Declined bookings that don’t meet my criteria

[Jillian115]

Lately I’m getting one request after another that does not meet my listing criteria. My listing is for two max, no pets. Today I had a request for a family of four with Covid. I’ve had two recent requests to bring dogs. It’s really frustrating. I understand Airbnb sends warnings if you decline to often. Does anyone know what that threshold is? 

[Emiel1]

@Jillian115 

If a booking request does not match with what you offer in the listing, then ask the guest to retract the request (instead of decline the request). Most guests will do so (as it also releases the hold on their credit card....).

BTW For Inquiries there is no obligation to decline, just answer the message within the time limit.

So if you play the Airbnb game this way, it will limit the amount of declines.

[Normen0]

Great reminder to tell them to withdraw to release the hold on their credit card. I will

use that.  

[Genaro18]

Wow you win BEST ADVICE of the forum - that chestnut has even more benefits than you disclosed, such as hosts decline rate. 

This is advice I will be able to use every single day so thank you

It’s a much more subtle thing than I do once in a while just be alert that they guest occasionally will sense you were manipulating the situation and just be careful what you say in your messages

[Lisa723]

@Jillian115 yes as @Emiel1 says, e.g. if guest says they want to bring four people, or dogs, or covid, tell them they cannot bring four people, or any dogs, or covid, so please withdraw the request-- or if they don't, since Airbnb penalizes hosts who decline requests, you will accept their request for two people; and no more than two people, and no dogs, and nobody with covid, will be allowed to check in. So if they wish to avoid being charged for a reservation they cannot use, they should withdraw the request.

And if it's not an request but an inquiry, just reply and do not either pre-approve or decline.

[Huma0]

@Jillian115 

I am experiencing a similar thing lately. @Emiel1 is right in that you never need to decide an enquiry, only respond in time, and that it's best to ask the guest to withdraw the request as they have nothing to lose.

However, you do get those frustrating ones where the guest is either unresponsive and doesn't get back to you/withdraw in time or those that simply refuse to and try to persuade you to accept the booking. That used to happen from time to time but now seems more common, plus I've lately been getting IBs for guests I would not be willing to accept, often fairly short notice ones, which means having to get on the phone to Airbnb to sort out the whole mess.

I think it's a combination of COVID and the holiday season, which is making guests 'panic book' listings even when it should be obvious those listings are not suited to their needs.

As for the acceptance rate, I have been repeatedly told by CS that it's not that relevant and hosts will only be at risk of being delisted if they have a very high rate of declined requests.

Under Basic Requirements, it shows that you should have an 88% or above acceptance rate, but I frequently fall below this and have stopped worrying about it, as it has never caused a problem and I've never been contacted by Airbnb about it. This target is just there to pressurise hosts into accepting more bookings. 

Response rate is far more important as it does affect your Superhost status and is also detailed on your listings. Therefore, ask the guest to retract the request (they usually do) and if they don't, decline it close to the 24 hour deadline as you can. It's better to decline than let a request expire.

[Jillian115]

@Lisa723 @Huma0 @Emiel1 Thanks I understand the process. I should probably just turn off instant book so they don't come in as a booking request. I'm more wondering about the limit. I remember reading a couple of years ago that someone received an email from Airbnb stating that they had declined too many bookings. I don't know if they were in jeopardy of being shut down or not.  

[Lisa723]

@Jillian115 turning off instant-booking will not stop trip requests. It will stop people for booking instantly, without sending a request; every guest who wants to book will have to send a request.

Airbnb doesn't publish its rules/thresholds for scolding hosts about "misbehavior." In general declining requests will push you down in search results and may result in warnings but I don't think anyone can tell you a specific number that will be a problem.

[Jillian115]

oh right. I don't know what I was thinking. 

[Jillian115]

@Huma0 by the way thanks for the info on the accepted reservation rate I forgot about that. That's probably the threshold. Since you have gone under that have you ever received an email from Airbnb letting you know it could be an issue? 

[Huma0]

@Jillian115 

No, not at all. It just shows in my Performance section as 'something to work on'.

When Airbnb first introduced this 88% criteria, a lot of hosts were in uproar about it and rightly so. Why should we be pressurised into accepting people who were unsuitable for our listings?

I did speak to a few Airbnb CS reps about it around that time, but they told me it was completely irrelevant. Most of them didn't even know the criteria existed.

Now, if you mention it, they just tell you not to worry and that they only caution hosts who repeatedly decline requests, i.e. a lot of them.

However, @Lisa723 is quite possibly right in that it will push you down the search results. As far as I am aware, the more bookings you have, the higher up you will appear, so hosts that accept everyone and are fully booked are at an advantage in the searches. However, what if you decline a lot of people but are so popular that you get fully booked anyway (by the guests you are happy to accept)? Do you still fall down the searches because you declined a bunch, or does it then not matter?

I have no idea...

[Lisa723]

@Huma0 yes, acceptance rate is one of the factors that Airbnb says it uses to determine search rank.

https://www.airbnb.com/resources/hosting-homes/a/tips-for-improving-your-airbnb-search-ranking-460

[Huma0]

@Lisa723 

Thanks for clarifying this, but the wording is vague.

It just says, "doing so often". What does often mean? More than 12% of the time (as the acceptance rate criteria would indicate), or doing it on a highly regular basis (as CS keeps telling me)?

[Lisa723]

@Huma0 yes it is vague and as I said I doubt anyone can tell us a specific number/percentage that will be a problem. However it is undoubtedly one of the factors Airbnb says it uses to rank listings in search results.

[Jillian115]

@Lisa723 Thanks! I just got an inquiry for 2 adults and 5 infants. There has to be a point at which Infants who don't count anymore should. The amount of garbage generated from 7 people whether infant or not would be way more than we could manage.