we’re inviting into our home.
We also use different correspondence with our elderly guests, or ones with children. We have a steep staircase leading to our upstairs loft suite. We make sure that they acknowledge and accept this before booking so that our guests are safe, and so that we don’t get a negative review over something like accessibility to the bedroom. Not every guest is the best fit for our place. Pictures can give us important clues about suitability.